Community outreach is about building partnerships locally and nationally that help prevent crime and protect our diverse nation.
Read about the FBI’s latest outreach initiatives, notable outreach activities and successes by Bureau partners and personnel, advice for staying safe from emerging threats and scams, career opportunities, and more.
FBI Denver held the first-ever Teen Academy on a reservation in June. Wyoming Indian High School in Ethete, Wyoming, offered to host the one-day event on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Local news outlets promoted the event after receiving a news release, and the school encouraged students to participate.
FBI Denver partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming, which assisted the day of the event, along with FBI personnel from the Lander Resident Agency and those who traveled from Denver.
The event was open to all students. While some traveled some distance to attend, many participants were tribal members who live on the reservation.
Some 30 students spent the day at the school in breakout sessions that included presentations about forensics, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams, and Evidence Response Teams. The Bureau of Indian Affairs police teamed up with an FBI special agent to explain law enforcement on the reservation, which is home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes.
During the free, one-day event, attendees learned about FBI careers, participated in hands-on demonstrations, and learned about online safety.
The school provided lunch for the students, and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus gave a virtual presentation from its Office for Education Outreach.
“This was a unique opportunity to work with new partners to provide an opportunity directly on the reservation, where many of the Teen Academy participants felt more comfortable,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “We want to meet our communities where they are, and this was a new way of doing just that.”
The day wrapped up with a career panel, with FBI agents and professional staff speaking about how they came to their jobs. Students were encouraged to ask questions. They were interested in the education background needed, what motivates an FBI employee, the risks and challenges of each role, work/life balance, and any advice for potential FBI employees. School staff members applauded the effort and the program.
“I think the biggest takeaway the kids got today was the exposure to all the different careers,” social studies teacher Ben Dyer told a local reporter who covered the event. “The FBI needs all sorts of people, and I think that’s important for them to realize that they’re not limited in what they want to do.”
Following the day’s events, each student received a certificate of completion.
Participant Kortni Knell told the local news outlet her favorite part was learning about the wide variety of careers possible with the FBI.
“Just realizing that people came from the same kinds of backgrounds that we do, and how hard they worked to get where they are,” Knell explained.
Wyoming Indian High School has already offered to host another event, and a neighboring reservation school has asked FBI Denver to hold a future Teen Academy on its campus.
As part of a two-day celebration of the 50th anniversary, J.C. Nalle Elementary School students were in for a surprise on their first day of school. As they arrived, FBI employees from the Washington Field Office (WFO) and FBI Headquarters greeted them—and their caregivers—with cheers, fist bumps, high-fives, hugs, and smiles.
J.C. Nalle is the 2023-2024 partner school for WFO’s Junior Special Agent (JSA) Program, a 10-to-16-week program that gives students an inside look at today’s FBI. Students learn critical thinking, conflict resolution, and oral and written communication skills and about crime, drug, gang, and violence prevention.
“This interaction provides a unique opportunity to interact with area youth,” said Supervisory Special Agent Bridgette Trela. “Not to mention the ability for us to emphasize the importance of making good decisions, getting good grades, living a healthy lifestyle, and remaining drug free.”
Volunteers from the FBI’s Washington Field Office and from FBI Headquarters greeted students on the first day of school at J.C. Nalle Elementary School.
WFO designed and implemented the JSA program in 1990. Establishing the program at schools in predominantly high-risk neighborhoods gives students positive law enforcement role models who can teach, tutor, or mentor students.
WFO learned about J.C. Nalle through contacts at the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, said Community Outreach Specialist Nicole Mines. “The school met our criteria and had many students in need of support. More importantly, the school’s staff and parents were extremely supportive of the partnership,” Mines said.
The JSA will meet from 9 to 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. At the end of the program, participants recite the JSA oath, administered by an FBI executive, and receive a certificate of completion and a JSA badge.
The success of the JSA depends on the participation of FBI volunteers.
“The JSA is an invaluable tool to increase awareness of the FBI, its activities, and its people,” Trela said. “Developing and strengthening our relationships with the area’s youth will bear fruit down the line—hopefully, these students will consider the FBI for future employment.”
The FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association (NCAAA) held its 2023 National Leadership Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, in June. With more than 200 FBI Citizens Academy alumni, FBI National Citizens Academy Alumni Association board members, affiliate chapter leaders, and FBI partners in attendance, this year’s conference provided three days of educational programs and events to showcase successful community outreach strategies.
The National Leadership Conference is the FBI NCAAA’s largest annual education and networking event. It serves as the official forum where leadership training and peer-to-peer collaboration converge to share innovative ideas and best practices for outreach initiatives in communities served by the association’s 58 chapters and their respective FBI field offices.
