This summer the Illinois State University Forensics Union and the American Democracy Project are joining forces to host a Civic Engagement and Leadership Camp for high school students from June 17–22. The aim of the camp is to educate and inspire students to engage with their community. The camp will include four areas of interest: civic engagement, leadership, service learning, and social justice.
Camp participants will be taught by faculty and student members of the ISU community. At the camp, participants will engage in community-based activities in addition to their classroom instruction. Each day participants will attend trips to community organizations in the Bloomington-Normal area to gain firsthand knowledge and experience with service-based activities.
Applications are available at AmericanDemocracy.IllinoisState.edu/Documents/CivicEngagementLeadershipCampinfo.pdf.
The aim of the camp is to prepare students for college and to become active citizens. “What we hope students gain from this camp is the education and experience for students to have the ability to participate in civic- and service-based activities within their community,” said camp leader Hillary St. John, who added that the camp experience may be appealing on resumes and college applications.
Illinois State has a strong commitment to civic engagement through organizations like the American Democracy Project and the Forensics Union. The Civic Engagement and Leadership Camp represents the next step in the University’s promotion of civic engagement.
For more information on the Civic Engagement and Leadership Camp, contact the camp director, Donny Peters, at djpete2@IllinoisState.edu or (309) 438-2321.
