Civic Changemakers - Summer Program

Become a Civic Changemaker! GW Civic Changemakers internship program is a free summer program for middle school students in DC Public Schools. Over the course of five weeks during the summer, middle school students will learn how to become changemakers and community problem-solvers.

With the help of Civic Changemakers college student interns, middle school students will complete a project that has a positive impact on their community. While working on projects, students will build their reading, writing, communication, math, and critical thinking skills. They will have the opportunity to talk with and hear from local leaders and participate in field trips designed to increase civic awareness. At the end of the five-week program, students will present their projects in a public presentation with parents, friends, and community leaders.

Become a Civic Changemakers Intern

Take a look at what we did back in the Summer of 2023!

Stories OF Changemakers

2020

Through the SummerTrek Changemakers program, 10 GW students helped D.C. middle school students turn the issues they are passionate about into virtual advocacy campaigns.

Read the full story here.

Students at Eliot-Hine Middle School present their project calling for equitable dress codes.

2022

In this year's program, service-oriented GW students helped youth in the city become civically engaged through projects addressing issues in their communities.

Read the full story here.

GW student interns Liseth Widman, Joshua Abraham and Sarah Mann oversaw student civic engagement projects, which were presented in front of friends, family and community members on Friday, Aug. 4, at Eliot-Hine Middle School.

2023

Now in its sixth year, the five-week Civic Changemakers summer program in 2023 culminated in student projects created to have a positive community impact.

Read the full story here.

Civic Changemaker Spotlight

GW sophomore Eden Parker offers guidance at a student council meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at Eliot-Hine Middle School.

“My interest in giving back is centered around having a connection with other D.C. natives and D.C. students and sharing our experiences together.”- Eden Parker

Eden Parker, also a Stephen Joel Trachtenberg scholar, has extended her Civic Changemakers summer program work through the school year.

Read her full story on GW Today!

See more photos from our most recent group of Civic Changemakers:

DCPS students shake hands with a DCPS stakeholder

DCPS students on a stage presenting about an anti cyberbullying campaign

Civic Changemaker interns clap and cheer for presenting DCPS students

Johnson Middle School students presenting on stage about their supply drive for a Homeless Shelter

Sousa Middle School students present on a stage about an anti gun violence campaign

Project Examples:

Students created a project to address school safety issues which included feeling unsafe in school and the surrounding community, a broken gate, and weapons seen on campus. They proposed two solutions: fixing the gate and holes in the fence and creating a neighborhood watch program. The students wrote letters to the mayor and their ANC representative to propose those changes.

Students created a survey about gun violence for members of the community to respond to. They tweeted about their survey and received attention from their community leaders and were featured in the DC Line News. Forty-eight people responded to the survey. The survey results showed that people wanted safer gun legislation, restricted purchasing, gun training and education, responsible ownership, community support and grassroots projects, economic opportunities for young people, and mental health support for youth.

To learn more, contact us at [email protected].