Columbia, South Carolina

Hometowns Program

Civics Education / Hometowns Program / Columbia, South Carolina

Summer 2027

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Application Due Apr 4, 2027 11:59 pm EDT

USC Rice School of Law

Participate in a free, week-long program with the Supreme Court Historical Society, U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina Rice School of Law. During the program, you will take a deep dive into the Judicial Branch through the Supreme Court case Edwards v. South Carolina (1963) and other freedom suits. The Hometowns program includes:

  • Expert speakers from your community
  • Panel discussions with judges, attorneys, and other court staff
  • Live court proceedings
  • Collaborative learning activities

Create a summative capstone project to educate your community about the case’s impact.

Lunch, snacks, and supplies will be provided to all participants.

Program Details

Dates: July 12-16, 2027

Time: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Matthew J. Perry, Jr. U.S. Courthouse and the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law

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.

Learn about the Supreme Court in Your Hometown

  • Explore a local case which impacted the rights of all defendants in federal custody
  • 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

Eligibility

To apply for Hometowns Columbia, students must:

  • Be a rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader
  • Be able to attend all sessions in-person
  • Obtain 1 (one) academic reference

 

My favorite part of the program was the speakers. It was honestly crazy that I got the chance to hear from the various people that we got to meet and they all shared very valuable information with us.
Cate P.
The most valuable piece of knowledge that I gained during this program is how differently the courts work than is portrayed in media. They are a much more civil and balanced process and it was amazing to see a system that has respect for itself in today’s world.
Eliza D.
Yes, I would definitely recommend this program to my friends and classmates. It is a unique opportunity to learn about the federal court system from judges, attorneys, and other legal professionals. The program is interactive, encourages students to ask questions, and helps make complex legal topics easier to understand. I also enjoyed meeting other students who were interested in learning about the law, and I left the program with a much better understanding of how the justice system worka
Benedita A.

Still have questions? We’re here to help.

Email Juliet Morris, Curriculum Development Manager, at [email protected]

Email Juliet

Hometowns Coulmbia, SC Application - July 12-16, 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!

Grade (2027-28 school year)
Home Address:
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 Supreme Court and My Hometown Program?

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.
Hometowns Attendance Policy (Each box must be checked for confirmation)
Clear Signature
Please sign to affirm your agreement to the attendance policy.

Students applying to the Hometowns Program may submit their letter of recommendation separately from their application. Please share the link with your recommender. All letters of recommendation are due by the application close date.

Letter of Recommendation – Columbia, SC