Square One Foundation is piloting The Civic Action Capstone Project
To effect change, community leaders must have the ability to scan issues, place them in a wider economic, demographic and educational context, develop viable alternatives and understand the levers of power and how they can be moved. Today’s civic leaders must understand where decisions are made and who makes them, as well as the factors that impact those decisions in order to leverage their own power to influence policy. The Civic Action Capstone strives to open doors and break down silos to support an inclusive vision of community leadership.
The Civic Action Capstone Program is a 9-month pilot program that thoughtfully brings together emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds and all corners of the city who are committed to a better Chicago. The program focuses on advocacy skill building, including issue analysis, power mapping, the development of strategic plans and alliances, collaborative practices and the organization and implementation of community actions.
Leadership cohorts jointly work on a hands-on civic skill-building experience built upon a current community issue or challenge to build practical skills and bridges between networks of emerging leaders. This pilot is intended to cultivate dynamic, thoughtful change-makers. Over time, the alumni will form an empowered network of cross-sector advocates who can cut across silos to mobilize around any local issue, from housing to education to environmental justice.
Square One Foundation is funding and facilitating The Civic Action Capstone Project and developing the program as a model of cross-sector collaboration and civic skill building aimed at solving the city’s most pressing problems.