Robert Brown, executive assistant director for the FBI’s Science and Technology Branch, delivered the opening keynote speech, emphasizing the FBI’s priorities in addressing the global surge in cybercrime and its threat to national security. He stressed the power of partnership and the importance of building community trust to protect our communities and national infrastructure. Cathy Milhoan, assistant director of the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs, welcomed attendees to the conference and acknowledged the value of the FBI Citizens Academy program and alumni association in creating meaningful community connections and engagement.
Other FBI speakers presented case studies of high-profile crimes investigated by the FBI as well as information on the FBI’s capabilities to recognize, focus, and fight both foreign and domestic threats. Additionally, a panel of private industry cyber experts shared insights on trends, risks, and solutions in addressing cybercrimes.
Other workshop topics and panel discussions included:
- Community outreach best practices
- The power of advocacy as volunteer ambassadors
- Building strong, strategic partnerships
- Human trafficking, elder fraud, child advocacy, and incident response case studies
- Increasing membership growth and engagement
- Strategies and tactics for successful fundraising
- Creating high-performing chapter boards
The annual meeting of the National Citizens Academy Alumni Association offered several special events and networking opportunities, allowing attendees to share success stories and discuss ways to collaborate in the future.
The primary goal of the annual conference is leadership development. Faculty and presenters are chosen from affiliate chapters that have demonstrated leadership in FBI advocacy, innovations in community outreach, and excellence in chapter operations.
In addition to education and training programs, the conference hosted several special events, such as a ceremony for the annual Celebrating Excellence Awards to recognize chapters and individuals for outstanding achievements in outreach, education, and service projects in support of the FBI. Special networking events for attendees, guests, and sponsors were held at the USS Constitution Museum and the University of Massachusetts Club at the top of Boston’s Beacon Hill.
Each year, the National Leadership Conference is planned and produced by the all-volunteer National Board of Directors and members of the host city chapter. Board members and other volunteers from the FBI Boston Citizens Academy Alumni Association aided in registration, production, and securing sponsors for the event.
Plans are already underway for the 2024 National Leadership Conference, which will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the FBI Detroit Citizens Academy Alumni Association as the host chapter.
Investment in training, education, and collaboration is key to developing exceptional leaders and high performing chapters that serve to support the FBI’s mission. The FBI NCAAA’s annual leadership conference provides purposeful, robust programming to achieve those goals.
Instructors from FBI Headquarters, FBI Buffalo, and FBI Columbia traveled to San Salvador, El Salvador, to provide information on the Bureau’s community outreach efforts.
“Bom dia,” “bonjour,” “buenos dias,” and “good morning” is how the students were typically greeted during a week-long Law Enforcement and Community Outreach course in July. The course was held at the U.S. Department of State’s International Law Enforcement Academy in San Salvador, El Salvador. According to Department of State’s International Law Enforcement Academy website, the program aims to advance anti-crime efforts by building the capacity of foreign criminal justice partners of the U.S. and connecting these partners to one another and to U.S. law enforcement to address shared threats.
FBI instructors Lorie Campbell, Sharon Mentkowski, and Chiquanda Tillie shared information on the Bureau’s community outreach programs and its practical value. Law enforcement officials from Brazil, Chile, Columbia, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay learned about the importance of ethics, communication, and leadership to lay the foundation for a successful community outreach program. Presenters also discussed diversity within communities, effective ways to engage community leaders, efficient uses of social and mainstream media platforms, and the value of leveraging existing programs and partnerships with other law enforcement agencies. As a final project, students focused their learning on developing programs for strategic outreach to youth and adult groups to create an actionable community outreach program or event to implement upon returning to their countries.
The week ended with 37 law enforcement officers successfully completing the course, while instructors gained a better appreciation for the unique challenges law enforcement face—such as voodoo practitioners becoming victims of violent crime, the disabled and impaired community underreporting crimes, and addressing a huge gang problem inadvertently causing new issues in a community. Students and instructors acknowledged we all are connected, despite geographical distances, through the necessary work of community outreach.
HACU Members Tour the FBI Experience at FBI Headquarters
Members of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) visited FBI Headquarters during their trip to Washington, D.C., to commemorate National Hispanic-Serving Institutions week, which was observed September 11-17. HACU, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-serving institutions.
The Human Resources Division partnered with multiple divisions to provide event attendees with interactive sessions to learn about the FBI and the different career opportunities offered.
The Human Resources Division was excited to help audiences see the FBI as an employer of choice and a place where employees can have a unique career with purpose.
The Human Resources Division (HRD) is thinking outside the box with its strategic recruitment strategy and meeting potential applicants where they are. In June, HRD attended Awesome Con, one of the largest pop culture conventions on the East Coast with more than 70,000 attendees over three-days. Awesome Con provided a unique opportunity for the FBI to showcase an interactive virtual experience.
HRD partnered with the Training Division, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Directorate, and Laboratory Division to give attendees multiple interactive sessions to experience FBI casework. Visitors could also take the FBIJobs career quiz and engage with recruiters about the results and how to apply for opportunities in the Bureau.
