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Presidential Citizen Scholars Program

Apply Now to be a Presidential Citizen Scholar

Presidential Citizen Scholars Program

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PCS Overview

The Presidential Citizen Scholars (PCS) Program prepares students to be community leaders through civic scholarship and community action. Over three semesters, Scholars meet with members of the community to identify and research an issue that will culminate in a PCS Capstone Project. Scholars are supported through Salisbury University’s Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE) and the Office of the President. SU’s highest purpose is "to empower students with knowledge, skills, and core values that contribute to lifelong learning and active citizenship in a democratic society.” This elite program builds on SU’s highest purpose by offering students of all majors and disciplines the opportunity to engage in the life of the community, develop habits of democratic citizenship, and become experienced civic leaders.

Meet Our Presidential Citizen Scholars

  • 54 ••••••••
    Scholars since 2019
  • 15 ••••••••
    Projects since 2019
  • $56K ••••••••
    Education award money earned through service since 2019
View Current & Past PCS Projects Apply Now to be a Presidential Citizen Scholar History of the PCS Program
  • pcs students pose as a group in front of a collection of items

    Period Power

    Maggie Atherton (Fulton & Honors), Lian Peach (Fulton & Honors), Abigail Potter (CHHS & Honors) developed a partnership with Wicomico Public Schools and Aetna Better Health to address period poverty in Wicomico County by engaging the stigma surrounding menstruation and provide period resources for middle school students. Their project included assembling menstrual supplies from Aetna Better Health in 1,000 discreet bags for a pilot program at Wicomico Middle School which resulted in establishing a sustainable connection between WCPS’ Health Department and Aetna Better Health to roll these resources out to the entire school system in Wicomico County.

  • pcs students pose as a group in front of a collection of items

    Launching the first NFL FLAG in Salisbury & Wicomico

    Joshua Adey (Fulton), Aslynn Gorkos (Seidel), Aidan Stanislavsky (Perdue & Honors), and Daniel Whiddon (Perdue) partnered with the City of Salisbury, NFL FLAG, Wicomico County Parks and Recreation, and the Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children (Local Management Board) to create an affordable and accessible flag football league at the City of Salisbury’s Waterside Park and Wicomico County’s Billy Gene Jackson Park. This program launched a pilot league in Spring 2024 with over 140 youth create a sustainable NFL FLAG program.

  • pcs students pose as a group in front of a collection of items

    Road Safety & Transportation Equity on Salisbury’s west side

    Stephora Cesar-Alberi (Henson), Andersen Herman (Henson & Honors), and LaMaree James (Fulton) conducted transportation equity research by collecting community feedback regarding road safety, transportation equity, and infrastructure design on the West side of the City of Salisbury. The IRB-approved survey (Protocol #239) was conducted in collaboration with the City of Salisbury’s Department of Transportation, resulting in Shore Transit opening a bus stop to meet the needs of the Haitian and LatinX population on the west side of SBY.

  • pcs students pose as a group in front of a collection of items

    Forget-Me-Nots: a program for youth in Wicomico County

    Hanna Bertholdt (CHHS), Richard Brown (CHHS), Kenzi Kennedy (Seidel), Peyton Rayne (CHHS) have developed a project that will pilot a curriculum from the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACOA) that has been designed to help youth impacted by drug abuse through a mentoring program at the Boys & Girls Club of Wicomico County. This program included an 8-week pilot in Spring 2024 that will become a sustainable program for the Boys & Girls Clubs on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

  • pcs students pose as a group in front of a collection of items

    Combating the Youth Homeless Crisis Through Community Action

    Juan Adames (CHHS), Ryan Devine (Fulton & Honors), Nero Schrader (Perdue), and Jaydan Fogo (Perdue) hosted a job readiness event and bag drive for LGBTQ+ homeless youth with the Wicomico Public Library and other relevant nonprofits and community partners. Their work highlighted the importance of establishing civic partnership with local nonprofits, community members, and Salisbury University’s campus to engage an underserved and high risk population.

    Combating the Youth Homeless Crisis Through Community Action Whiteapaper (PDF)

  • Outside view of bioremediation building

    Bioremediation of Urban Runoff at BISM

    Emma Tarquinio (CHHS & Honors), Charles Laird (Seidel), and Bryce Machalek (Henson & Honors) collaborated with the City of Salisbury, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Lower Shore Land Trust, and Blind Industries & Services of Maryland (BISM) to bioremediate and beautify roughly 16,000 square feet of impervious surface, in-fill with soil, seed with grass, plant eight native white oak trees, and install a rain barrel system for sustainable watering. The Scholars secured a $4,998 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a grant from Lower Shore Land Trust, and a grant from PACE to complete this work.

    Bioremediation of Urban Runoff at BISM Whiteapaper (PDF)

  • Accessible Public Restroom in Downtown Salisbury

    Accessible Public Restroom in Downtown Salisbury

    Elizabeth Wash (Henson & Honors), River Myer (Fulton, Seidel, & Honors), and Hayden Davis (Henson) conducted a community survey to research the public support for a public, ADA-accessible restroom in Downtown Salisbury. They are also the first PCS Scholars to have received the distinction having their Presidential Citizen Scholars capstone IRB-approved research published in Salisbury University’s Laridae Undergraduate Research Journal.

    Accessible Public Restroom in Downtown Salisbury Whiteapaper (PDF)