This program is online. Register for zoom link!

Civic 101 is an interactive workshop series exploring how our government works and various ways to engage at different levels. You can attend any or all of the three events!

Local Government

Learn about the forms and functions of city and county councils, advisory boards, commissions, and committees. Walk away with several tools and ideas for local civic engagement.

*Simultaneous ASL and Spanish interpretation will be provided. Servicio de interpretación al español disponible*

Civic Engagement Program (CEP) | Mission

The Civic Engagement Program leads the Office of the Secretary of State’s effort to develop strategies and implement resources and programs that encourage disenfranchised, underserved, and marginalized communities’ participation in civic life throughout Washington.

Workshop facilitator | Michael Bowman

Michael Bowman came to the Office of the Secretary of State in April 2024 after spending the previous 15 years in higher education, with faculty appointments at The Evergreen State College in Olympia and Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Over that period, Michael taught undergraduate, teacher education, and doctoral courses in social foundations, social studies, histories of education, community and place-based education, participatory and historical research methods. Previously, Michael worked at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and in the Seattle Public Schools, where he first learned about the power of collaborative, place-based, and culturally-sustaining civic education alongside a diverse group of community mentors, families, teachers, and students. Michael loves the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest, especially when he is with his wife, Lai, and their 8-year-old daughter, Zola