Programs
Citizen University Programs
Preparing Citizens to Lead
Civic Saturday Fellowship
The Civic Saturday Fellowship is a nine-month program that begins with Civic Seminary, a three-day training in Seattle that fellows attend with a cohort of other motivated community leaders from around the country. In the following months, fellows will plan and hold three Civic Saturdays in their community.
Fellows have spread Civic Saturday gatherings to every corner of the US, bringing a deeper sense of civic spirit to their communities.
Learn More & Apply
Gather with a Common Purpose
Civic Saturday
In a time of deep anxiety, disconnectedness, and political polarization, people need a place to come together in civic community—in a room, face-to-face—to reflect on and rededicate ourselves to the values and practices of being a contributing member of civic life within the United States. Civic Saturday began in Seattle, and is now in over 30 cities across the country.
Civic Saturday is a civic analogue to a faith gathering. It gathers friends and strangers together to nurture a spirit of shared purpose. At the gathering we connect around the values and practices of being an active citizen, reckon with and reflect on our nation’s creed, and build relationships that create new civic traditions that are joyful and communal.
Watch the latest virtual Civic Saturday!
On August 8th we strengthened our civic muscles on August 8th at our Civic Saturday gathering on YouTube.
DatesPast SermonsFellowshipUpcoming Civic Saturday Gatherings
August 8, 2020 • Virtual Civic Saturday
Watch on Youtube
May 2, 2020 • Virtual Civic Saturday with Wendy Willis
Watch on Youtube
April 25, 2020 • Virtual Civic Saturday with Shamichael Hallman
Watch on Youtube
The Myth of Normalcy by Brooke Sarden
Read Eric Liu’s recent sermons from Citizen University led Civic Saturday gatherings.
Liberate America, delivered April 18, 2020 via livestream
The Morals in Our Stories, delivered March 28, 2020 via livestream
Oaths of Commitment, delivered January 25, 2020 in Seattle, WA
Empowering the Rising Generation
Youth Collaboratory
The Youth Collaboratory is a year-long program to empower and connect a rising generation of civic leaders and doers.
24 highly-motivated students from around the country will join Citizen University and travel to cities around the nation, meeting leading civic innovators, sharpening their literacy in citizen power and producing their own independent projects in their communities.
This is a unique and exciting opportunity to be connected to a network of incredible change-makers and gain skills and connections for a lifetime of civic power.
Learn More & ApplyPast Participants
What is civic power? Who has it, how can you build it, and how do you use it to make positive change happen in your community? The Youth Collaboratory aims to bring together 24 highly-motivated high school students who are excited to dive into these questions, and give them the ideas, resources, and connections to not only build but circulate power in their schools and hometowns.
Over the 9 months of the program, students will travel to cities from around the nation, meet leading civic innovators from across the country, and put these ideas into action through the development of a personal “Power Projects”.
Interested? If you’d like to apply to the Youth Collaboratory, you can add your name to the interest list to be notified when applications open next.
Participants of the Youth Collaboratory have come from all over the United States, representing every region of the country with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Here is some of what they had to say about the Youth Collaboratory:
“The highlight was getting to connect to people in the successful, professional world and talk to them about the issues and projects that they’re working on. It’s really inspiring.”
“I was shocked at the space we created, that we allowed each other to feel safe expressing our opinions and views.”
“I was so pleased to be welcomed into a group that taught me how to be the best civic version of myself that I could be.”
Follow Citizen University on social media, to learn more about the Youth Collaboratory and other programs!
Lessons in Civic Power
Citizen University TV
Our award-winning show that ran from 2016-2018 offers lessons in how to be an effective, change-making citizen. Every episode features case studies of leadership in action and breaks down the elements of civic power.
Watch
A National Network of Leaders
Civic Collaboratory
The Civic Collaboratory is a national network of catalytic leaders from across the political spectrum and many domains —immigrant rights, veterans advocacy, civics education, voting reform, tech in government, arts and culture, worker organizing, corporate citizenship, and more. We meet quarterly and provide a common platform and project incubator for this diverse community of civic innovators.
An oath for all
Sworn-Again America
What does it mean to be an American — and how do we live like a citizens? Inspired by the naturalization oath for immigrants, we created this oath as a way for every one of us to experience the urgency, the solemnity, yet also the utter joy of choosing citizenship actively. Thousands of people across the country have taken the oath, in ceremonies large and small, to become Sworn-Again Americans— and you can too!
Take the OathSworn-Again America Oath
I pledge to be an active American
to show up for others
to govern my self
to help govern my community
I recommit myself to my country’s creed
to cherish liberty as a responsibility
I pledge to serve and to push my county
when right, to be kept right;
when wrong to be set right
Wherever my ancestors and I were born
I claim America
and I pledge to live like a citizen
