Who is eligible to apply to Civic Impact Academy Cohorts?

Civic-minded individuals who are over the age of 18.

2025 Applications Open: July 1, 2025

Program Start Date: September 3, 2025

Who should join the academy and what will they learn?

We curate 20-person cohorts of 10 government and 10 community leaders.

Government Leaders

• Planning Departments

• Communication

• Housing and Neighborhood Services

• Transportation

• Management & Budget Departments

• Park and Recreation

• Small Business Support and Economic Development

• Policy Makers

• Public Safety

Community Members & Leaders

• Social Impact Entrepreneurs

• Activists & Organizers

• Community Volunteers

• Neighborhood Leaders

• Coalition Leaders

• Non-Profit Program Staff

• Media Professionals/Advocates

The curriculum covers a range of topics including understanding power dynamics in advocacy, local historical context, understanding government systems, local government budgeting, media relations, and storytelling. Participants apply learnings to solve for real-life community challenges in key topic areas most impacting our region including affordable housing, education, healthcare, the justice system, environment, land use planning, and access to capital for small businesses.

Where does learning take place?

Cohorts are hybrid experiences. Our first and final sessions are held in person in Charlotte, NC. All other sessions are held online in our virtual classrooms.

Who is behind the Civic Impact Academy?

Civic Impact Academy is brought to you by Civility Localized, an MWSBE Certified Small Business. This academy comes from the creative mind of Civility Localized founder Christine Edwards Pitkin, MPA. As experts in community engagement and government contracts, the team at Civility Localized is proud to bring a new civic engagement offering to the market.

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