About

The ACLU National Advocacy Institute is a residential program for high school students ages 15–18, held each summer at American University in Washington, D.C. In 2026, the program expands from its traditional week-long format to 10 days (July 20–29) to mark the ACLU's centennial year — an occasion that includes a Next Generation Conference and Gala featuring past and present ACLU leadership and public sector speakers. Tuition is $2,700, covering housing, meals, and all program activities; need-based full and partial scholarships and travel stipends are available, and the ACLU states a commitment to ensuring cost is not a barrier to participation.

Over 10 days, fellows engage directly with ACLU lawyers, lobbyists, policy advocates, and community activists through elective workshops spanning the ACLU's full issue portfolio — criminal justice, reproductive rights, voting rights, immigration, free speech, LGBTQ+ rights, and more — as well as daily small-group seminars, site visits to key Washington institutions, and structured training in the mechanics of advocacy: mobilizing issue-based campaigns, engaging policymakers, building coalitions, and maximizing organizational impact. No prior advocacy experience is required; the program explicitly welcomes students at all levels of engagement, from first-time participants to experienced organizers looking to deepen their skills and expand their networks.

A notable benefit: alumni who attend the National Advocacy Institute as high school seniors become eligible to apply for the ACLU's Emerging Advocates Scholarship, which awards up to $40,000 over four years toward undergraduate tuition — one of the more substantial college scholarships tied directly to a summer program in this catalog. For a high school student with genuine commitment to civil liberties, constitutional law, or social justice advocacy, the National Advocacy Institute offers direct engagement with one of the most consequential legal and advocacy organizations in American history, in the city where that work plays out.