Read our press release: Arizonans appear to have stronger connection to civic language than peers nationally (October 2024)
Read our latest report: Civic Language Perceptions Project: An Arizona Snapshot (October 2024)
Introduction
The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation and the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) came together in 2021 to create the Arizona Civic Life Partnership.
The two organizations are working together to activate the Civic Health Progress Meters through the Arizona Civic Health Steering Committee and by:
- Bringing together partner organizations from throughout the state in data-driven dialogue about civic life today in Arizona;
- Generating public discussion about the critical importance of civic participation and connected communities to effective civic leadership—and our broader prosperity and quality of life;
- Identifying opportunities for action that will ensure more Arizonans are engaged in creating solutions for their communities and stepping forward to become leaders for our state.
Using Data to Strengthen Civic Health
Civic participation and connected communities make up what we call civic health: how our communities come together to solve public problems. Civic health is the prerequisite for effective, responsive civic leadership.
The Civic Health Progress Meters define, track, and measure Arizona’s progress on civic participation and connected communities, and offer the opportunity to frame conversations and prompt action by individuals and organizations throughout our state.
Activating the Civic Health Progress Meters is one strategy the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership employs to strengthen civic leadership, alongside the Flinn-Brown Fellowship and civic-engagement programs such as CivEx, or Arizona Civic Exchange.
National Metrics, Activated in Arizona
The Civic Health Progress Meters are part of the Arizona Progress Meters launched by CFA. These dynamic tools respond to The Arizona We Want—a shared vision of success that expresses Arizonans’ highest hopes and aspirations for the future.
The Civic Health Progress Meters in particular draw on data from the Congressionally-chartered National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) to provide a close look at the civic life of Arizonans by age, education, income, ethnicity, gender, and urbanicity.