Social connectedness. Confidence in institutions. Community engagement. Political involvement. These are key civic muscles for every American, but if we don’t use them we lose them. It’s why Civic Nebraska’s Civic Health Programs connect, train, and support people across the state to strengthen democracy. In 2022, Civic Nebraska collaborated with thousands of fellow Nebraskans, face-to-face and virtually, to nurture the will and ability within communities to tackle mutual problems.

That meant redoubling our pursuit of dialogue across political divides. In March, we teamed up with Unify America to host the first-in-the-nation statewide Unify Challenge, where hundreds of Nebraskans of varying backgrounds and ZIP codes took part in one-on-one video conversations about issues facing the state. Throughout the year, we also mobilized Nebraskans at screenings of PURPLE, a short film about Americans with opposing viewpoints who investigate their differences. And we gathered regularly for Civic Saturdays – joyful, communal spaces for friends and strangers to come together and reflect on pathways to powerful, active citizenship.

In the capital city, our Collective Impact Lincoln partnership completed a successful year of supporting Lincoln’s core neighborhoods. In addition to connecting and rallying neighbors on hyperlocal matters, Collective Impact Lincoln also led testimony at monthly “housing rights nights” at the local City Council. And in May, it published the Equitable Development Scorecard, a tool for communities and planners to evaluate publicly subsidized housing developments in terms of equity and affordability.

We dotted the state map in 2022, sharing civic health workshops, training, and resources in communities of all sizes. Civic Nebraska facilitated community meetings, surveys, and the development of a community action plan in Big Springs (pop. 400), leading to new and young leaders emerging, a new community foundation fund board, and support for community resources like a new daycare and an improved online community hub.

Civic health is civic power. It grows with shared responsibility and ownership – a fearless truth that has stood the test of time. By empowering Nebraskans at the most local level, Civic Nebraska helps each community power up its own civic life by addressing its own unique challenges and opportunities.