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 alum is named a 2019 Truman Scholar
Our sincere congratulations to Raie Gessesse, Capitol Pathways 2018 alumna, for being named a 2019 Truman Scholar!
Wells Fargo Stories highlights Citizens League’s Capitol Pathways
We are proud to see that Capitol Pathways was recently featured in Wells Fargo Stories, the online journal of longtime Citizens League corporate member Wells Fargo! The piece highlights current interns, who speak about their experiences in policy before and after acceptance into our internship program.
Capitol Pathways Student Spotlight: An Garagiola-Bernier
“For me, this picture represents the great advances Indigenous Women are making into the political sphere, and the recognition of the value of our voices in crafting policy that will impact many generations to come.”
Capitol Pathways Student Spotlight: Maddie Schumacher
Our #CapitolPathways internship program has crossed the halfway point! 34 college students of color are working with their individual host organizations for 10+ hours a week in a paid internship, which provides them access to legislators, lobbyists, and...
“Every big social change is powered by people.”
We were pleased to welcome Bush Foundation President Jennifer Ford Reedy to speak to our board a month ago to give a version of a talk she gave to bushCON 2018 on how big social change happens.
#CapitolPathways: Students gather for meeting & social
A few times throughout our Capitol Pathways internship program, which takes place each year during the state's legislative session, we bring the whole cohort together to connect with one another, share their internship experiences thus far, and participate...
Current Work
Interconnected: Rural-Urban Conversations
This conversation series – hosted by the Center for Rural Policy and Development and the Citizens League – bridges the divide between urban & rural Minnesota by exploring our shared challenges and how to design a future that works for our unique communities. All discussions are recorded and can be listened to and viewed online.
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
The Citizens League hosts forums for civil discussion across Minnesota. Our event series includes events that are open to the public, member-only and workplace events to help inform and engage Minnesotans on important policy and civic leadership discussions.