Democracy Program

Our Program Mission

Strengthen democracy in Illinois through informed and engaged individuals and communities, and responsive systems of government.

Our Approach

Our work on youth civic engagement, journalism, and governmental reform takes place at three levels of our democratic system in Illinois: individual, community, and systems. Individuals engage with one another to solve problems in their communities. They work within democratic systems to resolve them or to reform the systems themselves, ultimately to the benefit of both individuals and their communities. A free and vigorous press is at the center of a healthy democracy, informing individuals and communities, and holding governmental institutions to account.

We are deeply committed to racial equity and serve under-resourced communities in Chicagoland and throughout Illinois. We seek to improve overall democratic outcomes and close the civic empowerment gap by providing resources, creating opportunities, and advocating for policies to address disparities for people of color caused by generations of systemic racism and bias.

Our Goals

We envision a healthy democracy in Illinois where:

• Youth are informed, participate civically and have healthy civic dispositions
• Journalism is vigorous and free, and is an effective mediator, informing, influencing, and connecting all levels of the democratic system
• Institutions are accessible, representative of the communities they serve, and respond to constituent needs with inclusive policies