The League and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading are excited to announce this year’s AAC finalists. These finalists are being recognized for improving the prospects for early school success and equitable learning recovery, including for children whose families are served by the nation's public housing agencies and affordable housing organizations. Finalist communities, representing 15 states, range in size from 4,500 residents to over 3.9 million.

Boulder Colorado understands all too well how important community healing can be in the face of tragedy. Over the past two years, the city experienced a variety of challenges, ranging from a mass shooting to wildfires to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cumulative trauma of these events has had a marked impact on the community. Boulder is no stranger to trauma, but this community has an incredible level of resilience, and has learned together how strong it can be. Read more.

“As long as you care about whatever you are passionate about, the Bezos Scholar Program also cares about it too. And it wants to help you express your ideas and to actually help you make change in your community.” These words, from a 2019 Bezos Scholar from New Orleans, LA, reflect the mission of the Bezos Scholars Program and its commitment to empowering young people to become effective advocates for change in their community. Read more.

National Civic Review Spring Edition

In celebration of Older Americans Month in May, The National Resource Center for Engaging Older Adults developed resources that can help you implement social engagement programs. This publication features 11 successful social engagement programs from the Innovations Hub that employ a variety of social engagement interventions and tap into an array of partners to reach consumers in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Read more.

Communities succeed when they leverage the power of civic engagement and take collaborative approaches to local challenges such as the lack of affordable housing. This issue of the NCR borrows some old ideas—organizing local civic leagues and publishing local monthly newsletters—and explores some newer ones— community-oriented real estate development and the use of public housing agencies to promote literacy. 'NCL22' to Read.

AARP released their 2022 Livability Index, scoring towns and cities based on the services and amenities that affect people’s lives the most as they age. The index measures communities across 7 categories, including engagement. Metrics used within the engagement category include Broadband cost and speed; opportunity for civic involvement; voting rate; social involvement; and cultural, arts & entertainment institutions. Read more.