Community Outreach
The FBI’s Community Outreach Program supports the Bureau’s investigative mission by working to address multiple interrelated societal problems—including crime, drugs, gangs, terrorism, and violence.
Linking community service, prevention, and law enforcement is a national trend spurred by grass roots efforts around the country, and FBI employees have joined this movement, volunteering in a wide variety of community-related efforts.
Birmingham Outreach Specialist
The Birmingham FBI offers public speakers on a limited basis on a variety of topics pertaining to the Bureau’s investigative mission. All requests for speakers must be submitted online a minimum of four weeks prior to your presentation date. Requests are subject to availability.
The Citizens Academy is an engaging six-to-eight-week program that gives business, religious, civic, and community leaders an inside look at the FBI. Classes meet in the evening at the FBI field office. The mission of the FBI Citizens Academy is to foster a greater understanding of the role of federal law enforcement in the community through frank discussion and education.
During the program, students will have the opportunity to see behind the scenes of local FBI operations and experience case studies and demonstrations conducted by the FBI Birmingham Division. Topics will include how the FBI works to combat violent crime, human trafficking, cybercrime and terrorism, and how teams train in forensics, firearms and evidence recovery.
FBI Birmingham Division has two Citizens Academy classes annually: Huntsville and Birmingham:
- The Huntsville session is held every spring (April/May)
- The Birmingham session is held every fall (September/October)
Sessions typically occur on Tuesday nights from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
At the conclusion of the program, graduates are encouraged to join the FBI Birmingham Citizens Academy Alumni Chapter (FBICAAA) for the purpose of strengthening relationships and improving understanding between the FBI and the community.
Nomination process
Candidates are nominated by FBI employees, former Citizens Academy graduates, and community leaders. Please note the selection process is highly competitive, and not all nominees will be selected. Selections of the final candidates are determined by FBI Birmingham.
Candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be a recognized business, religious, or community leader
- Live and/or work within the Division's jurisdiction
- Be at least 21 years old
- Consent to a limited background investigation, to include fingerprint checks
- Agree to attend all sessions with no more than two excused absences
To Apply
Since 1990, the Director’s Community Leadership Awards has been the principal means for the FBI to publicly recognize achievements of individuals and organizations that make extraordinary contributions to education and the prevention of crime and violence in their communities. Each field office nominates an individual or organization for the award, and, once selected, the recipients are invited to a ceremony and reception at FBI Headquarters.
The Teen Academy program allows high school students an opportunity to get a comprehensive look into today’s FBI. Students are provided with several presentations on topics including terrorism, cyber crime, public corruption, polygraph exams, evidence response, SWAT, and day-to-day operations of a typical FBI office. Students also learn from special agents, intelligence analysts, language specialists, and professional staff about investigative tactics that include gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and assisting with cases.
FBI Birmingham Division has on Teen Academy annually, located at the Birmingham Field Office in the summer.
Application Process
Please note the selection process is highly competitive, and not at all applicants will be selected. Selections of the final candidates are determined by FBI Birmingham.
Candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Incoming 11th or 12th grade student
- Live and/or work within the Division's jurisdiction
- School and endorsing school official information
- 2.0 Unweighted GPA
- Essay Submission
- Agree to attend all sessions with no absences
Apply
The next Birmingham Teen Academy will be held Wednesday, July 9, 2025, through Friday, July 11, 2025, from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Students should submit the application no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 30, 2025, by email to BH-Outreach@fbi.gov (preferred) or mail Attn: Community Outreach Specialist 1000 18th Ave N Birmingham, AL 35203. Students selected to participate in the FBI Teen Academy will be given additional information about the program and will be
The Child ID app—the first mobile application created by the FBI—provides a convenient place to electronically store photos and vital information about your children on your smartphone (note: no information is stored or collected by the FBI). In the event your child goes missing, users can show the pictures and provide physical identifiers such as height and weight to security or police officers on the spot. Using a special tab on the app, users can also quickly and easily e-mail the information to authorities.
The app also includes tips on keeping children safe, as well as specific guidance on what to do in those first few crucial hours after a child goes missing.
The FBI, in partnership with the DEA, created a short documentary focusing on the crisis of prescription drug and opioid abuse. The film, Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict, outlines the dangerous cycle of opioid and prescription drug abuse—how the problem starts, how the addiction takes hold, and how that addiction damages one’s life and body. High school students and all ages above are the target audience for this video and the curriculum/facilitated discussion that accompanies it.
FBI-SOS is a free, fun, and informative program that promotes cyber citizenship by educating students in third to eighth grades on the essentials of online security. For teachers, the site provides a ready-made curriculum that meets state and federal Internet safety mandates, complete with online testing and a national competition to encourage learning and participation. A secure online system enables teachers to register their schools, manage their classes, automatically grade their students’ exams, and request the test scores.
Anyone—young or old, in the U.S. or worldwide—can complete the activities on the FBI-SOS website. The testing and competition, however, are only open to students in grades 3-8 at public, private, or home schools in the U.S. or its territories.
