City Council School - Year TWO!
City Council School is a free bootcamp for residents who are interested in running for Cincinnati City Council or want a deeper understanding of the City’s government systems and practices to champion new policy.
Leader
Ioanna Paraskevopoulos
Location
123 Main Street Cincinnati, OH 45202
About the project
Summary
City Council School is a free program for engaged residents who are interested in running for Cincinnati City Council and/or want a deeper understanding of the City’s government systems and practices to successfully champion new policy.
City Council School participants engage with panelists representing government administration leadership and subject matter experts, political decision-makers, elected officials and their staff, journalists, council clerks, community leaders, and others who play critical roles in shaping local policy process and outcomes.
The course also includes workshops, tours, and opportunities for participants to reflect on what inspires them to consider public service and how that translates into policy choices and constituent representation. This experience will provide participants with the resources, knowledge, networks, and skills to be successful resident representatives and elected officials.
As with all of our programming, Action Tank is partnering with artists and arts organizations in researching, building awareness of, and promoting systems change.
Goals
We endeavor to provide City Council School participants with a foundation that allows them to be effective legislators and advocates. Particularly with two-year terms, new Council Members and advocates benefit significantly from a solid foundation in how:
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local government works
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to navigate the bureaucracy
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to identify and make the best use of available information and legislative tools
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to manage city council responsibilities
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to staff and manage a council office or how to effectively engage with Council offices
The Steps
March - April: Improve and revise curriculum using evaluations from Year 1
May - June: Develop detailed syllabus and outreach and recruitment plan
June - July: Announce that we are accepting applications, recruit
July - August: Interview candidates, Offer Spots
September - February: City Council School - Cohort 2 Training Underway!
Why we‘re doing it
Cincinnati City Council recently switched from four-year terms to two-year terms. This presents a unique opportunity for motivated newcomers to step up and influence local government in a big way. There is currently no formal training for new Council Members or their staff to shorten the steep learning curve that they all face when they are new to City Hall. To be effective in the two-year terms, new Councilmembers benefit significantly from a solid foundation in how local government works, how to navigate the bureaucracy, and how to make the best use of available information, legislative tools, and advocacy strategies.