Civic Engagement in the 21st Century: An Introduction to Citizens Academies in the U.S.
Public engagement is critical to the success of good local governance. At the Centre for Public Impact we’ve seen how important it is for local government to meaningfully engage with the public. Civic engagement, however, cannot be a one-way street. No longer is it acceptable for governments to rely on ‘listening sessions’ and town halls to gauge what residents want and expect in their community and from their local leaders. Instead, it needs to be a dialogue between government officials and residents that fully brings residents into the governing process.
To that end- many cities and towns across the U.S. have created academies with the primary aim of building a strong foundation of knowledge about the inner workings of local government. Citizens academies (also known as neighborhood college or city 101) are the building blocks of 21st-century civic engagement.
THE HISTORY OF CITIZENS ACADEMIES
For those that aren’t familiar with the concept, citizens academies came about as a way for local governments to help build more engaged residents. At last count, more than 50 citizen academies exist in some form or another across the country. The format can vary depending on the locality, but most meet on a weekly basis for approximately two months. Classroom size averages 30 people and, in order to graduate, students must attend a majority of sessions. The academies are managed by city hall staff.
CORE TENETS OF CITIZENS ACADEMIES
Although the specifics of citizens academies vary by community, many share a common set of goals. Over the past few months, I interviewed five local governments about their initiatives and found that the majority shared four key aims:
1. Teach residents about their local government
Despite the outsize effect that local government has on residents, most residents don’t fully understand how government operates. To that end, citizens academies seek to give insights into the inner workings of local government. Weekly classes can cover everything from how trash and recycling are collected and processed to how city hall creates a yearly budget. In my conversations with local officials, they discussed how each department is responsible for presenting on their respective department or service area. In addition to classroom instruction, residents also go on field trips to further their understanding of how staff handle their respective jobs in the community.
2. Spur residents to continue participating in the community
As previously mentioned citizens academies can be the foundation of an engaged community. In teaching residents about how their local government actually works, staff hope to spur them to further engage with not only city hall but with the community at large. During the conversations I had with local officials, it became apparent that citizens academies curriculums aren’t solely created with the intention of knowledge building. Instead, staff present concrete civic engagement options that residents can pursue following graduation. Staff present on how students can join local advisory boards, seek elected office, and volunteer with local non-profits. They also set up alumni listservs to ensure that residents stay connected with city hall as well as each other. These listservs act as message boards for the community affairs that civic-minded alumni might want to pursue.
3. Recruit a cross-section of the community
Citizens academies also aim to get a mix of residents in the room. Many local governments seek to ensure that they have residents from traditionally underrepresented communities present in the classroom. They want to make sure that all community members are participating and learning, and that the classes are not limited to those that are already engaged and showing up for town hall meetings, for example.
4. Build trust and foment relationships
An overarching, but often unstated, goal for these classes is to foster improved relationships and trust between local government staff and residents. For most people, their interactions with government are limited to service delivery or tense and stressful moments in their life. Citizens academies, however, provide the opportunity to build deeper relationships in a calm environment. The hope is that this will lay the necessary foundation, and set the tone for future engagements with community members.
This piece is part of a series on citizens academies, stay tuned for a deeper dive into what makes successful citizens academies in part two!
