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Genesis Invitational

The Genesis Invitational is a fall program for prospective cadets and their parents who want an in-depth look at the cadet experience and serving in the fleet. This program leverages recent graduates and Academy Minority Outreach Team (AMOT) mentors who are invested in sharing their personal experiences with you and help you navigate this exciting journey. We know you have options. Genesis is designed to help you dive deeper into the Academy, and build confidence in your college decision. Please consider attending if you:

Are a student of color or first in your family to attend college
Are a high school junior, senior, or graduate
Have a GPA of at least 3.0
Are physically fit and in good health

Genesis is named after the Academy’s oldest club, founded in 1973, now known as the Genesis Council. The Genesis Council is one of eight vibrant Councils active in the Corps of Cadets.

Format

Genesis is held on campus starting on Monday at 08:45 AM ET and ending on Tuesday at 12:00 PM. Sessions are highly interactive and include time to experience the local area. Plan on plenty of engagement with cadets and officers alike. If you are ready to apply, be sure to take advantage of time to participate in the Physical Fitness Exam – an application requirement.

What Participants Say

The program enlightened my path as a Hispanic American…. To add to my excitement, the fact that I saw so many young women as Cadets, really motivated me. I told my parents this is opportunity that I cannot pass up!

An eye-opening experience, and I loved every minute of it...Everybody I came across was quick with a smile, and every single question I had about the academy going in was answered by the time I left.

All the cadets I saw looked like they were enjoying their time at CGA possibly from the bond they've all created together through Swab Summer.

An awful lot of information was presented and the opportunity to ask questions of people with different experiences and perspectives was brilliant.

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Contact Information

Genesis Invitational

LTJG Lindsay Harnly

Campus Program Manager
Office: (860) 701-6678
Lindsay.M.Harnly@uscga.edu

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.