Community Outreach  

The 2018 Orlando Citizens Academy class participated in Range Day at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Practical Training Site. The class received an opportunity to see first-hand the training special agents conduct to serve and protect their communities. Civic and business leaders in the class received a hands-on look into FBI Tampa's SWAT, Bomb Tech, and HAZMAT programs.

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.

Outreach Specialist

(504) 816-3000
NewOrleansOutreach@fbi.gov

Social Media Outreach

Community Relations (Facebook)
@FBINewOrleans (Twitter)
@FBI (Instagram)

Speaker Requests 

The New Orleans 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 four weeks prior to your presentation date. Requests are subject to availability. 

Citizens Academy 

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.

Candidates are nominated by FBI employees, former Citizens Academy graduates, and community leaders. Participants are selected by the special agent in charge of the local FBI field office.

To Apply

The FBI Baton Rouge is not currently accepting applications to its Citizens Academy.

Future Law Enforcement Youth Academy 

Program

FBI New Orleans, in partnership with the Tulane University Police Department, will be offering a youth program called Future Law Enforcement Youth Academy (FLEYA). The program will run June 25-30, 2023.

The program is an overnight camp at Tulane University. FLEYA will give 30 Louisiana high school students between the ages of 15 and 17 an inside look at today’s FBI, while simultaneously exposing them to various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and practices. Tulane’s campus provides an environment rich with the significance of education and the encouragement for students to pursue higher education.

Classroom training will be provided on various subjects including: cyber technology, investigative forensics, domestic and international terrorism, civil rights (hate crimes) and more. Information on the FBI Honors Internship Program will also be provided. Law enforcement professionals from the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and local police departments will provide instruction for this unique youth program.

To Apply

Applications for the 2023 FLEYA are now closed. Please check back in December 2023 for information on the 2024 FLEYA program.

FLEYA Eligibility Criteria

  • Student is a United States Citizen residing in the state of Louisiana
  • Student is currently enrolled in a Louisiana High School
  • Student must be 15 to 17 years old at the time of the Future Law Enforcement Youth Academy (FLEYA), which will be held June 25-30.
  • This program is only for current high school students (students graduating high school in the spring 2023, are not eligible)
  • Student minimum GPA of 2.7
  • Student must complete the entire application
  • Student understands they must be present each day of the FLEYA program; no absences during FLEYA
  • Completed application and essay must be emailed in PDF form to LouisianaFLEYA@fbi.gov. (Note: No Google Docs or applications requiring a password to access will be accepted)
  • Please direct questions about the FLEYA program to LouisianaFLEYA@fbi.gov.

Director's Community Leadership Award 

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.

Child ID App 

Transcript / Visit Video Source

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.

Chasing the Dragon 

Transcript / Visit Video Source

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 

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.

Think Before You Post 

Informational graphic depicting a cell phone texting conversation that states the fact that making hoax threats against schools and other public places is a serious federal crime.

The FBI has an awareness campaign to educate the public about the consequences of making hoax threats of violence to schools, events, and other public places. The Think Before You Post campaign serves to remind everyone that any threat is taken with the utmost seriousness and will be quickly and thoroughly addressed by law enforcement. Hoax threats are not a joke; they are a crime.

In the aftermath of tragic shootings like the ones at Santa Fe High School in Texas and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, the FBI and law enforcement agencies around the country often see an increase in threats made to schools, events, and other public buildings. Issuing a threat—even over social media, via text message, or through email—is a federal crime (threatening interstate communications). Those who post or send these threats can receive up to five years in federal prison, or they can face state or local charges.

Community Awareness Presentations 

The Community Awareness Presentation (CAP) is a shorter, more focused version of the FBI Citizens Academy program and is conducted in partnership with a specific community group, generally at an offsite location. The program is designed to build trust and strengthen relationships between the FBI and the communities we serve. Community groups are encouraged to identify topics that are of concern or relevant to their group or organization for the FBI to discuss. Classes are taught by FBI subject matter experts. Generally the participants are selected by members of their organizations or community and there is no restriction on audience size. To request a presentation, please contact your local FBI field office.

Multi-Cultural Engagement Council 

The Multi-Cultural Engagement Council (MCEC) is composed of community ethnic, religious, and minority leaders who help the FBI better understand the cultures and committees they represent. The mission of the MCEC is to provide a trusting environment that allows council members to discuss issues and concerns within their communities and collaborate with the FBI to identify solutions. The MCEC helps build strong relationships between communities and the Bureau.