Our Mission

Provides community members with the tools and knowledge to become actively engaged leaders in society. Lowering the barriers to civic engagement and deepening our understanding of civil responsibilities.

How It All Began

In January of 2017, Patrick Johnson made a decision to no longer stand on the sidelines of democracy. He wanted to get involved and make a difference in his community. To leave the world just a little better than he found it.

He didn’t know how to get involved or where to start. He sent out a few e-mails, to no responses. He signed up for some mailing lists of local elected officials. Trying to figure out what to do and how to do it.

Then months later, in the summer, a State Senator announced he was doing a meet and greet at the local supermarket. Patrick went and met his town’s State Senator, and in the process met an engaged citizen named Dan who told him about a fundraising event for a candidate for town council.

He went to the fundraiser and met Dan again, who then introduced him to a few more people. From there it snowballed into volunteering for political campaigns, serving on a town commission, being a treasurer for multiple political campaigns, and eventually being elected onto the Democratic Town Committee.

We share all of that to highlight one key takeaway… there was no path to his activism or service. There were no resources available to him. He wanted to give back, he wanted to be part of America’s democracy and he didn’t know-how.

What if he missed the State Senator’s e-mail?

What if he showed up 15 minutes earlier or later and never met Dan?

It was all happenstance, and that is when he knew that when someone was ready or willing to participate in American democracy there needed to be tools and resources ready for them. All things of great importance start off as an idea, and such is true with the Civics Institute.

It is years later and you are here ready to better your community, to engage in the great American experiment. We’re proud of you and we are here for you!

Welcome To The Civics Institute