Congress of Civic Entrepreneurs & Scholars
A Leadership Program &
Civic Project Incubator Initiative
“Sometimes our leaders are only as distant as we believe they are.
It is up to us to weave our social fabric tighter together, even when it seems tenuous altogether.”
This project is largely inspired by our engagement with government officials and candidates, our research and learning about American history (both known and unknown or overlooked stories)! We have, of course, tried to pay forward these experiences by mentoring other kids to connect with those who inspire them and sometimes doing our best to enable those connections.
Our Purpose & Philosophy
The Congress of Civic Entrepreneurs and Scholars is a leadership program dedicated to exploring the moral and civic dimensions of American democracy through deeply philosophical and intellectually rigorous conversation. These conversations are centered around the idea that education is as powerful as its application. Accordingly, we provide facilitated, interactive sessions highlighting some of the most internationally renowned scholars, activists, and creators who embody the spirit of citizenship through their commitment to service in each of their unique pursuits. Through direct engagement, reflection, and sustained dialogue across sessions, participants are not only exposed to ideas but also challenged to internalize and respond to them.
Each session uncovers overlooked or underappreciated endeavors that reveal our nation’s capacity for self-correction and renewal through incremental individual efforts. By delving into the process of how social good projects emerge from their ideation to execution, we aim to inspire young people to think about what they can do for their country while equipping them with the tools, mentorship, and intellectual foundation to begin implementing such ideas themselves. As the series progresses, participants move from conversation to reflection to the early stages of action, developing their own initiatives grounded in what they have learned, whether it be launching a social good project, undertaking a creative endeavor, or initiating an in-depth research study.
At its heart, our Congress begins with a conviction: that being a citizen requires understanding citizenship itself. Good citizenship, in turn, is rooted in good character—and character is formed through storytelling, reflection, and engagement with the past. The stories and people we engage with are not distant despite seeming to be so. Through continued participation, we offer young people the opportunity to exercise their curiosity, to connect directly with these changemakers, and to find a launchpad that supports the evolution of their own ideas into tangible efforts.
Through inquiry, reflection, and dialogue, our Congress is designed to remind participants that democracy is a noun that lives only as long as those who make it up engage in the verbs of giving, caring, questioning, innovating, and reforming—together.
Join Our Program
The program, designed for Cleveland area/Northeast Ohio high school students, unfolds across ten unique seminars. Seminars are held virtually and follow a consistent format: a moderated conversation with a renowned, featured speaker; a period of direct participant engagement through Q&A and discussion; and a guided reflection that encourages participants to connect the session’s ideas to their own evolving sense of civic responsibility.
Each session centers on a distinct theme—ranging from historical moments of democratic renewal to the ethical responsibilities of leadership and the process of building initiatives for the public good. Rather than presenting these topics abstractly, speakers ground their insights in lived experience, offering participants a view into how ideas move from conception to implementation in real-world contexts.
To ensure that engagement extends beyond attendance, participants complete short written reflections after each session. These reflections are not evaluative, but developmental: they are designed to track shifts in thinking, surface questions, and encourage deeper internalization of the material over time.
Participants who attend at least eight of the ten sessions are invited into a more selective youth cohort experience, which serves as the program’s transition point from dialogue to action.
From Ideas to Impact
The second half of the program shifts from learning about the work of others to developing work of your own.
Students choose one of two tracks:
RESEARCH
Develop a research question or case study with guidance on research design, writing, and next steps. We help students connect with appropriate mentors and researchers who can help strengthen their work and explore opportunities to publish or share it.
PROJECT
Take an idea, initiative, organization, or community project and begin building the foundation to make it real. We help students identify the right mentors, professionals, and organizations to connect with and provide feedback as they develop their proposal, strategy, and next steps.
During an in-person midpoint session over winter break, all participants will have the opportunity to workshop their work with program leaders and mentors. This will include op-ed writing with a Cleveland editor and proposal development workshops, with individualized guidance and editing support. Whether a student is pursuing research or developing a project, the goal is the same: to help them clarify their ideas, strengthen their work, and build something they can take beyond the program.
From January through April, students will continue developing their research or project with ongoing guidance, conversations, and connections to mentors and professionals from across the country. The goal is to help each student move from an idea they care about to a foundation they can actually build on—and ultimately share, publish, or put into practice.