City Colleges of Chicago Partners with The Citizen Service to Provide Training in Leadership and No-Blame Problem Solving

“The goal is for students and community members to put the training to work for a better Chicago.”

CHICAGO – (August 25, 2026) – City Colleges of Chicago and The Citizen Service today announced a partnership to offer its students, staff and the broader community the opportunity to be trained in no-blame, pragmatic problem-solving skills and to put that training to work in bettering Chicago.

Comprised of online videos, downloadable notes and an accompanying Citizen Power manual, the citizen power training is centered on a 10-step problem solving method developed by successful practitioners and offers accessible opportunities to put this knowledge to work in citizen leadership roles that do not require running for public office.

Insights into the “power centers” of local government and how to identify and advance policies that will benefit the entire community are also provided. People who complete the training receive a college certificate in “Leadership and No-Blame Problem Solving.”

The training is available online for anyone interested, and initial outreach will focus on the following core audiences: (1) college freshman (2) college employees (3) college student leaders (4) community-based youth organizations (5) community high schools, and (6) community organizations.  All Chicagoans can access the training at this course link: https://courses.thecitizenscampaign.org/?tenant=CCC

“This partnership underscores our commitment to civic engagement that serves the people of Chicago and their communities” said Maggie West, district director of Civic Programs at City Colleges of Chicago. “Partnering with The Citizen Service to provide training in leadership and no-blame problem solving empowers our students, staff and other interested Chicago residents to be effective, active leaders contributing to the betterment of their neighborhoods, the city as a whole, and our country.”

“We are excited to partner with City Colleges of Chicago as they join more than 30 pioneering colleges around the nation in providing students, staff and the community at large with the tools and training to be effective participants in their city’s civic life, said Rashawn Davis, executive director of The Citizen Service. “This effort is designed to produce a new generation of citizen leaders committed to strengthening their communities.”

About City Colleges of Chicago

City Colleges of Chicago prepares more than 73,000 students annually with a quality, affordable education leading to transfer, careers, and a path to upward mobility. City Colleges encompasses seven colleges: Richard J. Daley College, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, Olive-Harvey College, Harry S Truman College, Wilbur Wright College and Harold Washington College, five satellite sites: Kennedy-King College’s Dawson Technical Institute, Olive-Harvey South Chicago Campus, Daley’s Arturo Velasquez Institute, Wright College Humboldt Park Campus, and the Malcolm X College West Campus, along with the award-winning Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute, Sikia Restaurant, Child Development Centers (LAB schools), and radio station WKKC–FM 89.3.  For more iformation about City Colleges of Chicago or to register, call (773) COLLEGE, visit https://www.ccc.edu/ or find us on Facebook (City Colleges of Chicago) or Instagram (citycollegeschicago).

About The Citizen Service

For almost three decades, The Citizen Service has trained thousands of people to become effective problem solvers in their communities. Its No-Blame, Pragmatic Problem-Solving methodology teaches people to identify specific community challenges, research practical solutions that have worked elsewhere, adapt them for local adoption, and work with their representatives to implement the solutions without partisan finger-pointing.  This training can be made available to any interested community college, as well as directly accessed by all Americans at http://www.thecitizenservice.org.

Contacts: Samantha Castro, samantha@thecitizenservice.org, The Citizen Service

Rob Horowitz, rhorowitz99@yahoo.com, The Citizen Service

Maggie West, mwest28@ccc.edu, City Colleges of Chicago