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What are National Cadet Special Activities (NCSAs)?

National Cadet Special Activities (NCSAs) are premier and exciting training opportunities for cadets to experience unique opportunities to further their leadership skills, develop knowledge in various aviation and career related fields, and grow personally. NCSAs encompass a wide range of activities, each focusing on different aspects such as aerospace education, leadership development, physical fitness, and more. NCSAs typically last 7-9 days. Many take place during the summer, but there are opportunities through the year.

The button below will take you to Civil Air Patrol's upcoming Special Activities, including National Cadet Special Activities (NSCA), Cadet Special Activities (CSA) and National Flight Academies (NFA). It includes national activities and those wing and region activities approved to receive the CSA ribbon. These activities are designed to explore civilian and military aerospace careers, provide flight training, develop leadership, and enhance emergency services skills. Typically, advertisements for activities we plan to offer in Winter are posted here by mid-October, and spring/summer activities are posted by mid-December. 

 EXPLORE NCSAs!

Important Notes

• Activities that appear as "not scheduled" on NCSAS.com, don’t have confirmed dates, but we are working to host the activity unless noted that the activity has cancelled. 
• Encampment credit is required to apply for most activities.  Look at each activity page prerequisites for these details.
• NCSA applications will be located in Registration Zone in eServices.

What are the NCSA application windows?

Application deadlines will be stated in the individual Registration Zone listing. Cadets must have their Summer activity applications submitted on or before 15 Feb in order to be considered for auto slotting for Summer NCSAs. Winter activities have individual application windows but are generally early October through mid November. Please see the individual Winter activity listings for their specific application windows.

Please note: Some wings may require your application to be submitted at an earlier date to be considered for any available Highly Recommended selections.

I want to apply for multiple NCSAs. Do I need to fill out an application for each one?

Yes. All applicants need to fill out an application for each activity in Registration Zone. 

Can I apply for more than one activity, even if they overlap?

You may apply for as many activities as interest you, and you are qualified to attend. When we "slot" cadets, which is move you to the "Primary" list for an activity, we try to put you into your highest preference that has an opening. 

How do I rank my NCSA application preferences?

Cadets who have already completed NCSA applications will have an option in the left hand menu in Registration Zone called Slottable Event Preferences.
In that module, drag and drop the individual activities in the order of your preference before auto-slotting begins.

How do I actually get accepted to an NCSA? How does Slotting work?

Most NCSAs are slotted through an automated process based on objective criteria. Each criterion has a points value. NHQ tabulates cadets’ scores using data directly from eServices.  Scoring is based on a date, typically within the second and third week of February.  The date is different each year, because slotting is run on a weekday and scoring needs to occur 1 to 2 weeks prior. See the table below to see how points are calculated.

Some activities require supplemental materials, such as an essay, form or questionnaire, and/or an interview where participants are slotted manually.
The activity staff grades the subjective items and then combines those scores with the objective scores to make final selections.

The following activities typically include supplemental materials with the application:

• Civic Leadership Academy
• Cadet Officers School
• International Air Cadet Exchange
• National Character & Leadership Symposium

Some unique national flight academies may require supplementals.
Please read each description for the activity you wish to apply for to determine if supplemental materials are required. 

When are applicants notified if they are slotted for an NCSA? 

Activity applicants should review the notice in the individual Registration Zone activity which should list the date after which applicants will know their status.
Winter Break, Winter and Spring activities will have individual notification dates, while most Summer activities will send notifications on or about 1 March.

My activity status says I'm an Alternate. What does that mean? 

All members start with an Alternate status. After auto-slotting has occurred, selected cadets will show the status "Slotted" if they have been selected for an activity. Cadets with a status of "Alternate" after auto-slotting remain on the waitlist. The waitlist does not have an order. Placement off the waitlist to fill any gaps will be at the discretion of the activity director. Preference will be given to cadets with higher slotting scores who are not already placed in an NCSA.

What if I wasn't slotted for my first choice? Can I hold out for a chance at that activity?

There is no guarantee that there will be an opening in your first choice activity that could be offered to you. If there is a cancelation in the event that you hoped to attend then please know that activity director best practices are to offer slots to cadets who are not already slotted for another activity so that we can offer experiences to as many cadets as possible. 

Is there funding available to help me go to a National Cadet Special Activity (NCSA)? 

There are several national-level scholarships and programs which are merit-based and some which assist cadets with financial need to attend NCSAs. Visit the CadetInvest pages of our website for details on each program to include deadline for funding submission.  You must apply via the CadetInvest module in eServices to be considered for financial awards.  You must also compete and be selected for a slot at the activity which is eligible for the award.  

Activity Directors Help Page      Make Your Activity a Cadet Special Activity (CSA)