Now enrolling: Spring 2027•Starts in February•Grades 6–8•Free for families•Only 15 seats per cohort
✦ Grades 6–8 Free for families

Find yourvoice.Build action.

A free 12-week civic leadership program for middle schoolers. Students dig into Missouri history and government, take on a real community issue, plan a community action project, visit the Missouri State Capitol, and publish their ideas in a book for the UBC Global Library.

Apply for my student → I'm a student — show me Sponsor a seat ♥

United By Creativity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Every Civic Ambassador seat is free for families because community sponsors cover it.

A young man holds a handmade sign reading "Join the fight to save your life. Don't leave it up to everybody else!" at a youth event for safe schools
Speaking up for safe schools
A felt scene at dusk: a middle school student speaks from a podium with a megaphone while two classmates hold a banner reading "Our Ideas Count," with a city skyline and the Missouri State Capitol behind them. OUR IDEAS COUNT UBC
United By Creativity logoUBC
Civic Ambassador MissionLearn. Question. Create. Lead.
Grades 6–8
Middle school students
12 Weeks
Civic leadership journey
$0
Cost to families
15 Seats
Per cohort, max
Start Here

Who's visiting today?

Parents need the details. Students want the mission. Donors want the impact. Pick yours.

A Civic Ambassador reading through her research binder
An Ambassador reading through her project binder

Parents: here's the whole picture.

Civic Ambassadors is a structured 12-week program for grades 6–8. It's free for your family, but it asks for a real commitment, so there's a short application.

  • Small cohorts — 15 students maximum (homeschool families welcome)
  • One weekly session plus a weekly assignment
  • Missouri history, civics and how government works
  • A mock bill, a public declaration and a community action project
  • A March trip to the Missouri State Capitol (transportation planned with you)
  • Your student helps publish a book and becomes a UBC Author Apprentice
Start the application →
The Experience

This is where
ideas become action.

Civic Ambassadors blends literacy, civics, history, leadership and community action into a hands-on, project-based middle school experience.

Investigate

Examine community issues, ask sharp questions and research possible solutions.

Community issuesMissouri historyResearch

Understand

Explore how government works and how citizens take part in civic life.

GovernmentPublic policyCivic duty

Create

Turn research into real civic projects and creative work.

Mock billDeclarationCommunity eventBook

Lead

Communicate ideas and work as a team to move a project forward.

Public speakingPlanningCollaboration
The Journey

Twelve weeks.
One civic mission.

From understanding your community to building a plan and sharing it out loud. Lessons may shift a little by cohort, but every Ambassador follows this path.

Weeks 1–2

Who Am I as a Citizen?

Explore identity, community, citizenship and leadership.

Weeks 3–4

Missouri: Then & Now

Investigate Missouri history and connect it to today's communities.

Weeks 5–6 · March

How Government Works

Examine representation and public policy, then see it up close on the March trip to the Missouri State Capitol.

Weeks 7–8

From Problem to Proposal

Choose a community issue and draft a mock bill to address it.

Week 9

Write the Public Declaration

Declare what your community should work toward.

Week 10

Build the Action Plan

Design a realistic community event, service activity or civic action project.

Week 11

Author Apprentice

Add writing, ideas and art to the cohort's Global Library book.

Week 12

Speak & Share

Present your work to family and community and celebrate completing the journey.

Civic Leadership Lab

Learn how an idea
becomes a proposal.

Ambassadors practice the full path from "this isn't fair" to a clear, well-argued proposal.

1
IdentifyWhat issue is affecting our community?
2
InvestigateWhat do we need to understand before proposing a fix?
3
ProposeWhat could government or the community do differently?
4
CommunicateHow do we explain the idea clearly to others?
UBC CIVIC AMBASSADOR EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

From concern to proposal.

Each Ambassador helps write a mock bill — practice in thinking like a lawmaker, backed by research.

Good to know: Mock bills are fictional classroom projects. They are not real legislation and are not submitted to the Missouri Legislature.
A felt community day in a park: a striped tent with a table of supplies, bunting between two trees, a banner reading Community Day, and three students welcoming neighbors. COMMUNITY DAY
Identify a needWhat could be better?
Build an ideaWhat could we create?
Plan the eventWho needs to be there?
Take actionTurn the plan into service.
Community Action

Don't just talk
about the problem.

Civic Ambassadors design a community event, service activity or civic action project tied to an issue they care about.

They learn that leadership isn't only having the idea. It's planning, teamwork, responsibility and follow-through.

  1. Choose an issue
  2. Research the need
  3. Design the response
  4. Plan the event or action
  5. Reflect on the impact
A felt scene of a yellow school bus driving up a winding stitched road toward the Missouri State Capitol at sunset.
March Field Trip

Take civic learning to the Capitol.

In March, Civic Ambassadors travel to the Missouri State Capitol to connect everything they've studied with the place where state government happens.

A group of past UBC Ambassadors with two adults at the Missouri State Capitol
Past Ambassadors

Past Ambassadors were introduced on the Missouri House floor by Rep. Mark Sharp. Real lawmakers, real Capitol, real students.

Transportation is planned with you. On the application, you'll tell us whether you'll drive your student or whether they'll need a ride arranged through UBC.
Our Community. Our Voice. Ideas Worth Sharing. UBC
✦ UBC Author Apprentice

Your civic ideas
can become a book.

Together, the cohort publishes a book for the United By Creativity Global Library — a chance to write, edit and speak to an audience far beyond the classroom.

