Apply to host a Citizen Redefined training

What does the Citizen University team provide?

An immersive, in-person training for your educators.

• An in-depth and personal three day training on the Citizen Redefined curriculum, including a comprehensive training manual and all supplies
  • Learn about the Citizen Redefined curriculum →
• A tailored experience to serve the specific learning goals and group needs of your specific cohort
• Support for event planning and logistics, in collaboration with the hosting partner
• Insight into who makes a successful trainee and support for the trainee application process, as needed

Six months of continued learning, engagement, and coaching.

• Virtual preparation meetings for trainee cohorts to get ready for the in-person training and build community, understanding, and shared language
• Several follow up virtual meetings for processing, questioning, problem solving, and collaboration
• Access to CU staff as coaches and thought partners to support trainees’ integration of the Citizen Redefined skills, activities, and ceremony into their teaching practice

Ongoing connections with the broader Citizen University community.

• Following the six month training period, each trainee will be invited into our wider community of civic catalysts from across all CU programs — including past cohorts of Citizen Redefined educators 
• Opportunities throughout the year to engage in ongoing training, resource shares, and relationship building with passionate civic change-makers across the country

With much gratitude to all of our funders, we are able to offer the training and coaching from our team at no cost to you.

What will you provide as the hosting partner?

Gathering a cohort of trainees to move through this learning journey together.

• The cohort you convene can be anywhere from 15-100 people, but we’ve found a sweet spot to be around 30-40 individuals. We know that trainees are most successful when they have colleagues alongside them and institutional support backing them up, so we encourage teams to participate together.
• You can decide to gather a group based on existing connections — or to run a selection process
• You’ll commit to supporting trainees during and beyond their learning experience with Citizen University

Collaborating with Citizen University on training design.

We have a robust curriculum that leads trainees through an arc of civic skill building, personal development, and reflection on the work they already do with young people. It is critical for us to collaborate with you as a Hosting Partner to better understand the work and communities of the training cohort and to tailor the training experience to the individuals who commit to the experience. Explore the curriculum here →

Arranging and paying for all in-person logistics.

• Arrange for any and all travel and lodging logistics for participants as needed
• Coordinate and provide all meals and meeting and event space throughout the in-person experience

What will your educators commit to?

Attend and participate in all training activities, both virtually and in-person.

• Attend virtual orientation in the weeks prior to in-person training
• Attend the three day in-person training intensive 
• Attend group cohort calls following training intensive over the next six months
• Share updates and seek support from Citizen University staff through coaching, data sharing, and group conversation in the months following training intensive (and beyond)

Increase opportunities for civic skills learning in their area:

• Either by…
  • Integrating the learning and practice of civic skills as outlined into the curriculum into existing programs that serve youth ages 14-24
  • Or by creating new opportunities for young people to practice civic skills as part of a dedicated group
• Engage with Citizen University data collection and program analysis efforts — reporting on program related activities, submitting surveys, providing metrics of student participation/success, sharing written and verbal feedback, etc.

Host a culminating event that helps young people to tangibly and intentionally mark their commitment to powerful, responsible citizenship.

• Lead culminating events that explore elements of civic ritual (music/art, embodied action, metaphor, physical space, civic text, etc.)
• Help youth participants articulate their declaration of civic commitment and what citizenship means to them — and celebrate their movement into civic-adulthood as witnessed by their peers and community members

How to apply?

Step One: Review the application

We recommend you spend some time writing your answers in advance.

Review the application →

Step Two: Schedule time with us to go over any questions, if needed.

Bring your questions to a meeting with Program Director Zoey Cane Belyea.

Schedule a call →

Step Three: Finalize supplemental materials

Finalize all your materials, then visit our form to submit your application! Once your application has been submitted, you will not be able to make any changes, so please proofread your materials thoroughly before submission.

Submit application →

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FAQ

Who leads the training?
Citizen Redefined Training sessions — both in-person and virtually — are led by Zoey Cane Belyea and Davis Endava with support from Natalie Gage.

What is expected of trainees?
Trainees are expected to fully participate in all training activities, both online and in person. This includes attending a virtual orientation before the in-person training, actively engaging in the three-day intensive training, joining group cohort calls throughout the six-month period, and collaborating with Citizen University staff for coaching and group discussions. Trainees are also encouraged to incorporate civic skills learning into their existing programs for young people or create new opportunities for youth to develop these skills.

What support is provided?
Trainees receive comprehensive support from Citizen University for six months surrounding their in-person training experience. This includes a virtual orientation and prep meeting to set a foundation before in-person training, follow-up virtual meetings as a cohort for discussions, problem-solving, and collaboration, and personalized coaching from the Citizen Redefined team as trainees plan to integrate civic skills, activities, and ceremonies into their teaching practice.

Who covers the costs?
Program facilitation, materials, curriculum, and coaching are always offered at no cost to participants. Hosting partners typically cover the costs associated with in-person training including venue, meals, and travel support. We plan to work with a diverse range of Citizen Redefined hosting partners who will help us bring this curriculum to the places it’s needed most and are dedicated to developing funding structures that provide access to any groups committed to the important work of strengthening civic identity in our nation’s young people. We are ready and willing to work with each partner to determine a funding structure that makes this possible.

Is there a specific number of trainees that hosting partners must gather?
While there’s no strict number, a group size of around 30-40 individuals is ideal, though groups as small as 15 or up to 100 are welcome.

Which organizations or networks can be hosting partners?
Any organization or network working with high school or early college-aged students, such as educators, coaches, and community organizers, can become hosting partners. Hosting partners will take on responsibility for recruiting trainees to fill their cohort, so it’s important for potential hosts to have a sense of who they will tap for this experience.

What is the timeline for the training process?
Applications are open from April to May, notifications go out in July, and cohorts begin in the fall, with specific training dates provided based on availability.

Are there specific criteria for selecting hosting partners?
We look for hosting partners who see the need for a program like this in their community and are prepared to support a cohort of adults as they bring this curriculum to life.

SEE THE NEED → Hosting partners understand why this program’s priorities and practices are needed in their community. They have a clear sense of how their institution will be able to apply the Citizen Redefined curriculum to existing or emerging learning experiences for young people, and they feel excited about culminating these experiences with celebratory civic rituals in their community.

PREPARED TO LEAD → Hosting partners have a clear sense of a predefined cohort of trainees group and standing relationships with this group (employees, volunteers, networks, etc). They are able to convene a cohort with a minimum of 15 participants and to run a recruitment, application, and selection process as needed. They are committed to supporting trainees during and beyond their learning experience with Citizen University and ready to collaborate with CU on training design in specific, community adapted ways.