If we asked citizens if they trust their local governments, the answers might range from ‘not at all’ to ‘sometimes.’ The 

 having complete trust in their local municipalities is, unfortunately, low. Because this lack of trust is also on the rise, now more than ever, it is important for local government leaders to encourage civic engagement. A more engaged citizenry will yield positive benefits such as greater 

, better decision-making, economic advantages as well as improved public services and policies. Communities are also more likely to be united around common goals when citizens are fully engaged.

Civic engagement presents opportunities for communities to address social challenges that are specific to their communities with the goal of transforming them. As private citizens, people have the option to become part of the social fabric of their community or merely be spectators who sit on the sidelines.

Municipalities need to take a proactive approach in actively engaging their citizens. To simply hope that every citizen will care and participate is not enough. Fortunately, there are many steps, through formal and informal channels, that local leaders can take to solicit engagement. These may include:

Ensuring meetings and information are accessible

Fostering inclusivity and offering multilingual resources

Launching education programs and services for all ages

Providing effective two-way communications

Utilizing technology to conduct surveys and interactive town halls

As well as using technology to support inclusivity and engagement, it’s useful to look at the programs and initiatives peers are running in their communities.

With some out-of-the-box thinking and person power, local governments can create various programs to build engagement within their communities. These can be designed to reach citizens for feedback on important community issues or projects. They can also help to build community spirit, promote leisure and recreation, support families and enhance a community’s landscape. Here are seven examples of municipal-driven programs to build engagement:

 Lake County Forest Preserves in Illinois has developed a way for local citizens to reconnect with nature and have fun while exploring beautiful trails in the county. The annual fall walking program recognizes those hikers (and dogs) who complete at least seven of the many marked trails throughout the route. The event helps to build a sense of community and an appreciation for the county’s landscape.

: The city of Memphis recognizes that not all communities have access to transportation. Explore Bike Share partnered with Advance Memphis to bring 600 bicycles to over 60 bike-docking stations with the help of local citizens. The project required $3 million in fundraising, took three years to complete and gave hundreds of residents ways to get to work and run errands inexpensively.

Colorful Crosswalks: Several cities have caught on to the advantages of having bold, colorful crosswalks. They're easier for motorists to see and safer and more appealing for pedestrians to use. 

 provide good examples of colorful crosswalks. Several other communities have used the same idea to show support for the LGBTQ+ community, including 

 In this example, the La Jolla Community Foundation commissioned public art projects to enrich the civic character of the community in 2010. With the support of private donations, this program continues to be a celebration of artistic talent throughout the community. Creative and eye-catching murals can be seen throughout the community and are on display for two years.

 The city of Lancaster, PA recognized that it needed to find ways to engage its highly diverse communities, particularly during and post pandemic. The city was committed to ensuring that its transportation, housing and policing projects were shaped by feedback from the diverse citizenry. Together, the mayor’s office and the Department of Neighborhood Engagement launched 

, a simple-to-use and accessible online platform, that remains an effective tool for keeping Lancaster’s many diverse communities active and engaged.

 Even small communities find value in programs to engage their communities. For Struthers, Ohio, a town of roughly 10,000 people, seeking input from the youth and senior populations for their first comprehensive plan was essential. But how to reach them? The city leaders went directly to the schools with a Share Your Ideas platform. Students participated in workshops to understand how to use this digital platform for submitting ideas ranging from better sports facilities to safer spots to hang out. Community leaders also reached out to seniors via their platform to invite feedback through surveys and online conversations.

 To effectively allocate potential bond funds in the City of Allen, Texas, local leaders launched a digital platform to engage community feedback. Sub-committees were formed to invite discussion on topics including infrastructure development and general community improvements. The platform was publicized through social media, city committee meetings and email communications. Participation in the platform continues to grow and hundreds of citizens are actively involved in shaping the community’s development plans.

These far-reaching examples from all around the country demonstrate that local governments can launch programs on their own or partner with other organizations in their quest to build and sustain engagement in their communities.

How technology can support civic engagement

As municipalities see the importance of engaging their citizens and begin to implement initiatives to do so, they can rely on 

, our next-generation board management solution, can support your community engagement efforts with features that help deliver transparency, seamless communication and access for inclusion.

Key information on plans, initiatives and programs can be published easily to your Public Transparency website where citizens can:

Sign up to receive notifications from their local government

Make requests to speak at public meetings

Access historical and current information

Turn to Diligent Community as you go about engaging your community in decisions that matter.

7 strong civic engagement examples for municipalities to follow 

In recent years, a brighter spotlight is shining on public school board members. A role always at the heart of local communities — whether pre-K-through-12 or for public colleges — has taken on new prominence in discussions of public health, school safety, diversity, democracy and other hot-button issues. Under this spotlight, many new and experienced board members can find themselves uncertain of how to do the best possible job at serving as a trustee for those who elected them and ultimately focusing on the needs of students.