FBI employees provided the following activities:
- The Training Division hosted “Burden of Proof,” an interactive crime-scene simulation that helps law enforcement personnel practice the 12 steps of processing a crime scene. The cognitive trainer allows users to practice making decisions without the need to set up a mock crime scene and without the need for a full team. Audiences were able to experience FBI roles on a crime scene team.
- The Chemical Biological Countermeasures Unit of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate developed a one-of-a-kind virtual reality tool that allows law enforcement and other professionals to train on the dangers of weapons of mass destruction. Through this virtual reality simulation, audiences get a better understanding of various tools used to detect WMD and how they are used to prevent mass casualties.
- The Operational Projects Unit of the FBI’s Laboratory Division designed an interactive trial exhibit depicting a specific crime scene based on evidence provided during the Nicholas Firkus trial last February in Minnesota. Awesome Con audiences were able to walk through the virtual crime scene. This interactive experience was used during an actual trial, which led to a first- and second-degree murder conviction, with a sentence of life without parole.
The Bureau continues to set itself apart by focusing on purposeful, thoughtful, and interactive ways to engage with potential applicants. Each interaction encourages audiences to see themselves at the FBI.
The Minneapolis chapter of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association packed and distributed dozens of rescue bags—valued at $70—to victims of trafficking and survivors of trauma in the local community.
FBI Charlotte Division’s Fayetteville Resident Agency participated in a National Night Out event at the Hope Mills Police Department. The annual national events help build bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect.
FBI Newark and members of the Newark chapter of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association attended the New Jersey Asian American Law Enforcement Officers Association Recruitment and Outreach Picnic in Edison, New Jersey. FBI staff provided information on community outreach programming and Bureau careers.
More than 20 volunteers from FBI Cincinnati attended National Night Out events alongside U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker and local law enforcement partners. Together, the group participated in 11 different events in three cities.
On August 19, FBI Norfolk and FBI Richmond attended the 35th Annual Nansemond Indian Pow Wow in Suffolk, Virginia. During the event, staff shared information on the FBI’s various outreach programs, the Honors Internship Program, and FBI career opportunities. Bureau staff is pictured alongside Chief Keith Anderson of the Nansemond Indian Nation.
The Northwest Equity Summit, held in September 2023, encouraged all attendees to continue to advocate for equity and inclusion. Staff from FBI Portland attended to learn how to better incorporate diversity into the workplace.
FBI Philadelphia participated in the Strawberry Mansion Community Day. The event featured a basketball tournament, fitness camp, music, food, entertainment, and family resources.
In July, more than 80 teens completed a two-week Teen Academy program at FBI New York. The program, open to students aged 14 to 17, allows participants to interact with FBI agents, professional staff, and Bureau leaders to learn about evidence gathering, investigative techniques, and crime prevention.
FBI Richmond supported six locations for this year’s National Night Out events. Attendees at the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center got to tour a high-flying piece of Bureau equipment.
FBI Buffalo participated in the National Federation for Just Communities Agents of Change Summer Camp. The camp, in its 41st year, gave high schools students in Western New York the opportunity to interact with staff from different law enforcement agencies. Students were able to complete hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) work by using forensic techniques to create cast impressions of their shoes in sand.
On July 28, employees from the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division celebrated “FBI Night” at the West Virginia Black Bears game in Morgantown, West Virginia. Volunteers from CJIS staffed informational booths around the stadium, where even the Black Bears’ mascot “Cooper” got a copy of his paw prints.
Lorie Campbell, a member of the Community Relations Unit at FBI Headquarters, participated on a panel at the 2023 Blacks in Government Conference at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Attendees, mostly high school and college students from across the country, were participating in two days of leadership and career development training.
On August 2, staff from FBI Detroit and members of the Detroit chapter of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association participated in the Detroit Police Department 2nd Precinct’s National Night Out event.
FBI Tampa hosted approximately 100 high school students at the Federal Teen Academy. Bureau personnel and staff from several other federal law enforcement agencies taught students about forensics, firearms safety, drug enforcement and prevention, human trafficking, and cybercrime.
FBI Newark held a domestic terrorism awareness event in Teaneck, New Jersey, at Congregation Keter Torah. The Teaneck Police Department, the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, and the Community Security Service discussed how to stay vigilant.
FBI Los Angeles held its first in-person Teen Academy in over four years. After a highly selective process, 50 students were selected. Students spent the day with FBI employees and learned about cybercrime, the Evidence Response Team, and behavioral analysis. The hands-on activities like fingerprinting and blood analysis were a huge hit.
FBI Baltimore participated in 12 National Night Out events in Maryland and Delaware. This year marks the 40th year for National Night Out, which aims to strengthen ties between residents and law enforcement agencies.
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