The Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) is dedicated to support the FBI mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. The better we know our communities, the better we can protect them.
The FBI community outreach specialists across the country create and strengthen relationships locally and nationally with minority groups, religious and civic organizations, schools, non-profits, and other entities. These partnerships have led to a host of crime prevention programs, enabling families to stay safe from fraudsters and cyber predators, businesses to protect themselves from hackers and economic espionage, schools and workplaces to safeguard against violent rampages and illegal drugs, and all citizens to become alert to potential acts of terror and extremism.
Outreach Specialist
CJIS_COP@fbi.gov
Social Media Outreach
Facebook: FBI
Instagram: @FBI
CJIS 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 six 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 are held annually. 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 can be nominated by FBI employees, former Citizen Academy graduates, and community leaders. Participants are selected by CJIS.
To Apply
The FBI CJIS Division is currently accepting nominations/applications for the 2024 Citizens Academy.
- Deadline for nominations and applications: Monday, January 1
- Notification of Application status: Friday, February 2
- FBI Citizens Academy Meet & Greet: February 27, 2024 (optional)
- Sessions: March 5 – April 23; 8 consecutive Tuesday evenings from 5:30pm-8:30pm
- Graduation: April 30
Since 1990, the Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) 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.
On Friday, April 19, 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented SecureWVU with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for its service to college students in West Virginia.
SecureWVU helps students gain awareness about careers that require security clearances. Receiving the award on behalf of SecureWVU was Jack Thompson, West Virginia University (WVU) Director of Corporate Relations.
Director Wray presents Jack Thompson with a 2023 DCLA for SecureWVU.
The FBI’s Teen and Collegiate Academy programs at the CJIS Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia, allow high school and college students an opportunity to get a comprehensive look into today’s FBI. Each course iteration is a minimum of eight hours with blocks of instruction and demonstrations. Students are provided with various presentations on topics including online safety, drug prevention, polygraph exams, SWAT, evidence response, firearms training, FBI K-9 demo, and the day-to-day operations of a typical FBI office. Students will also experience a CJIS campus tour and learn from special agents and professional staff about investigative tactics that include gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and assisting with cases. In addition, Collegiate Academy participants also meet with FBI recruitment and honors internship teams.
Any student with an interest in leadership and service is welcome to apply for this free opportunity. An interest in a law enforcement career is not a pre-requisite.
Requirements
Rising junior and senior students in the 2024/25 school year are eligible to apply.
Students 16 and older will be subject to a simple background check process, and they must provide their Social Security number for that purpose. These students are also required to show Real ID-compliant photo identification when entering FBI space.
The selection process is competitive, and all students should give their best effort in completing this application. A selection committee will evaluate each application based on a review of the information provided, and no single element (GPA, school community service, or essay) is disqualifying. Applications that are incomplete, illegible, or late will not be accepted.
Students are expected to advocate for themselves throughout this process, including asking for further information about the program or the application process, if necessary. Students may request information by contacting CJIS_COP@fbi.gov at any time.
2024 Teen Academy and Collegiate Academy
The 2024 Teen and Collegiate academies will be held at the FBI CJIS Division complex in Clarksburg, WV on Tuesday, October 15 (Teen) and Thursday, November 14 (Collegiate).
Each academy will run from 8am–4pm. Punctuality, professional behavior, and appropriate dress will be required of all students attending this program.
To Apply
- Teen Academy
- The 2024 FBI CJIS Division’s Teen Academy must be submitted by email (preferred) or mail no later than COB on Friday, September 13, for selection committee review.
- Students will be notified of their application status by email no later than COB Friday, September 27, 2024.
- Collegiate Academy
- The 2024 FBI CJIS Division Collegiate application must be submitted by email (preferred) or mail no later than COB on Friday, October 11, for selection committee review.
- Students will be notified of their application status by email no later than COB Monday, October 28, 2024.
Hand-delivered applications will not be accepted because of security policies.
Students selected to participate in the FBI CJIS Division Teen Academy will be given additional information about the program and will be required to confirm their acceptance into this program. If selected students do not respond to the acceptance email by the deadline given, the student’s application will be discontinued.
Email applications to: CJIS_COP@fbi.gov
Or mailed to:
FBI CJIS Division
c/o Megan R. Currey–Community Outreach
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
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.
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.
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.
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.
