WHO WE ARE

The Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL) is setting a global standard for leadership training and sustainable community service. ICL seeks to inspire and connect a global network of service leaders who are “Making Service Count” in order to build a better world.

At ICL, we believe we need to go beyond the mindset of “helping” others and understand the importance of listening to others. We believe we need to understand their needs and identify how we can use our passions and skills to make a difference.  At ICL we ‘make service count’ by imparting skills that allow our participants to create projects that help them discover how to use their passion to build a better world.

The main tenet of the ICL is the ICL Leadership Academy- a comprehensive, hands-on summer leadership program available to high school students from around the world who have a passion for leadership and service.

ICL’s mission is to ensure that students and faculty around the world, who have become service leaders in their schools and communities, are recognized for their leadership in civic engagement, given training to enhance their leadership skills and provided with the resources to promote and sustain their endeavors.

WHAT WE DO

By partnering with service organizations and schools, we recognize students and teachers for outstanding service and leadership.

WISER is a non-profit organization that opened the first girls’ boarding school in Kenya in January 2010. Using the motto “live, learn, be,” WISER strives to foster a spirit of inquiry, intellectual independence, and enthusiasm for learning among its students.

WISER partners with schools in the U.S. and Europe to involve students in raising funds for WISER and building awareness of the opportunities WISER creates for young people in Muhuru Bay. The Dwight School became a Partner School in 2009 and in 2010 was named one of three Lead Partner Schools chosen to further develop the Partner School Program.

In March 2010, nine Dwight students traveled to Muhuru Bay, Kenya, to meet WISER’s first Class of 2013 and build on an international exchange of ideas, support, and empowerment.

Through training at our ICL summer leadership academy, we enhance the service work of students and faculty.

By giving grants to outstanding students and teachers, we promote and support student and faculty leadership and service in our community and around the world.

The ICL is proud to serve as a fiscal sponsor of "Dance for Orphans," a charity developed by Daniel Maren, a senior at the Dwight School.

The Dwight School, an IB World School in New York City, founded the Institute for Civic Leadership in 2001.

Since then, the ICL has invested over $2 million  dollars in creating unique opportunities for students around the world, including youth leadership conferences at the United Nations, online courses, and international leadership service projects in China, India, Peru, Saudi Arabia and Tanzania. With our partner organizations, the ICL has built hundreds of schools and facilities around the world and conducted leadership training for thousands of students.

AWARDS AND MILESTONES

• The ICL held six consecutive youth summits at the United Nations with over 20 UN ambassadors participating.




• In 2001, the ICL was awarded the Hagoort Award for international humanitarian service when it saved a school in Costa Rica’s rainforest from closing in 2001.




• In 2005, the ICL helped rebuild numerous schools devastated by the tsunami.




• In 2006, the ICL won the Dale Earnhardt Award for outstanding community leadership and service work.




• In 2007, the ICL opened the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in Times Square.