Our Purpose
Inspiring and equipping people to practice citizenship in ways that feel relational, relevant, and sustainable.
What do we mean by citizenship? Why is it important?
For a democratic system to function, we need to be informed, committed, active, and skilled participants in and co-creators of the system, to show up as citizens. And when we say “citizenship,” we’re not talking about documentation status. At CU, we describe citizenship using a simple equation: Power + Character = Citizenship. By which we mean, understanding who decides and how to make change happen–and then cultivating the norms and habits of being a prosocial contributor to community.
Focusing on habitual, civic actions may seem inconsequential in the face of the immense challenges we are facing as a country. But it is these very acts of ongoing citizenship done repeatedly, by many of us over time that build the foundation for resilience in the face of national and global civic crises.
This includes habits like serving, joining associations and clubs, voting, advocating for change, organizing for causes, engaging in local campaigns, gathering with fellow community members, learning about history of the place you live, circulating knowledge and opportunity, and on and on. They are the essential backbone of a society that can function as a thriving democracy. They are the web that strengthens communities that can take on shared challenges and that shape how we live together.
Citizenship is not just a duty to others or to a greater good — it also is an act of self-preservation and a way to make-meaning and find purpose in a world that can feel out of control. When we engage as citizens, we are shaping the immediate world we live in with others, which in turn, nurtures us. We both give, and we get.
Who we work with
Citizen University works with organizations and people who are ready to play a role in strengthening the civic health of their communities–those who are seeking to cultivate a sustainable, long-term citizen practice, to build an understanding of how to show up in civic life in mutualistic ways, and want to take responsibility for the role they can play spreading this ethic to others–but need new tools, inspiration, and approaches to doing so.
We call these people and organizations civic catalysts.
Our work is intentionally cross-sectoral–we aim to help fellow citizens find one another in this endeavor, and infuse an ethic of mutuality into all that we do.
Experiential
Our work is experiential on purpose — this is how actions and beliefs actually stick.
Experimental
We are a learning organization: we have a high propensity for “let’s try," and we encourage people to think and act in novel ways as citizens.
Networked
We believe in the power and value of networks, both formally and informal, to build and act collectively in civic life. We aim to build through networks, and encourage action through networks. Our organization itself is a network of networks.