We find clues in how one group of school leaders was honored with an Innovative School Board Award. The 

Baldwin-Whitehall School District Board of Directors

 was lauded in the nomination “for moving beyond political and ideological differences to work together in the service of their students’ best interests, as models of compromise and effective discourse. Strong district leadership and a clear comprehensive plan for districtwide improvement inspires and supports the board’s conflict-free progress. In addition, board members take the time to volunteer in the community during the district’s Day of Caring and Holiday Cookie Extravaganza.”

Service, teamwork, good communication and positive role modeling: these all figure into how to elevate your impact on your public school board. Let’s take a more detailed look on the characteristics of star school board members and how technology supports them.

Why being an engaged and contributing board member matters

It’s frequently observed (and also quite true) that children are the future. But more specifically, children and their experiences are at the core of how people feel about their communities. There is little more reflective of a city, town or village than the state of its schools and the quality and security of a child’s educational experience.

Even those without children in local schools have a vested interest in the quality, and ultimately, the outcomes within the school (i.e. children’s success) as taxpayers paying a big portion of the money that goes into public schools. They may also engage with current and former students, interacting with them outside of schools and hiring or working with (or for) them. And while the students are older, the same applies at the college level. Good-quality, healthy functioning public colleges have an immediate impact on the state of the workforce.

So how a public school board member performs his or her role — doing the most with budgetary resources, hiring and evaluating executive leaders and enacting supportive and reasonable policies (all done with the goal of moving the needle for children, both from a cognitively and non-cognitively point of view.) — has a direct effect on students’ school experiences. In fact, more evidence is showing that boards are having an impact on 

“The best board is an engaged board — a board that comes to meetings ready to think critically and apply sophisticated thought processes to sophisticated problems. The only way for a board member to think at a higher level is to have already read and understood the material." - Diana Baker Freeman, Senior Manager, Modern Governance Advocacy & Initiatives, Diligent

Board members must understand their district, understand their role, understand the wishes of the community — those who elected them and those whom board members serve as a trustee for, and be open — to new ideas, new solutions and constituents. By following these tips, they can be 

. Take a closer look at what being a star board member entails.

Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge about the district’s strategic goals, operations and challenges, and stay informed about the issues, policies and regulations that affect your schools at the local, state and national level. Keep documents related to your organization’s goals close at hand; your board management software can be useful here. Be sure to ask questions to better understand.

 during his long service with California’s Long Beach Unified School District, former board member Felton Williams said, “People have to understand the roles and responsibilities, and that is a key piece in a school district — that everybody understands their respective roles.” Understanding the scope — also the limits — of the board’s responsibilities is critical for every board member. Remember that ultimately, you are there to serve the children. Focus on child issues over adult issues.

Adopt an attitude of continuous learning and improvement.

 Even after the onboarding process, a star board member will understand there is always more to learn. Seek out internal and external workshops, webinars and other opportunities both directly related to the board role and related to trends and new learning that can positively affect your organization. Study effective decision-making, policy development and fiduciary responsibilities. Training materials can be stored and made available for multiple users in the board management system.

As part of a local community, board members will be approached regularly by constituents with ideas and feedback. And board members must work well with the rest of the team. Consider these priorities:

Build productive relationships with your fellow board members and also with staff

Work on your communication skills, understanding professional boundaries and how to offer constructive feedback

Engage with the community, attending events and establishing open lines of communication

Be open to new ideas, strategies and technologies that can benefit the board

Embrace equity, striving to be inclusive in your decision-making processes and ensuring that all voices are heard and represented

Lead by example, modeling ethical behavior, professionalism and dedication.

 Embrace transparency and open communication in your role as a board member. This effort, in particular, can be supported by technology, as discovered by the 

, where “transparency initiatives — which include sharing agendas and meeting minutes from the district's public transparency site across social media and providing meeting notifications — have not only enhanced transparency, but also actively engaged the community.”

Remember that children are watching you. Exhibit the behavior you want others in the systems to also exhibit.

How board management software can help you shine

It may sound like a lot, because the importance of the role can create a lot of pressure for board members, but there are ways to 

. A high-quality board management solution can support you and your board in all of the above efforts.

Consider these features Diligent Community offers and how they can help your performance as a public board member:

A searchable, accessible document library creates a useful, single location for organizational materials including a place for policies that is easily accessible by you and your community for transparency.

Automated notifications for meeting materials help all team members stay on top of tasks

Sticky notes, highlighting, touchscreen/stylus support and more make interacting with documents easy for meeting prep

Live digital voting elevates decision-making

Multi-device support allows board members to work on the go

Granular permissions allow for private committee work and protect sensitive data

Being a star public education board member takes effort, but the right technology solution can support you and your team as you shine for your schools. 

 is designed to help every public school board member bring their all to the role.

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7 strong civic engagement examples for municipalities to follow

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