Fall 2025 Highlights

At the Civic Engagement Boot Camp on Sept. 12, more than 40 participants heard from local experts about the upcoming elections, the history of voting in the region and state and ways they could leverage their voices and stories into action.
 
Houston Voting Initiative's Annie Benifield Johnson emphasized the importance of civic engagement in building thriving communities in the opening keynote. Panelists Chris Pino of BakerRipley and Avery Spranger of the Harris County Department of Education encouraged participants to carve out their own opportunities to open doors for others. Ashley Lawson of the Harris County Clerk's office provided a demonstration of voting machines and explained the county's role in local elections. Sarah Syed of Woori Juntos challenged the group to design tangible strategies to further civic engagement among their peers in a civics skills lab. The afternoon closed with James Lovell of the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar's office conducting training on the state rules and regulations to certify 23 volunteer deputy registrars to assist in registering eligible voters. See more about the featured topics and speakers by reading the Fall 2025 agenda.

Spring 2025 Highlights

Dozens of students and community members participated in the Civic Leadership Boot Camp on March 28. The half-day workshop was devoted to strengthening individual civic leadership across various roles and issues. Participants engaged in breakout sessions and activities and learned leadership lessons.

Matthew Conner of Arete Public Affairs, Traci Buttram of the Harris County Office of Administration and Santiago Franco of Harris County Intergovernmental and Global Affairs provided an insider's perspective on government relations and public service in the closing panel of the day. Review the March 2025 workshop goals, topics and speakers by reading the Spring 2025 agenda.

About the Civic Engagement Boot Camp

The Civic Engagement Boot Camp is an interactive session designed to teach the skills necessary to create positive change. The workshop aims to develop and enhance the abilities required to lead effectively within any environment.

The workshop focuses on various aspects of civic leadership, covering the various topics:

• Building individual capacity

• Understanding governmental structures and processes

• Developing representation on local government and nonprofit committees and boards, and neighborhood organizations

• Building multi-sector (private, public and nonprofit) collaborations

• Broadening the civic participation of young people

The boot camp traditionally features speakers with expertise and success in public, private and nonprofit leadership positions. While group exercises and thought-provoking discussions may sometimes pull you outside your comfort zone, the outcome is strengthened civic responsibility and the tools to make a difference in your community.