Indianapolis, IN

Participate in a free one-week program at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse for the Southern District of Indiana. During this immersive program, you will take a deep dive into the Judicial Branch through the First Amendment Supreme Court Case Hess v. Indiana (1973).

Hometowns provides opportunities such as:

• Learning from state and federal judges, local attorneys, professors, and historians
• Viewing live court proceedings
• Collaborative learning activities
• Creating a capstone project to educate your community about the case’s impact

Lunch, snacks, and Supreme Court swag will be provided to all participants.

Program Details

Dates: June 21-25, 2027

Time: 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Location: Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse – 46 E. Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Important: Though letters of reference may be submitted separately, they MUST be submitted via the online submission form at the bottom of this page by the application deadline: April 4, 2027, 11:59 pm ET.

Eligibility

To apply for Hometowns Indianapolis, students must:

• Be a 10th, 11th, or 12th grade student in the 2027-2028 school year
• Be able to attend all sessions in-person
• Obtain 1 (one) academic reference

Key Hometowns Information

• Explore a local case
• Collaborate with students from across your district
• Network with Federal Judges, area attorneys, historians, and local advocates
• Educate your community about its history with a capstone project

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Hometowns Indianapolis Application - June 21-25, 2027

Please complete all sections of the application. When providing an email address, please use a personal email. School systems can block our email addresses and you may miss important information regarding your application!

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address (PERSONAL EMAIL ONLY) *

Telephone Number (where best to reach you):

Date of Birth *

Grade (2027-28 school year) *

• 10
• 11
• 12

High School *

Home Address: *

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

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Zip Code

Address Line 2 is for an apartment number. If you do not have one, please leave line two blank.

How did you hear about the Hometowns Program? *

• Teacher
• School Counselor
• A post on my school learning management system (Schoology, Canva, etc...)
• Community member
• Other

Additional Questions

Use of AI during the application process, beyond basic grammar, is strongly discouraged. We seek to read genuine and unique submissions, not content generated by AI. Please note the word limits on each prompt.

Who is writing your Academic Letter of Reference? Why did you choose that individual? *

What interests you about the judicial branch? *

(where Applicant Number

What type of student are you? Why should we select you for this program? *

Why do you want to participate in this program? *

Hometowns Attendance Policy (Each box must be checked for confirmation) *

• I understand that the Supreme Court and My Hometown program is 32 hours of cumulative material. All program hours are important and require in-person participation, collaborative discussions, and group work that cannot be made up asynchronously.
• I understand that this program is a unique and valuable learning experience. Not only will I gain knowledge about the judicial branch, I will also learn from local experts who are volunteering their time to work with me. As one of only 30 students selected from my area, I am responsible for actively participating in the full program.
• I understand that some of these sessions could conflict with after-school activities and Hometowns must come first. (Program staff is happy to provide you with a written explanation for coaches, directors, etc.)
• If I miss any sessions, other than for emergencies, without program staff approval, I could be dismissed from the program.
• By submitting this application, I affirm that, if I am accepted and commit to the Hometowns program, I will attend all of the following program sessions: June 21-25, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Applicant Name *

Applicant Signature *

Clear Signature

Please sign to affirm your agreement to the attendance policy.

Submit

Your letter of recommendation can be submitted separately from the application, but it is required by the April 4, 2027, submission date.

Letter of Recommendation – Indianapolis, IN