Scholarships

The FBICLECAAA offers numerous scholarship opportunities for students in Northeast Ohio for pursuing careers in Law Enforcement and for students whose family are part of the Law Enforcement community. Links to scholarship applications are included below.

Tri-C Police and Dispatch Academies

Working in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), the FBICLECAAA is funding partial scholarships to cadets in the Police Academy and students in the Dispatch Academy to begin a career in Law Enforcement. The FBICLECAAA scholarships can be used by Police cadets to supplement the cost of the ammunition, uniforms, and other out-of-pocket expenses as part of their training.  The scholarship can be used by the Dispatch students to supplement their tuition fees and other class expenses.

Kent State University Police Academy

We have recently begun to fund partial scholarships for students at both the Twinsburg and Trumbull Police Academies. The FBICLECAAA scholarships can be used by Police cadets to supplement the cost of the ammunition, uniforms, and other out-of-pocket expenses as part of their training. 

Families of Law Enforcement

The FBICLECAAA sponsors scholarships for students whose family members are in law enforcement. The student must be accepted or enrolled as a full-time student with an accredited college, university, or trade school and must be a resident of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage or Summit County. The scholarship process begins with applications submitted January 1 through May 1, winner selections are made and notified, and a presentation will be made with the winner and their family at date to be determined in July before the students leave for the start of their school year. All scholarships are paid directly to the college or school.

Future Agents In Training

Students selected to participate in the FBI Cleveland Field Office's Future Agents in Training (FAIT) course are eligible for a scholarship. Students can participate by writing an essay on a predetermined topic. One winner from the class will be picked by the committee.

Joe Russ Memorial Scholarship

To help ensure a continuous stream of talented candidates in law enforcement careers, reflective of the FBI’s goal for greater diversity, fulfillment of skill gaps, and outstanding leadership, the family of Special Agent Joe Russ is offering one (1) scholarship up to $2,500, to a student pursuing a post-secondary education with the intent to work in a law enforcement or supporting career.

For additional information on our Scholarship opportunities contact: 

 Steve Rothenberg at scholarship@fbiclecaaa.org 

Families of Law Enforcement Scholarship

Dr Beejadi Mukunda and his family attended the presentation and announced that they will again be donating $2500 to the Flags for Honor  in support of the $2500 Scholarship Winner. The following students received the scholarships and the colleges they will be attending in the Fall of 2024 are listed respectively:

$2,500 Beejadi Mukunda Family Scholarship – Julia Breen – Tulane University, LA

$1,000 FBICLECAAA Scholarships:
Makayla Fein – Kent State University, OH
Wyatt Gillespe – Miami University, OH
Jessica Leshner- University of Cincinnati, OH
Tessa Lisy – University of Cumberlands, KY
Leyna Swanson – Canisius University , NY

In order to qualify for this scholarship, students whose families are employed in a law enforcement agency with local, state, or the Federal government.

The FBICLECAAA Scholarship Program will provide up to five – $1,000 scholarships, made payable to the college, university, or trade school of the chosen finalists. (In the event the selection committee does not select five finalists, the remaining funds will be retained for the next year’s program).

Camp Forbes

Camp Forbes is a residential camp for City of Cleveland youths between the ages of 9 and 13. This camp is run by the City of Cleveland Recreation Department and is held every Summer at the Recreation Center located at 25440 Harvard Road, Cleveland. Each summer, our organization helps the camp for 8 weeks, with approximately 100 different kids every week!

In 2024, we made a capital investment, providing much needed equipment to keep the children entertained and busy during their weeklong camp. Additionally, as part of the Alumni Association's commitment to engage the kids in an activity, every week we built a picnic table with a select group of campers. At the end of the Summer, the Camp had 8 new picnic tables for the kids to enjoy.

Community Lectures

We are thrilled to announce FBICLECAAA Community Lectures. Similar to our members only “Coffee, Cases and Hot Topics,” we started hosting community lectures for the Greater Cleveland area so our Alumni can continue spreading our message and mission to various groups in the community.

With this being a fairly new initiative, we could use your help! If you are a member of your local Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Country Club, etc., we would love the opportunity to bring a guest speaker to support and educate your group. We will work with you and your group to ensure your organization's interests are matched from the wide variety of topics available. Topics included but are not limited to – Cyber Crime, Past Local Crimes, Gang Violence, Elder Abuse and much more. Please reach out to our Community Lecture Chair, listed on our Board page for more information!

FBI CEO Event

The CEO “Shoot” is an opportunity for top level executives to interact with other Cleveland area executives, leaders and FBI Cleveland personnel. This event will include an overview of the FBI's mission in the Cleveland area, hands-on experience shooting with various weapons, situational shooting exercises, a SWAT demonstration and other educational FBI presentations. The day will conclude with a social hour and heavy appetizers at the Camp Perry Clubhouse. The CEO Shoot is organized by the FBI Cleveland field office, but wouldn’t be possible without the support of the FBICLECAAA!

If you have a person you would like to nominate to attend this event, please send a brief note as to why this person would be a good nominee, as well their company, position/title and email address to Community Outreach Specialist Tracy Morse, tlmorse@fbi.gov.

**Please remember that this is a nomination process, just like Citizen’s Academy. Not all nominees will be selected.**

FBI Citizens Academy

FBI – Cleveland Division Program
Want to find out first-hand how the FBI works? Hear how the Bureau tracks down spies and terrorists? Learn how to collect and preserve evidence? See what it is like to fire a weapon and put yourself in the shoes of a Special Agent making a split-second, life-or-death decision?

If you are a leader in your community, you just might be able to do that and more––through an FBI Citizens Academy. Each class has around 20-30 students, and the classes generally meet 6-8 times for three hours each session and are taught by Special Agents in Charge of that field office, their Senior Managers and Senior Agent experts.

Some of the past curriculum included: Practical problems involving evidence collection and preservation, FBI jurisdiction and congressional oversight, structure and operation of FBI field offices and satellite agencies, fingerprint, forensic, technology, training, and other services, policies and issues: ethics, discipline, communications, drug enforcement, civil rights, and future criminal trends, and firearms training to name a few.

If you are interested in attending, contact:  Sarah Cahill at Sarah.Cahill@ic.fbi.gov

·FBI Student Academy

The FBI Cleveland Student Academy at Cleveland State University is a Registered Student Organization at Cleveland State University (CSU). This Academy was established to help improve the relationship between Law Enforcement and Civilians by permitting students at CSU to view, observe and inquire about the inner workings of the FBI directly from the men and women who work there. Students attend seminar classes at the CSU Police Department and the FBI Cleveland Field Office over a ten-week period. The program is free, and lunch is provided by the FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association. For more information, click here.

Future Agents in Training (FAIT)

The Cleveland Field Office's Future Agents in Training (FAIT) course is a four-day introduction to the FBI for rising high school seniors in northern Ohio. This year's program in June drew applicants from 40 counties covered by the Cleveland Division and its satellite offices. The course prepares students for the ensuing days when they will lean on their new insights to investigate a complex crime scene, develop their case, brief FBI leaders on their progress, and then present the facts to federal prosecutors and a sitting federal judge. The ultimate goal of the Future Agents in Training program is to highlight the work of the FBI and kind of demystify some of the things that are out there, especially among teenagers. This year, FBI Headquarters highlighted the FBI Cleveland Office’s FAIT program for all of their extrodanary work in our community. For more information and to read the article from FBI HQ, click here.