Insights from a year of fortifying civic catalysts
We knew this was going to be a civically taxing year for many Americans. To combat the pervasive sense of disconnection and disempowerment, we linked arms with local leaders and focused on fortification.
From Seattle to Omaha to Miami, we convened civic catalysts who were not just yearning for new ways of convening and activating their communities — but for a sense of connection and motivation for themselves. Catalysts came in feeling depleted, and left rededicated. They brought home new tools and tactics for sparking citizenship in others, and they themselves felt a renewed faith that the work of building a culture of powerful, responsible citizenship matters.
Explore our 2024 Annual Report to read about their stories, accomplishments, and impact.
2025 will call on us all to deepen our commitment to citizenship.
Thank you for powering our work to equip and sustain civic catalysts!
A message from our CEO, Eric Liu
Eric anchors us in these turbulent times with reflections on how to make our way through the pain and possibility of America. He writes, in part…
Greatness in America can never emerge from the will of a president. The only enduring source of greatness in the United States is a people capable of living together, seeing the humanity in each other, and dealing with our common problems through our differences. As Ella Baker put it: strong people don’t need strong leaders.
This report on Citizen University’s work in 2024 describes many strong people, who remind us that to have a great society, we have to build it first in Lansing and Shreveport and Muskogee and Philadelphia. We have to make our neighborhood greater and more inclusive, our faith networks greater and more humble, our schools greater and more wise, our arts institutions greater and more attuned, our businesses greater and more humane, our courts greater and more just.
Continue reading Eric’s message →
See what’s on the horizon
Next year will call on us all to refine and reinvigorate how we build a culture of citizenship in the context of America today. Sign up for our newsletter to hear about new program offerings, resources to support your catalytic activity, and inspiring stories of citizens who are paving the way.
