Frequently Asked Questions

The Academy is THE place all young Star Wars costumers will feel they have a home of their own!

For many years, since the release of A New Hope, costumers the world over have embraced the many and varied characters from the Star Wars saga. For the most part this has been a pastime for the adult generation, a way for them to express their love of the movies and their passion for costuming.

The Galactic Academy changes all that, allowing the next generation of Star Wars fans to show the same passion and enthusiasm. It is the first online costuming club to celebrate young Star Wars fans, run exclusively for them...finally, the Star Wars costumers of tomorrow have their own home!

We will be featuring tutorials and articles from experts in costuming, as well as greetings from Star Wars celebrities across the world. Themselves! We will also include games, activities and fun links as the site builds into a one-stop resource for all our cadets!


What is the Galactic Academy?

The Galactic Academy is a Star Wars costuming club exclusively for kids and teens. Anyone under the age of 18 who likes to dress as a Star Wars character is welcome to join. The Academy serves as a gallery online of pictures for kids and teens. It also serves as a club where members can feel proud to be part of a community of fans.

Academy Motto: Judge us by our size do not Academy Emblem: Panther in TK Armor & Tiger in Obi-Wan Kenobi Armor

The Academy is divided into Imperial and Republic forces, each comprising 3 Squads based on the age of the Cadet.


Imperial Cadet Academy

Ages 0-7 - Scavenger Squad

Ages 8-12 - Enforcer Squad

Ages 13-17 - Acolyte Squad

Republic Cadet Academy

Ages 0-7 - Wokling Squad

Ages 8-12 - Defender Squad

Ages 13-17 - Padawan Squad


Who Can Join and What Does It Cost?

The Academy encourages costumers from both the Empire and the Republic, so no matter what your age or affiliation you will find a home with us. If you have a Star Wars costume, Imperial or Republic, and you are under 18 years of age, the Galactic Academy is the place for you.

Simply follow the instructions below on how to join.

The Galactic Academy charges nothing for admission. All we require is a picture to post on the site, permission from the parents (in the form of an email stating name, relation, and permission) to post the picture, and information for the cadet's profile (see applications information below).


How do I join?

1. A parent (we call them Protectors) needs to create an account on the Galactic Academy website. To do this click on the 'Register' link on the top toolbar and fill in your details.

2. You will receive an email shortly after, please click on the link in the email to confirm your email address and activate your account. If you do not receive the email please check you Junk/Spam folder in your email client.

3. Your Protector can now log in by following the 'Login' link on the top toolbar.

4. Once logged in, click on your email address in the top toolbar and select the 'Manage Cadets' link from the list of options that drops down.

5. You will be presented with a list of your cadets (children) which will start empty. Click on the 'Add Cadet' link and fill in the details for the cadet. Click on the 'Create' button once you are ready.

6. You will then be shown a screen where you can add a costume for your cadet. Select the appropriate costume and click on the 'Add' button.

7. You will be taken to a screen where you can upload photos of your cadet's costume. Please upload at least one photo, although you can upload as many as you like. At least one 'bucket on' and one 'bucket off photo' is ideal. Upload the photos by either dropping them onto the photo uploader or clicking the 'Add files' button and selecting them from the window that will open. Once you have selected your files be sure to click on the 'Start Upload' button and don't navigate away from the page until the upload(s) are complete.

8. You have now created your first cadet and their first costume. You can continue to add new costumes for this cadet or go back to the start and add another cadet or more.

9. Our admissions staff will be notified of your new cadet and will approve the cadet and costume(s) once the application has been checked for accuracy and to ensure it does not contain any offensive material. At this time you can expect your cadet to be assigned a cadet ID and will receive a welcome email with their membership certificate and other information.

10. At any time you can come back and add new cadets or costumes, delete cadets or costumes, as well as uploading new photos or deleting existing photos.


The costume I am trying to add is not in the list?

If you are trying to add a new costume for your Cadet and it is not in the list, please send a email to support@galactic-academy.net describing the costume and we will create a new costume type for you if it is an appropriate character.


Is this safe for kids?

The Galactic Academy is perfectly safe for kids and teens. No vital information about any member is kept by the staff nor shared with the public or on the website. Pictures of kids can be supplied with masks or helmets on to conceal the face if that is the wish of the parent or guardian. Pseudonyms are accepted for the members' names if that is the wish. No proof of birth date is required for assigning to age groups - parents are free to provide a 'graduation date' for us to use in promoting cadets up the ranks. Any events organized for members of the Galactic Academy are unofficial and all members are the responsibility of their parents or guardians. If any parent or guardian wishes to have a picture removed, they need simply to email us and the information will be taken down immediately.


Is the Academy affiliated with the 501st Legion or the Rebel Legion or any other Star Wars fan clubs?

No. The Galactic Academy is an independent club. We encourage co-operation with other Star Wars clubs and aspire to work with them. But we place no obligations or affiliations on those clubs.


Caveats for the care and protection of our cadets

No cadet surname will ever be displayed

Only State or Country will be displayed

Date of Birth will never be displayed (used only to ensure cadets are in the correct Squad)

The Galactic Academy is not part of the 501st Legion or Rebel Legion. These clubs are happy to 'troop' with our cadets but they are under no obligation and reserve the right to deny access to costumers under 18 if they feel circumstances deem it necessary.

The Galactic Academy does not organize events for cadets to attend except for certain occasions such as group photos at Celebration, however cadets are encouraged to get out, costume and join up with one another where possible.

The Galactic Academy is not responsible for any member costuming at any public event - cadets are the sole responsibility of their parent or guardian.