Advancing Citizen Leadership with The Citizens Campaign

The School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers University–Newark and The Citizens Campaign established a partnership designed to train students and members of the community in no-blame, pragmatic problem-solving skills and provide opportunities for them to put their training to use as “citizen leaders” working to better their communities and our country.

The three core components of the partnership bring a greater understanding of “No-Blame Problem Solving” to citizen leaders and provide them with opportunities to put these skills to use:
 

• “Leadership and No-Blame Problem Solving” Certificate: Rutgers SPAA has partnered with the Citizens Campaign to offer a free non-credit certificate in “Leadership and No-Blame Problem-Solving” both within Rutgers and to the broader community. This virtual self-study training provides an opportunity to learn how to become an effective citizen leader and drive positive change in your community.
   
• “Leadership and No-Blame Problem Solving” Training Incorporated into Rutgers-Newark Courses: Dr. Diane Hill has incorporated the training in her “Building Bridges to the Community” course at SPAA. The curriculum introduces students to the power levers of local government, a proven “No-Blame Problem Solving” method developed by successful practitioners in local and state government, and accessible opportunities for students to put this knowledge to work as non-partisan Civic Trustees and in other leadership roles. Dr. Hill conducts one seminar each fall and spring semesters for faculty members interested in incorporating the training into their courses.
  
  “The class exposed me to the importance of effective community partnerships, focusing on community benefits and their relation to public service. It introduced me to a new aspect of being a public servant and caught my interest in citizen-focused government partnerships, which allow for greater public involvement and influence in government." - Zacharriyah Uddin, TA & SPAA MPA Student
   
• Hosting of the Newark Civic Trust: Rutgers SPAA serves as the host of the Newark Civic Trust, a group comprised of 18-24 community members (also called "Civic Trustees") who come together in monthly no-blame problem solving sessions and search the nation to identify successful solutions to better Newark. Civic Trustees help public officials by working within the principles of the No-Blame, Pragmatic Problem-Solving Process. They also act as agents of empowerment serving as guest lecturers at colleges, high schools, and civic-minded community-based organizations. Trustees commit to at least one year of service and pledge to work to “leave their city better than they found it.” They are currently addressing issues related to affordable housing, healthcare equity, and cardiac events in young athletes.
  
  In 2023, members of the Newark Civic Trust presented "Training Future Leaders: A Project-Based Approach at Rutgers-Newark" at the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Conference.