iEngage Youth Civic Empowerment Camp

iEngage Youth Civic Empowerment Camp is a free five-day civics day camp where campers interact with local civic leaders and elected officials, spend time learning about the legal process, and play iCivics games. Participants examine primary source materials, collaborate with like-minded peers, and engage in a community issues advocacy project in which they research and act upon local community issues. The camp experience culminates in a public presentation of their recommendations.

• Ages: 10–14 years old
• Schedule: Five-day civics day camp, June 22–26, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (until 4:00 PM on Friday)
• Price: FREE with lunch provided

The camp is free for youth who are currently in 4th–8th grade and is described as a free summer civics day camp for upcoming 5th–9th graders. iEngage focuses on developing young people’s civic and political competence and strengthening their community and political engagement through inquiry-based civics projects in which they research and act upon local community issues. The program utilizes an action civics model of inquiry, and campers in small groups, based on grade level, choose an issue to explore, with youth selecting an issue in their community and carrying out an inquiry project that culminates in a public presentation of their recommendations.

Local pre-service and in-service teachers serve as the counselors for each of the small groups. With support from Indiana University Columbus, the camp is directed by Dr. Stephanie Serriere (IU Columbus). Reinhold Hill, Ph.D., serves as the chief executive officer at Indiana University Columbus, with Lori Montalbano, Ph.D., as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Kayla Phillips as Executive Assistant, and Kailey Warner as Program Management Assistant.

iEngage Youth Civic Empowerment Camp is modeled after Baylor University’s iEngage camp, the 2022 recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Advancement in Civic Education award. The camp is made possible by donations and partnership from the Council for Youth Development (CYD), Foundation for Youth (FFY), Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (BCSC), Heritage Fund, Cummins Foundation, Duke Energy, IU’s Office of School and Community Partnerships’ Lilly Endowment for Indiana Youth Programs on Campus (IYPC), IU Columbus, and IU’s Political and Civic Engagement Program (PACE). REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL, but families can still register their camper for the waitlist.

Last updated May 13, 2026.