The California Center for Civic Participation

CalCenters programs prepare youth to serve as catalysts for change in their communities and beyond. Participating youth attend local and statewide training, conduct community assessments, develop local projects, and present and advocate for a policy platform to local and statewide decision-makers. Our programs bring politics to life by connecting youth with current issues, decision-makers and the actual settings where decisions are made. Current programs include the following:The Legacy Vote: Exposes high school age youth to the process and culture of voting within the state of California. Students engage in navigating the voting system, organizing, and mobilizing in initiative campaigns, and learning about ways in which different areas of the state and country have either expanded voting rights, or constricted them. Students participate in a community engagement project to use their newly acquired skills and knowledge to get people registered and to the polls.Green Focus: Provides an overview of the current state of climate change and historical factors which affect the impacts that we're seeing today. Youth gain knowledge on the Anthropocene era and how it has affected our climate, and what they can do to address this issue today. Youth are provided with skills, tools, and resources to gain climate resiliency as climate change creates a greater presence in our everyday lives period.Avenues to Civic Action: Youth attend a series of meetings and discussions to further enhance their knowledge of civic participation, then are responsible for facilitating community projects where they put their passions, skills, and knowledge into practice.She Shares: This program engages young professional women in the beginning of their career in a yearlong mentorship program. Young women are paired with seasoned female professionals in the region. On a quarterly basis, event conversations with high level and influential women are facilitated, where the public can purchase tickets to these events. Women in Politics: A series of meetings and discussions which immerse participants in a variety of issues affecting women. Students also explore their personal and collective visions for the future in terms of social justice, gender equity, and civic participation.