<aside> ℹ️ This is a brief overview of Civics Unplugged and its theory of change 🚀. A theory of change describes how a nonprofit organization connects its activities to create a pathway towards the goals and outcomes associated with its mission.

→ Click here to jump to the downloadable summary graphic. → To see the latest about what's new at CU, click here. → If you have any questions or would like to support our work, please email [email protected].

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OVERVIEW

**Civics Unplugged is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise founded in 2019 that empowers leaders of Gen Z with the training, funding, and network they need to become civic innovators that build a brighter future for humanity.**

We do this by running a world-class leadership program for high schoolers seeking to become civic innovators, supporting them after they graduate the program, and producing media that inspires and amplifies civic innovation work. Learn more about our target demographic here.

<aside> 📖 We define "civic innovation" as that which improves how society works in new and forward-thinking ways and a "civic innovator" as someone who does civic innovation work.

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Our secret sauce (differentiator) is our commitment and ability to build the lasting ecosystem of empowerment needed to develop young civic innovators. Building this ecosystem is extremely challenging, because it requires a team that is intergenerational, experienced in civic innovation, and well-connected to civic innovators globally that want to provide the training, funding, and other opportunities that young people need to grow into civic innovators over many years. Click here to learn more.

We are focused on addressing the civic innovators crisis: the glaring gap in civic innovation talent around the world, which sits at the root of just about every societal issue we’re facing today.

Humanity can't address crippling polarization, climate change, criminal justice reform, or any other wicked societal problem unless we greatly increase the number of civic innovators in the U.S. and around the world.

VISION

Our ultimate social goal is a future where:

• Communities everywhere have capable civic innovators who use their skills to address existing and emerging impediments to human flourishing
• Virtually any young person, anywhere in the world can access education that helps them develop civic innovation skills, pursue careers in civic innovation, and create initiatives that further human flourishing.

By 2030, CU will have:

• Empowered 10,000 Gen Zers (who were high schoolers when they were in our programs) to gain a much clearer sense of how they can become civic innovators, develop friendships and professional relationships related to their civic aspirations, and understand civic innovation pathways that relate to democracy, climate, web3, and more.
• Invested at least $10 million directly into projects led by the young people who went through the Civics Unplugged program
• Inspired 1 million Gen Zers to pursue a career in civic innovation, through content, community, and projects

By 2040, at least 1,000 alumni of our programs will be leading civic innovators (e.g. CEOs, politicians, diplomats, inventors, scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, educators).

THEORY OF CHANGE

How will we achieve this vision of a future full of civic innovators?