Civic Leadership Program

The AIANY Civic Leadership Program (CLP) develops a class of emerging architectural professionals into civic leaders by refining the critical skills that design professionals need to better represent the people that they serve. We do this by increasing architects’ connections to their communities, developing their advocacy capacities, and supporting their pursuit of public service in elected or appointed office.

Vision
The CLP develops a class of emerging architectural professionals into civic leaders by refining the critical skills necessary to better represent the people that design professionals serve. By increasing connections to their communities, developing their advocacy capacities, and supporting their pursuit of public service in elected or appointed office, the CLP develops the next generation of civically-minded design leaders. Each year, the CLP selects 10 emerging AIA members to participate in a six-month journey to improve their community outreach and public relations skills, strengthening the AIANY’s culture of advocacy by providing opportunities to interface with municipal agencies, community development organizations, and local stakeholders.

Structure
The six-month program runs June through December and will consist of five development sessions, two team-building sessions, and two public events, each of which contributes to building a framework for engagement. At the onset of the program, the 10 participants will be paired off to plan and host one of the monthly development sessions, where the cohort will learn about and discuss topics of interest with invited expert speakers. Each development session will include a supplemental training or information seminar led by the CLP advisors. Additionally, toward the end of the program, the cohort will organize two public events to engage with the profession and the general public.

The CLP encourages participants to find their own voice and choose topics to explore. Past topics have included public interest design, land use and public space, community engagement and relations, public development and infrastructure, sustainability and resiliency, funding and financial support, political obstacles and opportunities, and new business models. Participants will earn approximately 29 CEUs during the course of the program.

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