Extracurriculars That Build Advocacy
Speaking up and taking action on behalf of a cause or group of people.
The American Legion Boys’ Nation is a prestigious, week-long civic leadership program held annually in Washington, D.C., for 100 high…
The Bank of America Student Leaders® program is an eight-week, paid summer internship designed for high school juniors and seniors…
Habitat for Humanity Youth Programs engage young people in hands-on service, education, and advocacy to help build affordable housing for…
The Congressional Essay Contest, organized by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, is a national writing competition…
The United States Senate Page Program is a highly selective civic engagement program that allows high school students to work…
A leadership and advocacy role designed to increase volunteer engagement across New Jersey. Ambassadors use social media platforms to recruit…
The Jewish Student Union (JSU) is a national network of 515+ student-led clubs across 38 states that empowers high school…
Teen Age Republicans (TARS) is the official youth auxiliary of the Republican Party and the nation's largest organization for young…
Young Democrats of America (YDA) is the nation's largest youth-led partisan political organization, with over 20,000 members across all 50…
VolunteerMatch, now part of Idealist, is the world's largest volunteer recruitment platform, connecting students with over 100,000 service opportunities across…
High School Democrats of America (HSDA) is the official high school arm of the Democratic Party, connecting young progressive students…
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is a leading feminist advocacy organization dedicated to advancing equality and justice for women…
Amnesty International USA is a globally recognized human rights organization that empowers student activists to advocate for justice, dignity, and…
Girls Learn International is a free, student-led organization that empowers middle and high school students to advocate for gender equity…
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) is a national student-led organization with over 45 years of history empowering young people to…
DoSomething is a free, year-round civic engagement platform that connects high school students to campaigns focused on causes like climate…
The Ocean Awareness Contest is an annual international competition organized by Bow Seat that invites students in grades 5–12 to…
The Lorenzo de Zavala (LDZ) Youth Legislative Session is the most recognized program of the National Hispanic Institute, designed for…
The Sadie Nash Summer Institute is an award-winning six-week program run by the Sadie Nash Leadership Project for high school…
The Bella Abzug Leadership Institute (BALI) Journey to Leadership Program is a six-week summer leadership program for female-identifying and gender…
The Manhattan District Attorney's High School Internship Program is a rigorous, paid five-week summer program open to juniors and seniors…
Relay For Life is a nationwide fundraising movement organized by the American Cancer Society that brings together students and community…
Best Buddies is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of people with intellectual…
Operation Smile Student Programs is a global service organization that unites high school students around the mission of providing cleft…
The IDEATE Engineering Competition is an annual design challenge organized by SourceAmerica that tasks high school and college student teams…
ALA Girls State is a competitive, week-long civic education program sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary for high school juniors…
The Davidson Young Scholars Program is a free, year-round initiative run by the Davidson Institute for profoundly gifted students ages…
Caminos al Futuro is a free, three-week residential pre-college program hosted by the Cisneros Institute at George Washington University, open…
Youth Service America (YSA) is a national organization that empowers young people ages 5 to 25 to take action in…
The Shatterproof Walk to End Addiction is an annual community event organized by Shatterproof, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming addiction…
Heal the Bay Beach Cleanups is a free, year-round volunteer program organized by Heal the Bay, a Los Angeles nonprofit…
The Friends of Ballona Wetlands Volunteer Program is a free, year-round conservation initiative where students help restore one of Los…
Volunteer Collective is a free, year-round virtual platform that empowers students to create and join meaningful service initiatives spanning disaster…
Brave New Voices is an annual international youth poetry festival organized by Youth Speaks that brings together the world's most…
Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) is a Chicago-based youth theater organization that empowers high school students to create and perform…
ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence is a national initiative that invites teen writers and playwrights ages 13 to 19…
The American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest is an annual public speaking competition where students demonstrate their knowledge of…
The UK Youth Parliament is a nationwide civic engagement program where young people aged 11 to 18 are elected as…
Special Olympics is a global movement that empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities through athletic training, competition, and community inclusion. Student…
The USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future and Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability High School Summer Internship Program…
The FIRE Free Speech Leadership Summit is an advocacy program organized by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)…
NYU Democracy Scholars is a free three-week residential summer program at New York University for rising high school seniors in…
The Human Rights Campaign Youth Ambassadors Program is a national advocacy initiative that trains LGBTQ+ youth and allies to become…
The Global Youth Impact Summit 2026 is an international leadership conference hosted by CGAD in Porto, Portugal, bringing together 100…
The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a fellowship-based initiative that develops the next generation of environmental and social change leaders…
Nexus Youth Exchange 2026 is a four-day international program organized by the Nexus Public Policy Institute, bringing together young leaders…
The UPG Sustainability Leadership Program is a competitive, application-based initiative run by United People Global that recruits and develops the…
The Hansen Leadership Institute (HLI) is an international leadership development program that brings together high school students from regions of…