  • Contribute original writing and ideas
  • Collaborate with other student authors
  • Practice editing and communication
  • Be recognized as a UBC Author Apprentice
  • Add your work to the Global Library
Books already on the Global Library shelfWritten by UBC young authors — your student's cohort book joins them.
The Wisdom of Kids, Vol. IUBC The Wisdom of Kids, Vol. IIUBC Dear HumanityUBC The Encyclopedia of Forgotten TreesUBC A Guide to HappinessUBC Voices of YouthUBC The Minds LibraryUBC The Book of AlphabetsUBC Myths & Adventures of Young StorytellersUBC A Journal of ProgressUBC Book of PurposeUBC ★ Your student's bookUBC
Swipe the shelf to see every book →
11
Books written by young people
8
Ambassador cohorts so far
100s
Young people served
"Creativity is better than video games!"
— Amara, 4th grade UBC Ambassador

Ambassadors have learned alongside Rep. Mark Sharp, Rep. Robert Sauls and Sen. Greg Razer.
Some of our past and current partners include:

Hickman Mills School District Northeast Middle School Providence School of Arts Caring for Kids University of Missouri Missouri Afterschool Network Cave Spring Park
Two Ways to Join

Families apply.
Schools partner.

Students join through family enrollment or an official school partnership.

Path One

Parent / Guardian Enrollment

Parents and guardians — including homeschool families — can apply directly for an upcoming cohort.

  1. Read the program details on this page.
  2. Make sure your student can commit to all 12 weeks.
  3. Fill out the short application below.
  4. Tell us your plan for the March Capitol trip.
  5. UBC sends consent forms and your enrollment information.
Begin parent application →
Path Two

School Partnership

Schools can partner with United By Creativity to host a Civic Ambassador cohort.

Option A — UBC After-School ProgramYour school provides a steady weekly after-school time; UBC runs the program.
Option B — School-Based Civic ClubYour school hosts the club; UBC provides the materials and program framework.

Schools should request partnership information before enrolling students.

Request school information →
Student Commitment

Free doesn't mean
no commitment.

This is a leadership role, not a drop-in club. With only 15 seats, students should apply when they're ready to show up.

12 WEEKS
Show up weeklyAttend the scheduled weekly program session.
Do the weekly assignmentComplete the civic, writing or creative work.
Own your part of the projectContribute meaningfully to the civic and community projects.
Why apply if it's free? Each cohort has just 15 students. The application helps UBC get to know your student and confirm your family understands the expectations.
Learning With Purpose

Leadership meets
academic learning.

Academic skills and real-world civic work, built into the same experience.

LiteracyResearch, writing & communication
CivicsGovernment & citizenship
HistoryMissouri history & context
ResearchQuestions, evidence & investigation
LeadershipCollaboration & action

Activities are designed to support applicable Missouri and national learning standards. Specific standards vary by lesson and grade level.

Questions

Before you
apply.

For parents
How much does it cost?
Nothing. The program is free for participating families. Community sponsors cover each seat. Because space is limited, an application is required.
Why is an application required?
Each cohort has only 15 students. The application helps UBC get to know your student and confirm your family understands the 12-week commitment.
Does my student need leadership experience?
No. The program is built to develop leadership through learning, teamwork, civic projects and community action.
How much work is there each week?
One weekly session plus a weekly assignment or project activity. UBC shares specific expectations before the cohort begins.
Can homeschool students join?
Yes. Homeschool families use the Parent / Guardian Enrollment path, as space allows.
Is the Capitol trip required?
The March Missouri State Capitol experience is a planned part of the program. Families receive the schedule, permission forms and transportation details during enrollment.
How will transportation to the Capitol work?
You'll tell us your preference on the application — you drive, UBC arranges a ride, or you need more info. UBC confirms all transportation details before the trip.
About the program
What is the community action project?
Students pick a community issue and, as a cohort, design a community event, service activity or other age-appropriate civic action project connected to it.
Is the community event actually carried out?
The cohort builds a concrete action plan. Where feasible and appropriate, UBC works with the students and relevant adults to decide how the project can be carried out.
What is a mock bill?
A fictional legislative proposal students write as a learning exercise. It is not real legislation and is not submitted to the Missouri Legislature.
What is the Public Declaration?
A written statement of what students believe their community should work toward. It's an educational civic document, not legislation.
Will students meet elected officials?
Students learn about elected representation and how to communicate with leaders. Any meetings with elected officials depend on availability and scheduling.
What is the Global Library?
A collection of books and creative works written by young people. Each Civic Ambassador cohort creates a publication that joins it.
What is an Author Apprentice?
Every Ambassador helps create original writing or creative work for the cohort's book, and is recognized as a UBC Author Apprentice for it.
Can schools create a Civic Ambassador cohort?
Yes. Schools can host a UBC-run after-school program or a school-based civic club using UBC materials.
For donors
What does a $300 sponsorship pay for?
One Civic Ambassador seat: the Capitol trip and travel, food during meetings, Ambassador awards, and printing and publishing the cohort's book.
Can I give a different amount?
Absolutely. Every gift helps keep the program free for families. Give any amount here.
Is my gift tax-deductible?
United By Creativity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Parent Application

Ready to become
a Civic Ambassador?

It takes about 5 minutes. Remember: each cohort has just 15 seats.

1About your student
2About you
3Your student's civic interest
4Our commitment
5March Capitol trip
6Anything else?
By submitting, I'm expressing interest in my student joining the United By Creativity Civic Ambassador Program. I understand the program is free, space is limited, participation requires a commitment, and UBC will send enrollment and consent information before my student begins.
Schools & Educators

Bring Civic Ambassadors to your school.

Partner with United By Creativity to launch an after-school Civic Ambassador program or a school-based civic club. We bring the framework, materials and the Capitol experience.

Request partnership information →
Apply Sponsor ♥