Make your voice heard–City Council School will help
Health disparities can be overcome if the entire community is more engaged in public policy decisions. Our communities want to be more engaged with civic leaders but it’s hard to know where to begin. Is there a number to call or email to send? Who do I talk to if I have a solution for my neighborhood? A new Cincinnati think tank wants to help us answer these types of questions, and more, by launching City Council School.
“It’s a course for people who want to run for council, or people who want to be stronger advocates for their communities,” said Action Tank Executive Director Ioanna Paraskevopoulos.
Experts from various fields will teach the classes, and they partner with artists to design each session, too. They will educate potential candidates with several goals:
- How local government works
- How to navigate the bureaucracy
- How to identify and make the best use of available information and legislative tools
- How to engage residents meaningfully
- How to manage city council responsibilities
- How to staff and manage a council office
Timeline and commitment
The free City Council School classes will be held 2-3 Saturdays per month, from this October through February 2021. Applications are being accepted now through Aug. 21. Informational sessions about the program will be held on July 11 and Aug. 13. Contact Action Tank for details (submit a “contact us” form via www.actiontankusa.org or email ioanna@actiontankusa.org).
“City Council School will require a 10-15 hours per week commitment from participants. For those who have less time but still want to become more engaged, we are planning to put together several other programs, from Civics 101 trainings to a participatory budgeting exercise–resources to strengthen the civic health of Cincinnatians and help residents make their voices heard. To find out about what we’re offering, sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media.”
