Welcome to Strong City’s Civic Engagement Week!
The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting our lives in countless ways. And yet, the work of building democracy and strengthening Baltimore continues. As we face the challenges brought by the pandemic, we are also in the midst of a decennial Census and local and national elections that will have profound consequences for Baltimore’s future.
Our Neighborhood Institute, originally scheduled for March 28, was set to focus on the 2020 elections and the Census with the theme of “Building Civic Power.” Unfortunately, we were forced to postpone the conference. Now, we are honoring our commitment to encourage civic participation during these extraordinary times with Civic Engagement Week.
From Monday, April 6 to Saturday, April 11, Strong City will bring you lively and informative content on our social media platforms, and perspectives from engaged local leaders on our blog. We are also compiling a handy toolbox for you – a one-stop shop where you can find the most accurate, up-to-date information about registration, voting, and the Census.
The weeklong campaign will conclude on Saturday, April 11 at 1 p.m., with an online Civic Engagement Mini-Institute via Facebook Live featuring a variety of presentations from Strong City’s civic engagement partners. You will have an opportunity to learn from and interact with the dynamic social innovators behind Baltimore Votes, No Boundaries Coalition, the Census Complete Count Committee, and more. Follow us on Facebook here.
Civic Engagement Week is all about participation! Share your own stories with us about how you or people you know are encouraging Census completion or addressing registration and voting challenges. Send us a Tweet on @StrongCityBalt or a Facebook message on @StrongCityBaltimore. We want our Civic Engagement Toolbox to be comprehensive – if we’re missing something, let us know so we can include it. And don’t forget to join the conversation with us and our partners Saturday afternoon for the Mini-Institute on Facebook Live.
Throughout Civic Engagement Week, we look forward to your questions, comments, and ideas. We were disappointed that we couldn’t have our Neighborhood Institute this spring, but we can still share skills and solve problems together. And although we are physically separated from each other these days, we can still collaborate to build community – and a stronger Baltimore!