Photos by David Ng
The Civic U© provides participants with a general education about local government. The program also teaches them how to effectively interact with local government and address their concerns.
The Institute has offered this program to organizations and agencies such as CORO Southern California, the Empowerment Congress, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), and various Asian-Pacific Islander advocacy groups.
The Civic U© curriculum includes four workshop modules:
- City of Los Angeles
- Los Angeles County
- Los Angeles Unified School District
- The council-manager system found in most Los Angeles County cities.


Learning Outcomes:
- An understanding of how local government is structured.
- Learn about the role and people within local government.
- An understanding of the pressure points through which the community can access government.
- Learn how to make government “work for you.”