High school students who live in Maryland, including those enrolled in Charles County Public Schools, can apply for the Maryland Student Civics Program through the Maryland Secretary of State’s Office, which offers firsthand engagement with public officials to encourage youth participation in their communities.
Interested students can complete the online application and submit a parental consent form by Thursday, Oct. 1, to be considered. Students are selected based on their application responses, with some consideration given to geographic diversity. Political affiliation is not asked about or relevant to selection, and program discussions stay focused on civic processes rather than political value judgments.
Students accepted into the program attend a 10-week session featuring lecturers on civics topics; participants receive a completion certificate at the end. Past lecture topics have included the Maryland legislative process, the Maryland 250 Commission, the Supreme Court of Maryland, and nonpartisan election-related activities such as voter registration drives and election judge recruitment.
Students who complete the program can present their work at the Maryland Student Civics Program Fair, where judges selected by the program director evaluate the presentations. The winning student receives recognition from the Secretary of State.
More information is available on the Secretary of State’s Youth Civic Engagement page.
