What to Expect
The program consists of a Summer Residency Component followed by a School Year Component.
Summer Residency Component: July 7-25, 2025
Rising high school seniors will live and study on Stony Brook University’s campus for three weeks. A university professor will teach an intensive, discussion-based civics and government seminar. Students will read classical and contemporary texts about voting, politics, and democracy, and the U.S. Constitution, debating them with their peers and submitting written reflections.
During the Summer Residency, students will work closely with Dr. Tracey Walters, a Professor of Literature and Africana Studies, to engage with challenging texts about democracy and civic engagement. Students will put these texts in conversation with each other and current events. Students will also be mentored by the Academy’s Undergraduate Teaching Assistants, who will lead discussions and hold office hours in order to give students additional academic support and help them transition to life and learning on a college campus.
For three weeks, students will live on Stony Brook's campus, free of charge. Students will be provided with dining cards to buy food from campus retailers and will live in Stony Brook University Campus Housing. Here is a list of supplies to consider packing for the summer!
School Year Component: September 2025–May 2026
Students will attend one or two weekend meetings per month throughout their senior year of high school.
During this time, students will receive college application mentorship and support. They will work together to workshop personal statements and other college application materials. In addition, they will also discuss different application strategies.
Students will also work in groups to plan and carry out meaningful community-engagement projects in their communities. Students will work with commissioners from the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission, who will provide students with support and guidance. At the end of the year, students will present their project to the SCHRC.
Summer residency schedule at a glance
July 7–25, 2025
Academic School Year Sample Schedule from Fall 2024
