Civics Unplugged is now accepting high school-aged applicants for their Spring 2026 Civic Innovators Fellowship, a free 8-week Fellowship that blends history and civics with emerging technology and personal development to equip high school students to drive new solutions and grow as leaders in their communities.
During the two month program, Fellows learn about topics ranging from artificial intelligence and digital citizenship, to human-centered design and the future of journalism. Weekly lessons are delivered virtually in a cohort of high school students from all over the world, and new in 2026, Wheeling-area Fellows will convene in-person once per week for a skills workshop and guided discussion with their peers.
In-person programming will be led by Hilary Kinney, CU’s Director of Community and Ohio Valley native, who joined the CU team in 2023. She is excited to bring a program to the Northern Panhandle that will help area high school students explore new topics and make new lasting connections with peers in the Ohio Valley and around the world.
“As someone who grew up in Moundsville, I’m thrilled that CU is investing in in-person, tuition-free programs for high school students in the Wheeling area. We’re lucky to have multiple high schools here, all with bright students who have creative ideas to change the world. The Civic Innovators Fellowship seeks to provide those students with the knowledge and community they need to become civic innovators and leaders in their schools and communities,” Kinney said.
CU’s Director of Civic Trust and Recruitment, Zoë Jenkins, grew up in Kentucky and was among the first Fellows to graduate from the Fellowship in 2020. After graduating from the Fellowship, Zoë had the chance to lead funding and a series of projects for the organization and found a new sense of purpose. “CU is one of the first places where I was taken seriously as a civic leader even though I wasn’t even old enough to vote. Having that experience of agency so young makes limits on what we can do as youth feel invisible. And being connected to young people around the country who are so passionate about their communities made me even more excited about being a part of the future of my hometown,” Jenkins said.
The Civic Innovators Fellowship is a high school student’s first entry point into the Civics Unplugged community, an alumni network of more than 5,000 young civic innovators around the world.
After graduating from the Fellowship, Fellows become eligible to apply to Civics Unplugged’s tuition-free in-person Academies, which have been held at Georgetown University and UCLA in the past.
Alumni also become eligible to apply for paid mentorship roles at CU programs, as well as apply to Civics Unplugged’s Civic Innovation Lab, an business incubator built specifically for young changemakers who seek to develop innovative solutions in the private sector.
The deadline to apply for the Spring 2026 Civic Innovators Fellowship is January 31st at 11:59 p.m. PT and the Fellowship begins February 23rd! Learn more at civicsunplugged.org and apply at civicsunplugged.org/apply. Reach out to admissions@civicsunplugged.org or hilary@civicsunplugged.org with any questions.
