Citizens Academies: A Tool for Increasing Civic Engagement

MPA Master's Thesis. This paper represents work done by a UNC-Chapel Hill Master of Public Administration student. It is not a formal report of the Institute of Government, nor is it the work of School of Government faculty.

Executive summary: "Citizens academies are a new tool used by local governments to teach residents about the functions of local government. Additionally, they build relationships and encourage people to participate in civic functions. This study explores participants' views on the effects of attending this type of program with respect to their post-academy civic activities. Results show that, while citizens academy participants are often more engaged before participating in the program, citizen engagement increases significantly across civic indicators for almost all participants.