In cities from Chicago, IL, to Jackson, MS, The Change Collective is growing a new generation of local leaders to combat civic disengagement at the local level.
The Change Collective, launched in 2023, is a nonpartisan organization connecting and training young leaders through a fellowship program in five cities across the country by countering rising political polarization and declining civic engagement. Executive Director of the Change Collective Dexter Mason said the biggest challenge facing civic engagement is the level of social isolation and polarization within the country.
“While no one effort is going to fix these issues, we believe that investing in the next generation of changemakers at the local level is an essential part of the solution,” Mason said.
Mason said that for The Change Collective, civic engagement means “so much more” than paying attention to what is done at the national level but also what is happening with their neighbors, peers, and fellow community members.
“At the Change Collective, we believe local leaders are the key to countering these low levels of civic engagement and building stronger communities,” Mason said.
Mason said The Change Collective’s fellowship program is six months long and contains the local cohort representing a range of identities, backgrounds, vocations, and ideologies. He added that the fellows receive a series of training on how to engage and organize members of their community, public officials, and institutions.
“Our goal is to reinvent civic life for the 21st century and cultivate the next generation of local leaders working to increase civic collaboration and engagement in their communities,” Mason said.
Within their fellowship program, Mason also said that within the five cities they serve, there are more than 130 community partners, including the Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation, the Detroit Pistons, the Michigan Black Business Alliance, MS Votes, and the Terry Scholars at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The culmination of the program, Mason said, is the fellows creating a Civic Action Plan based on the state they are from. Mason pointed out a few examples of fellows’ work from across the country.
In Chicago, fellow Juan Solis launched a summer program in financial literacy to help students, 12 to 15 years old, learn financial independence. Over in Detroit, fellow Bandhan Kaur created computer science classes in Highland Park, a city near Detroit, to help close the gap between the age and gender divide in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
Down south in San Antonio, fellow Lina Rugova launched a digital literacy program through Emerge and Rise Inc., an organization providing business development through social innovation and environmental sustainability. The goal is to address the digital gap in small business owners in using technology.
Eastward in Jackson, MS, fellow Charity Bruce created a program to provide free expungement services—or a legal process allowing for the removal or sealing of criminal records—for young adults, and to then connect them with companies that can interview and hire them.
Finally, Amber Sherman, in Memphis, TN, created an ordinance to increase accessibility and participation within Memphis City Council Meetings. Mason said the ordinance was passed with the sponsorship of three current city council members.
Mason said that in 2024, the program measured success by sustained impact. He added that The Change Collective has trained more than 100 leaders across its five hubs, with 96 percent contributing to a Civic Action Plan.
“We draw our inspiration from the dedication and passion of our participants — they join us with an infectious and undeniable energy to create change and bridge divides,” Mason said. “Seeing our Fellows and alumni continuously change their communities and connect with one another motivates us each day on our mission to empower local leaders.”
Maggie Rhoads was a cohort member in Common Ground USA's Journalism program, where Hugo Balta served as an instructor. Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum, and the publisher of the Latino News Network.
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