Dear Ottawa Residents.... What if you had a roadmap to making a difference in the City? | Unpublished
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In the fall of 2013, Citizens Academy offered a first Civics Boot Camp in English over the course of five weeks. The first three sessions were devoted to municipal governance, budgeting and land use planning. The fourth session was a practicum, where small groups planned civic action and make their pitch to a panel of community leaders who provided feedback on the plans. Each weekly session involved about 40 participants and were led by a professional facilitator. They began with a light supper, followed by three hours of interaction in small groups and in plenary. Participants were encouraged to continue conversations online between sessions, to share ideas and pursue questions. In the last two weeks, they worked in small groups on a presentation of their plans for civic action.

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Dear Ottawa Residents.... What if you had a roadmap to making a difference in the City?

September 24, 2013

As Coordinator for the Citizens Academy for nearly a year, I have been awed by citizens' ideas and passion to have a positive impact on their local communities. Ottawans are not just interested in what's transpiring on Parliament Hill, they are passionate and driven to make change happen in their local neighbourhoods and communities. What's often missing is a little push from the wind of knowledge to get their ship sailing!

Having tested the idea with last year's pilot program, the Civics Boot Camp is intended to be the boost the everyday citizens' knowledge about how the City works, and how to be effective in changing it.

Dear Ottawa Residents,

What are you passionate about? What do you wish you could change in Ottawa? Now ask yourself... What are you going to do to make that happen? What CAN you do?

Having witnessed the thirst for answers from Ottawans during last year's pilot program, the Citizens Academy of Ottawa has been working with a group of dedicated volunteers to define what it is a citizen in Ottawa needs to know to be effective to make change in the city. Whether your idea is big or small, street-level or city-wide, it helps to understand the structures and processes that are in place, and how to navigate them.

This year's Civics Boot Camp will take place October 17th to November 19th, with three different learning session topics that will help you answer
Who makes decisions at City Hall?
How do I get a say in how my municipal taxes are spent?
If I have ideas for land-use in my neighbourhood, who do I talk to and when?

Apply to participate today, and learn more about Governance, Municipal Budgeting and Land-Use Planning in the city of Ottawa. It is completely FREE for participants. Modest transportation and dependent stipends available.

Bureaucracy can be confusing. Citizens Academy can help.

Apply online today - http://citizensacademy.ca/apply-now/
Or print and share the program poster - http://citizensacademy.ca/help-us-share-this-awesome-poster/

Click here to download the PDF file.

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