Civic Engagement

Local, State, and National Groups or Organizations

Find groups -- local, state, national -- that organize around your interests or whose work you support. For example,

• local groups that focus on issues such as the environment, immigration, housing, small businesses, etc.
• statewide professional or political organizations
• national or international organizations or coalitions

Join meetings, read websites or other publications, see where they stand on issues or if they are organizing protests, rallies, letter-writing or phone campaigns, etc. See if there are local chapter meetings or other ways to be involved with the group's work.

Follow social media accounts of organizations you support, sign up for newsletters, read their websites and publications, and keep up with their legislative work and activism.

Local Government Meetings

According to the Attorney General's office, "The Ralph M. Brown Act is a 'public access law' that ensures the public’s right to attend the meetings of public agencies, facilitates public participation in all phases of local government decision-making, and curbs misuse of the democratic process by secret legislation. Under the Act, all meetings of local legislative bodies are open and public, and all persons are permitted to attend the meetings." In some instances, there will be closed sessions.

A few local links are provided below, but you can search for your city, county, or school district.

• Attend school board meetings of your local district or community college board
  • San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees
  • San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education
  • Colton Joint Unified School District Board of Education
• Attend city council meetings
  • San Bernardino City Council
  • Colton City Council
• Attend county board of supervisors meetings
  • San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors