Civic Synergy Leadership Program
Empowering a new generation of leaders to solve America's hardest problems.
What does it mean to be a part of the Civic Synergy leadership program?
You will have the chance to propose real, tractable solutions to address pressing issues with a politically and socially diverse group of peers from around the country. Throughout the program, you will work collaboratively with your team, aiming to propose policies addressing a specific issue.
By the end of the program, you will have had the chance to:
deliberate on pragmatic policy proposals to be presented to members of Congress
improve your ability to have productive conversations across the political aisle
develop collaborative leadership skills
connect with other passionate future leaders
At the end of the program, you’ll have the opportunity to present your proposed solutions to public officials, allowing you the direct opportunity to be involved and influential in the lawmaking process.
What’s the commitment?
Program dates
Our national program runs virtually, on Zoom, once a week over the course of 7 weeks. Attendance at all six program sessions in the first six weeks is expected, as your team will make important progress during each session.
The program will run during the weeks of June 30 - August 11 at 7-9pm ET. Program sessions will be run Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You will be assigned to a cohort and one day of the week (either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) to attend based on availability and cohort preference.
Presentations to elected officials, staffers, and other experts are scheduled in the final week of the program. Depending on availability, this may be held at a different time than the typical program session. Presentation dates will be shared with participants in as much advance as possible.
Commitment
Expect to commit around 2-4 hours per week throughout the seven-week program, including the weekly sessions and preparatory work between sessions
Weeks 1-6 - Mandatory attendance at weekly, online sessions
Weeks 7+ - Proposal presentations to elected officials and staffers. Not all team members must be present, but all are encouraged to attend
Program cost
For a $100 program fee, participants receive full access to professionally facilitated program sessions, materials, and the Civic Synergy network.
The virtual program involves a total of six, 2-hour sessions and a presentation session over the course of seven weeks. It runs online from late June to early August, and includes:
Expert-created modules designed to build your dialogue, collaboration, and conflict resolution skills
Professionally facilitated deliberations and problem-solving around the topic of choice
Access to reading and materials between virtual sessions
An opportunity to pitch your proposal to Congress members
Previous program participants have presented to the offices of Representatives Sara Jacob, Blake Moore, Mike Gallagher, Bryan Steil, Abigail Spanberger, Young Kim, and more.
In Summer 2026, cohorts will focus on:
Cohort 1: Strengthening our Republic
Participants will explore key challenges facing the health and stability of the United States’ constitutional system, including political polarization, trust in institutions, and the function of democratic processes.
Cohort 2: Global Engagement and U.S. Foreign Policy
Participants will examine different perspectives on America’s role in the world, including more interventionist and more restrained approaches to foreign policy. Through discussion and collaboration, participants will work together to develop a bipartisan policy proposal that addresses current global challenges while balancing national interests, international stability, and democratic values.
How to apply
Fill out our program application form to apply. Our priority deadline is April 3. Afterwards, applications will be considered on a rolling basis until all slots are filled.
Learn more about the program
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In this experiential learning program, you’ll build valuable skills across dialogue, collaboration, conflict resolution, public speaking, policy creation, research, and more. Working with a diverse team and facilitator in Civic Synergy provides a unique, hands-on way to discover and build on your leadership and civic skills. You’ll complete modules and activities during the sessions and have access to reading materials and videos in between sessions.
In addition to building valuable skills, you’ll have the chance to connect to peers from around the country who are passionate about solving our nation’s challenges and bridging toxic division.
At the end of the program, you will have the opportunity to pitch your proposals and get feedback from public officials serving in our nation’s capital today.
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The program cost is $100. Civic Synergy is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit, so these funds directly support our programs operations, and they allow us to continue running programs year-to-year.
Please reach out to us at national-program@civicsynergy.us if this presents any challenges for you. We are committed to making this program accessible for everyone.
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You will need to be available once a week from 7-9pm ET during the 6 weeks of your program. You will be assigned to a day (either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) of the week based on your indicated preferences and the applicant pool.
Public official presentations will most likely be held in the week following, although the timing may change. Attendance is not required for all participants due to the scheduling flexibility, but most participants try to attend.
Outside of the sessions, expect to commit at least an additional 1-2 hours for readings, reflections, and research.
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Yes. The national program is held online, with weekly synchronous virtual sessions. You’ll need reliable access to internet and a laptop or device which you can use for video conferencing to call into these sessions.
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We welcome all participants ages 18-30! We value greater diversity of perspectives, and this won’t negatively impact your application.
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No! We welcome all young leaders. We often have participants from across undergraduate majors or graduate programs such as engineering, business, history, philosophy, biology, and more.
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Get in touch with us at national-program@civicsynergy.us. We’re happy to answer your questions big and small.
Hear from past participants
I've definitely learned that partisanship means next to nothing and shouldn't be a barrier to negotiation since most times both sides want the same thing: to do what's best for the common good.
- Civic Synergy '22 alum[I] appreciated collaborating blindly across the political spectrum, and discovered people have more in common than expected despite their beliefs.
- Civic Synergy '22 alumI really enjoyed getting to be a part of Civic Synergy. This program not only helped me develop life long skills but it also gave me hope to see other students, from different walks of life, fighting against political polarization in America.
- Civic Synergy '22 alumThe program helped me improve my public speaking skills (i.e., summarizing research and diplomatically expressing disagreement) and allowed me to conduct research on social/political issues, which I rarely do in the rest of my academic work.
- Civic Synergy '23 alumWorking with people who care about a topic but have different passions has been great, and I am so excited to take these skills and work with other people.
- Civic Synergy '22 alum
Photo Credit: Makena Wong, The Miami Hurricane
By the numbers
200+
program alumni
Since I am a hardline traditional conservative on most issues, I was concerned that I myself would present a significant obstacle to Civic Synergy’s goal of discussion without hostility or felt hostility. I also feared that the goal of consensus would prevent substantive dialogue on the many emotional issues involved with immigration. But I was beyond pleased with my group. We discussed specific, divisive policy ideas without hostility, and came to unified accord on substantive policy recommendations… I am so proud of our team's resilience, research, and results!
- Civic Synergy '24 alum5
national programs run
30+
states represented
8
Congressional offices engaged