Common Ground.
Common Good.
The Citizens League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers people to engage in civic life and public policy to make Minnesota a better place to live and work for everyone.
Recent News
Capitol Pathways Student Spotlight: Hunter Santos
Hunter is a fourth year at the University of St. Thomas majoring in Social Work graduating in May 2021. She was placed with host organization Great Plains Institute for her Capitol Pathways internship during the 2021 legislative session.
Capitol Pathways Student Spotlight: Jessie Luévano
Our Q&A with Capitol Pathways intern Jessie, a junior studying political science and global studies, with a minor in history, at Hamline University.
Video: Minnesota’s Workforce — Help Wanted, Everywhere
Video: Our second INTERCONNECTED Conversation focused on workforce in urban & rural areas. Listen to the panel conversation now.
Support our Capitol Pathways internship program today
#SpringForwardMN: We are asking you to give a gift today and invest in the future of college students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in our Capitol Pathways program.
EDTalks: Education and Access: Generational Poverty and Technology
Tuesday, May 4 at 7pm: Join us for two important EDTalks on the intersections of education, generational poverty and technology with Chastity Lord and Ini Augustine.
Capitol Pathways Student Spotlight: Alijhen Rosado
To learn more about our Capitol Pathways students’ experiences this year, we asked a few interns from the cohort a few questions in our Student Spotlight. This time, we highlight Alijhen Rosado.
Current Work
Minnesota Legislative Exchange
The Minnesota Legislative Exchange is a first-in-the-nation effort to build trust and bipartisan relationships in state legislatures. As Minnesota’s leading nonpartisan nonprofit focused on civic engagement and public policy solutions, Citizens League is proud to lead this important effort, intentionally forging new relationships to bridge divides and govern our state effectively.
Capitol Pathways
With the long-term goal of making our government truly representative of our communities, the program opens access to the Minnesota Capitol to the next generation of leaders of color. Through this program, interns build relationships with established Capitol leaders, gain exposure to various kinds of careers in policy, get real-world experience in career fields they would like to learn more about and build a strong professional resume in the process.
Strengthening Public Service
Citizens League is embarking on a new project to dig deeper and explore the unique challenges and barriers to public service, with a particular emphasis on non-elected roles and people who make our state’s local governments work.
Events
Through our engagement with communities in Minnesota, we strive to help people understand that public policy happens everywhere, and everyone has a role in decision-making.
Our events are organized around these goals, inviting a panel of different viewpoints to discuss policy issues that affect Minnesotans. We cover such topics as mental health, aging, disruptive protests, and water quality. Those in attendance can expect ample opportunity to voice their perspectives, questions, and ideas as well.