TheReview_Jan_Feb_2022 Flipping Book

BUILDING COMMUNITY WEALTH TOGETHER The free, ten-week series is modeled on similar public engagement programs found across the U.S. To date, Midland Citizens Academy has graduated 337 students. Demand is high, with over 70 applications each year for roughly 25-27 open spots filled at random. It’s hard to overestimate the value of that level of community engagement. Trust and belonging are the social and emotional fabric that ties a community together. Trust in our neighbors and local leaders. A sense of belonging between residents and the place where they live. These are the essential elements that bring diverse people together with the common goal of helping their community to thrive. This is what community wealth building is all about. “The beauty of Citizens Academy is that it appeals to—and brings out—people from all walks of life to learn about local government,” said Guyer. “Every year, we receive applications from interested residents who run the gamut from senior citizens who are lifelong Midland residents, to young professionals who are recent transplants, to couples who use the weekly classes as their ‘date night’.” Even some as young as 13 years old have expressed interest, she said, although the program is currently open only to ages 18 and up. MAKING IT WORK While the planning, scheduling, and execution of the Academy is done by the community affairs department, the content within each department’s presentation and tour is created by the departments themselves. “In my opinion, the reason why this program has been so successful and gets rave reviews each year is because our staff and elected officials believe in its mission and love participating in the program as much as our ‘students’ do,” said Guyer. “If our people were not transparent, open, and human with our attendees, the program just wouldn’t work as well as it does. They truly make it.”

Pillars of Community Wealth Building Trust in neighbors, community leaders, local governments and the other partners and services in place to help our communities thrive is essential to achieving community wealth. Belonging to the community is what strengthens the tie between community members and the place. Without people, a place is just a physical object. Connecting people who support each other and themselves in a localized way brings a place to life and increases access to community resources and social networks.

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