Focus Areas

Engage youth

Youth are informed, act civically, and have healthy civic dispositions

• Individuals: Engage youth, inside and outside school settings to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviors for lifelong civic engagement, via partners and programs, such as the Democracy Schools Initiative
• Communities: Youth identify common interests, collaborate with peers, and collectively elevate issues and seek solutions
• Systems: Youth advocate for and help implement solutions to issues elevated in collaboration with their peers

Support local journalism

Journalism is vigorous and free, and is an effective mediator, informing, influencing, and connecting all levels of the democratic system

• Individuals: Build the capacity of individual journalists, youth included, to engage with and report on local issues
• Communities: Promote media engagement with communities to support news and information reflective of their needs
• Systems: Enhance the capacity of the local news ecosystem by supporting development of strong, stable news organizations

Pursue institutional reform

Institutions are accessible, representative of the communities they serve, and respond to constituent needs with inclusive policies

• Individuals: Create high capacity civic leaders who can engage effectively with individuals and communities
• Communities: Ensure that institutions are inclusive and representative of the communities they serve
• Systems: Support and implement public policies that require transparency, inclusivity, and accountability from government institutions