About the Civicorps Academy

The Civicorps Academy is a high school recovery program. We link community-improvement work with individualized instruction and intensive support in math and English.

Our Curriculum: Five Interconnected Areas

• Academics: Students take classes during the evenings and all day on Fridays. Our curriculum is directly tied to service-learning projects.
• Citizenship: Students become interested in the democratic system through their environmental and community work.
• Communication: Service-learning projects require students to work in teams and problem solve.
• Employability: Students gain strong job and academic skills. Students increase their confidence and self esteem by developing skills and seeing their accomplishments honored.
• Life Skills: Many of our students need support outside the classroom; we provide counseling and other support services.

Who Do We Serve?

• We serve 18 to 24 year-olds.
• Our corpsmembers come to us testing at varying grade levels. Entering students typically test between the 5th and the 7th grade.
• Eighty percent of our students have been out of the school system for one or more years and did not enjoy school.

During the 2000 to 2001 school year, corpsmembers gained an average of 3.6 grade levels per 50 hours of study, the highest ever recorded in the program and well above the national average.

The Academies

The Civicorps Academy co-directors recently developed the new Foundation and Learning Academies, which allow us to better meet the needs of our corpsmembers.

The Foundation Academy
The Foundation Academy serves students whose math and reading scores fall below a 5th grade comprehension level. Students in the Foundation Academy receive comprehensive daily instruction and individualized support. Once students test at a 5th grade level or above, they enter the Learning Academy.

The Learning Academy
The Learning Academy reinforces students' basic academic skills and teaches them tools and techniques for academic success. Through active research, students also develop a leadership agenda and improvement plan for their communities.

The Field Academy
Once students achieve an approximately 9th grade reading and math skill level, they enter the Field Academy. The Field Academy allows them to expand their leadership and life skills by serving on small natural resource or urban resource work crews throughout the Bay Area. Students in the Field Academy supplement their field work by attending evening and Friday classes. Graduates of the Field Academy earn a high school diploma.

Download the Civicorps Academy Handbook (PDF 3KB)

– Corpsmember