Citizens Academy

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.