<aside> ℹ️ We get a lot of questions from folks along the lines of "why are the youth in your programs and community so enthusiastic about the work that you do?" We appreciate this question, because the answer isn't something you can easily glean from the outside. This document highlights the secret sauce to our youth empowerment system.

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Gen Zers who get involved with Civics Unplugged programs and the Civics Unplugged Community consistently report feeling increasingly confident in their ability to make a difference and accomplish their goals.

There are a lot of reasons for why Gen Zers feel increasingly empowered the more they get involved with Civics Unplugged.

We can **point to our community of incredible mentor-like figures, our amazing partners, our top-notch curriculum, our tech platforms, or our inspiring mission and vision. Indeed, all of these are components of the "system of empowerment" that we have built at Civics Unplugged.

But what is the one thing—the secret sauce—that makes our youth empowerment model revolutionary? Why are our youth so enthusiastic about what we do? What about how CU operates is worth studying?

We believe the secret sauce of our Civics Unplugged's youth empowerment system is our commitment to operationalizing our motto "The Kids Will Lead" in everything we do.

What does this look like in practice?

• The Builders are the chief architects of the future of CU, and that every CU team member—including the CEO—serves as an "administrative assistant" to those Builders.
• The CU team makes all major strategic decisions with the Civics Unplugged Steering Committee, comprised of five Builders elected by the other Builders.
• The Builders own the creation, maintenance, and evolution of the governance structure of the Civics Unplugged Community.
• The Builders are completely in charge of what new members get added to their community.
• The Builders decide which Builder-led civic projects get approved for micro-grants drawn straight from the Civics Unplugged bank account.
• The Builders spearhead the evolution of the Civics Unplugged brand.
• And so much more...

While there's so much more we could say about how we do things, you probably get the point.

If you represent an organization that wants to deepen its commitment to youth empowerment, don't hesitate to email our Steering Committee at [email protected]. Our Builders love helping organizations who are committed to genuinely empowering kids to lead!

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