Students begin the summer immersed in the history, people, institutions, and ideas that have shaped the ongoing pursuit of equality and democracy in America. Rooted in Montgomery’s unique place in the Civil Rights Movement, the week challenges students to move beyond simply learning history to consider how that history continues to inform civic life today.

Through conversations with historians, elected officials, voting-rights advocates, faith leaders, and others from across the community, students explore the connections between history, voting, government, civic participation, leadership, and social change. Visits to historic and cultural sites bring that history to life and let students experience places where people took action to change their communities and the nation.

Students also look to the future, exploring how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are shaping education, communication, government, opportunity, and the ways people participate in civic life.

Building on Week 1, students explore how the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement translate into active citizenship today. They examine the power of voting, grassroots organizing, community engagement, political participation, and citizens' responsibility to participate in and strengthen the democratic process.

Interactive activities such as Political Jeopardy help students strengthen their knowledge of government, politics, history, and democracy. The week then moves from learning about civic engagement to practicing it. Through sessions with community organizers, students examine how people identify issues, organize around shared concerns, communicate with their neighbors, and encourage others to get involved. Hands-on telephone-banking training introduces students to one of the practical tools used in grassroots organizing.

Daily reflections with faith leaders give students another opportunity to consider the connections between values, service, leadership, and community responsibility. Students are also encouraged to identify concerns within their own communities and consider the role young people can play in addressing them.

Students move beyond learning about civic engagement and directly into the places where government happens. Through visits, conversations with public officials, and hands-on experiences, students gain a practical understanding of how local and state government operates and how citizens interact with the institutions that serve their communities.

The week begins with a focus on public education and community leadership, including an opportunity to engage with the Montgomery Public Schools Superintendent. Students then take their learning directly into local government by attending meetings of the Montgomery County Commission, Montgomery City Council, and Montgomery County Board of Education and meeting with members of each. These experiences give students an opportunity to observe the public decision-making process firsthand and learn how decisions affecting their communities are considered and made.

At Montgomery City Hall, students meet privately with the Mayor and gain insight into municipal leadership, public service, and the responsibilities associated with leading a city. The experience helps students connect the people they see in elected office with the larger systems of government they have been studying.

One of the week’s most interactive experiences is a Mock Probate exercise with the Montgomery County Probate Court. Rather than simply hearing about the judicial and administrative functions of government, students participate in an exercise designed to help them better understand the Probate Court's role and the responsibilities entrusted to public officials.

The week culminates with exposure to Alabama state government and history through a Capitol tour and a visit to the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Together, these experiences allow students to see the connection between Alabama’s past, the institutions that govern the state today, and their own responsibility to help shape its future.

Students explore another important dimension of leadership: economic empowerment. After exploring history, civic engagement, and government, students turn their attention to understanding money, entrepreneurship, professional opportunity, and the financial decisions that can help shape their futures.

Throughout the week, students explore the fundamentals of financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and business development. They gain practical knowledge about managing money, understanding banking and financial systems, making responsible financial decisions, and developing habits that support long-term financial stability.

The entrepreneurship component encourages students to think creatively about turning their interests, talents, and ideas into opportunities. Students examine what it takes to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, recognize opportunities, build professional relationships, and understand the importance of preparation, persistence, and sound decision-making in achieving personal and professional goals.

By the conclusion of Week Four, students understand that financial literacy is a form of empowerment. The ability to manage resources, recognize opportunities, build meaningful relationships, and make informed financial decisions gives them greater ownership of their futures.

Students explore personal wellness as an essential foundation for leadership, achievement, and a fulfilling life. The week approaches health holistically, encouraging students to consider how physical activity, nutrition, preventive care, emotional well-being, and healthy habits work together to support lifelong wellness.

Students gain practical knowledge about caring for their bodies and making informed health decisions. Conversations with health professionals encourage them to understand the importance of preventive care, recognize health concerns, ask questions, and become active participants in decisions that affect their well-being.

Physical fitness is integrated throughout the week, reinforcing the connections among movement, discipline, energy, confidence, and overall health. Students learn that exercise does not have to be limited to organized sports and that developing an active lifestyle can become an important part of maintaining physical and emotional wellness throughout their lives.

Nutrition is another important component of the week. Through healthy eating and culinary programming, students explore how the foods they choose can affect their energy, concentration, physical health, and long-term quality of life. The emphasis is not simply on what to eat, but on developing the knowledge and confidence to make balanced, intentional choices about nutrition.

By the conclusion of Week Five, students understand that taking care of themselves is not separate from becoming effective leaders; it is part of becoming effective leaders. Healthy choices can help provide the physical strength, emotional resilience, confidence, and discipline necessary to pursue goals, serve others, and respond to life’s challenges.

Students begin to envision what comes next academically, professionally, and personally. Through conversations with professionals, college campus visits, historical experiences, and daily reflection, students are encouraged to think intentionally about their futures and understand that the choices they make today can help shape the opportunities available to them tomorrow.

A central component of the week is college exposure. Students have opportunities to step onto college campuses and experience higher education beyond what they may have seen in brochures or online.

Career exploration is woven throughout the week through interactions with professionals representing different backgrounds and areas of expertise. Rather than asking students simply what they want to be when they grow up, the experience encourages them to think more broadly about their interests, talents, education, preparation, relationships, and the many pathways that can lead to a meaningful career.

By the end of Week Six, students leave with a broader understanding of the possibilities available to them and a greater appreciation for the preparation required to pursue them. Whether their future includes a four-year university, another educational pathway, entrepreneurship, public service, or a professional career, the week encourages students to begin preparing thoughtfully for what comes next.

Students explore the power of communication, creativity, and self-expression through people and experiences designed to help them understand how their words, presentation, creativity, and ability to connect with others can influence how they lead and how others receive their ideas.

A major emphasis of the week is helping students recognize that communication extends far beyond simply speaking well. Effective communication includes listening, understanding an audience, organizing thoughts, presenting ideas with confidence, and learning how to use one’s individual voice. These skills can be developed through practice, exposure, creativity, and confidence, and students can carry them into their educational, professional, civic, and personal lives.

Students also explore the relationship between art and communication and how the arts can provide different ways to express their experiences, perspectives, emotions, and aspirations.

By the conclusion of Week Seven, students better understand that communication is not simply about being heard. It is about learning to connect, influence, create, listen, and inspire. When creativity is combined with effective communication, young people gain powerful tools for expressing themselves, advocating for themselves and others, and contributing meaningfully to their communities.

Students take learning beyond the traditional classroom through cultural enrichment, travel, and experiential learning. They explore new environments, encounter different perspectives, and connect lessons in leadership, history, culture, education, and career development to real-world experiences.

The multi-day trip to Atlanta gives students opportunities to visit destinations selected for their educational, historical, cultural, civic, and professional significance. Through visits to historical and cultural sites, educational institutions, businesses, and governmental institutions, students are exposed to new people, places, institutions, and possibilities.

The experience is designed to reinforce the idea that learning happens everywhere. A conversation with a community leader can become a lesson in civic responsibility. A college campus can help a young person envision a future they had not previously considered. A historic site can bring lessons about courage, justice, and leadership to life. Exposure to businesses and professional environments can introduce career possibilities and demonstrate the preparation necessary to pursue them.