THE IMPACT OF

CIVICS UNPLUGGED

4,121

FELLOWS
GRADUATED

13%

ACCEPTANCE
RATE

$700k +

INVESTED IN
YOUNG LEADERS

70%

PEOPLE OF COLOR

74%

YOUNG WOMEN

40%

FIRST GEN COLLEGE STUDENTS

ALL 50 STATES & 76 COUNTRIES

Meera Baswan
18
Canada
CU F. 2 Fellow

“THIS IS A TESTIMONIAL”

Dulce Gasga Perez
17
Maryland
CU F. 2 Fellow

“THIS IS A TESTIMONIAL”

Annelise Klein
18
North Dakota
CU F. 2 Fellow

“THIS IS A TESTIMONIAL”

Aaron Piando
18
McAllen, Texas
CU F. 2 Fellow

“THIS IS A TESTIMONIAL”

WHY WE EXIST

Civics Unplugged unlocks pathways to purpose for our nations most talented young changemakers.

There are no avenues for young people to experience impact technology or protecting democracy as financially sustainable, exciting, and long-term career paths – making them susceptible to social pressures that incentivize a more traditional (less-impactful) career path.

We exist to show high school students all of the potential ways to unite their passions, social impact, and financial security for life. The funding and community CU provides helps Fellows take the leap, and supports them as they fulfill their purpose and change the world.

WHY WE PUT 
MONEY INTO OUR 
ALUMNI'S BANK 
ACCOUNTS.

63% of young changemakers view their age as a “detrimental factor” in accessing capital to begin or sustain a change-making passion. Studies find that most students have to fund between $100 and $500 of their expenses out of pocket; over a quarter have to put well over $1,000 to support their organizations. These barriers affect all young people, but disproportionately affect those at the margins – who we desperately need involved in community change making efforts. This creates a gap between young people and their passions, that continues to grow as they get older.

When international young leaders were asked how long a grant of $5,000 would last in their organization, 40% of respondents reported that they could utilize the funding for at least one year, with nearly 15% of organizations being able to use the grant for multiple years. Small grants – and the signal of trust that comes along with financial support – create a generation of leaders who can spend time chasing their passions and making social impact. That means young folks will be less likely to take internships or jobs that pull them away from social impact in college or beyond.

While financial support is essential, you cannot just direct money towards kids and expect them to master the non-profit bureaucracy, art of networking, financial literacy and other similar skills overnight. Funding must be paired with a unique training that helps young people understand their skills, the nature of the system they are attempting to shift, how to ideate and develop solutions, how to map out their objectives, and how to operationalize it all. Most importantly, they must be connected with an intergenerational network of collaborators to supercharge their efforts.

That's what Civics Unplugged exists to do.

After all, no one generation can do this work alone.Social change movements over the last century -- the Little Rock Nine, the Greensboro sit-ins, and the climate strike -- have been led by young people. They’ve been at the forefront of harnessing new ideas and new technology to change the world. To invest in Gen Z is to invest in our future -- uplifting their work and allowing them to co-create with adults is fundamental to seeding a brighter tomorrow.

SOME OF OUR SUPPORTERS

$553,219

Invested directly into Alumni Civic projects

1,200,000

People impacted beyond the immediate CU Community

Youngest Elected Official in Arizona

Markus Ceniceros
17
Arizona

Markus is the youngest elected official in Arizona, serving on his school board. He is also the founder of the Keep AZ Blue youth coalition.

READ MORE >

Fighting Book Bans

Shloka Mehta
16
Texas

Shloka is the founder of Books Beyond Bias, an organization that organizes students to fight book bans in Texas.

READ MORE >

Supporting Civics in Rural Areas

Annelise Klein
18
North Dakota

Annelise is working to give a voice to students in North Dakota, who are often overlooked by national civics institutions.

READ MORE >

Leveraging Social Media for School Saftey

Emma Shultz
17
California

Emma is the Founder of GenZCrusade, an organization that creates content about the harms of gun violence, and provides resources to over 30,000 followers. Emma's organization has registered over 12,000 voters and reached millions.

READ MORE >

Member, Sacramento County Climate Task Force

Saheb Gulati
17
California

As an Environmental Justice member and Outreach and Education Subcommittee Chair, Saheb has a major say in how Sacramento attempts to achieve carbon neutrality.

READ MORE >

Expanding Education Access in Vietnam

Darena Nguyen
16
Texas

Darena is the founder of Educating The World Association, where she raises money to expand access to education and school supplies for young people in Vietnam

READ MORE >

Our fellows get accepted
to top universities*.

* Not the only way to make change

STAY IN TOUCH

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.