Learn all about the Civic Circle and how to use this framework to make positive change in our communities.
Alright y'all, we've got some good news and we've got bad news. The bad news: there's a lot going on in the world right now and it's not pretty. From global issues like war and climate change to more local challenges like food insecurity in our neighborhoods or a lack of accessible and affordable health care, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and as if there's little hope to change things.
The good news: we can make positive change—even if it's in baby steps!
Of course, figuring out what those next steps are can be its own conundrum. Thankfully, there's a helpful framework—courtesy of our friends at Points of Light—dubbed the Civic Circle that we can turn to as we begin our journey to make the world (or, at least, our community) a better place.
So, what is the Civic Circle?
According to Points of Light, the Civic Circle is a framework that helps individuals connect to opportunities and understand that doing good comes in many forms. It represents our power to lead, lend support, and take action for causes we care about so we can drive real and sustained change.
In other words, it's a guide for the types of actions we can take to engage and make an impact in the world around us. There are nine distinct types of actions that make up the Civic Circle:
- Donate
- Listen and Learn (what we're doing right now by reading this story!)
- Purchase Power
- Voice
- Volunteer (our favorite!)
- Vote
- Service
- Social Entrepreneur
- Work
Over the course of the next year, we'll dive in to each point of the Civic Circle to share ways to be involved. Keep your eyes peeled for our first "circle" on Listen and Learn in February!