Social Justice
{American Civil Liberties Union} Summer Advocacy Institute
The ACLU’s Summer Advocacy Institute will bring together a diverse group of students entering their junior and senior years of high school from across the United States to participate in an advanced, firsthand learning experience for the next generation of social justice advocates. Through an intensive program in Washington D.C., students will learn directly from lawyers, lobbyists, community activists, and other experts working to defend the civil rights and liberties critical to a free and open society. The Close Up Foundation — a DC-based civic-education nonprofit — will serve as a partner with the ACLU to provide substantive experiential learning opportunities that help students hone their skills as issue-focused campaigners.
{Brandeis University} Race, Inequality and Social Justice
This new offering from Brandeis spans from historic inequalities to modern day discrimination. Students and Brandeis faculty will discuss the impact of systemic racism, and explore the consequences of it in the lives of so many. Students will engage with complex theories of intersectionality and critical race theory among others. Together we will unpack policies and practices that have disadvantaged groups throughout the history of the U.S. Whether you’ve studied these issues before or are curious what these discussions entail, you’ll find your place in our community.
Under the direction of Professor Rajesh Sampath, students will learn from Brandeis University faculty, researchers, and doctoral students. Throughout the experience, students will be challenged in the classroom to develop critical thinking question asking skills. Students will develop the skills to contribute to the advancement of social justice. Students from around the world are invited to participate.
Across the program, students will spend time researching an issue, activist, or program about which they are passionate and will share their findings with fellow students on the final afternoon of the session.
💰 Scholarships Available
{Case Western Reserve University} Social Justice
The Social Justice program will use an interdisciplinary approach to examine the root causes of social injustice. Focusing on principles of action, community, equity and inclusion, students will explore local, national and global issues and develop creative responses through discussion, journal writing, and short filmmaking.
{George Washington University} Social Justice & Activism Summer Immersion
Washington, D.C. is the heart of the legislative processes and social movements that influence structural, cultural and ideological change. This course introduces students to questions, opportunities, and roadblocks faced by civic and global leaders while aiming to expand their leadership capacity teaching them to translate their values and ideas into action. Students explore topics such as grassroots organization activism by looking at how activism has shaped social change.
{Oberlin College} Foresight Prep
The Power of YOU: Foresight Prep @ Oberlin is an intensive, pre-college summer program for high school students passionate about social equity and the environment. We facilitate hands-on seminars designed to empower motivated high school students to take action on urgent issues during the summer, and a year-round network connecting alumni with real world changemakers.
{Sarah Lawrence College} Social Justice Collective
Designed to give high school students an immersive experience into Sarah Lawrence College's pedagogy, this program provides students theoretical, historical, and present-day perspectives on social and cultural issues involving class, gender, sexuality, and race. This interdisciplinary intensive will give students a chance to learn, discuss, and apply their knowledge through the creation of mixed-media art installation pieces. Throughout this process, students will be guided and mentored by members of Sarah Lawrence’s award-winning faculty and renowned alumni. Students will develop their academic skills in a rigorous intellectual environment by focusing on the social justice issues that matter most to them. Students will also explore how creative writing, visual art, performance, and social media impact social justice movements. This three-week program will culminate in an exhibition of each student’s work.
💰 Scholarships Available
{University of Chicago} Pathways in Human Rights
What are the philosophical and historical approaches to contemporary justice issues? How do laws, treaties, and norms work in practice to protect rights? Through lectures and discussions with affiliated faculty, researchers, and advocates associated with the University of Chicago’s Pozen Family Center for Human Rights, participants will explore these questions through the lens of particular issues in the field. Visits to advocacy organizations, cultural events, and courts and other government institutions will reveal how these questions play out beyond the classroom, and give participants behind-the-scenes access to the rich resources available in Chicago to address human rights on a local, national, and global scale.
💰 Scholarships Available
{University of Pennsylvania} Social Justice Research Academy
The Social Justice Research Academy examines the historical importance and the contemporary relevance of struggles to overcome inequality and injustice. Engaging with faculty and community leaders alike, students conceptualize projects related to freedom, justice and equality, and develop skills for leadership and community development.