Success Stories

Civic reflection has been used by groups all across the country. Here are some of their stories.

Grantmakers enhance their common work through reflection.

A regional association of grantmakers has incorporated civic reflection into its meetings since 2004, when one of their members asked the Project on Civic Reflection to introduce them to the practice at a luncheon.

An organizer of the civic reflection series commented that the facilitation workshop "really enhanced and built our capacity to run the programs." She was impressed by the enthusiasm and thoughtfulness of participating members: "The willingness of our members to think about the ideas presented in these sessions and the intellectual curiosity they brought to the questions that were posed to them proved crucial to the program's success." She credited the Project's readings as well, describing each text as "another participant around the table… vital in giving shape, life, and form to the conversation."

In evaluating the series, members who took part in the program described civic reflection as both a luxury and a necessity. Stepping back to take a broader view of their day-to-day work felt like an extravagance, yet doing so allowed them to perform that work more responsibly. In the words of one participant, "The act of reflecting in and with a community of peers is one of the most important acts that grantmakers can take to inform our work and worth, and yet it is the one responsibility that we fall short on many times."

A school community reflects in times of change.

The staff of a small public school was engaged in a multi-year turn-around program. Much of their work revolved around project management and goal setting, and much of it was driven by consultants and experts from the educational and business community.

The district educational officer, who was overseeing the turn-around effort, identified the need to engage the team on another level: a level that would allow the people involved to address their values and their experiences in broader terms.

In concert with a facilitator from the Project on Civic Reflection, they opened a retreat with a discussion on a short poem, which they read on the spot. Their conversation allowed the whole community to address issues related to the changes they were experiencing in a way that highlighted the varying experiences and priorities of different parts of the community. By reflecting on a the short reading, they could see their own issues more clearly as well as seeing each other's issues.

The team has asked the Project to help them develop a deeper partnership, so that they can continue to make civic reflection part of their program.

Volunteers find community and insight.

A group of volunteers who serve as mentors to high school students, helping them to envision and plan for the future, met for a series of civic reflection discussions to explore the meanings, motivations, goals and responsibilities of their service.

The team leader, who served as facilitator, took special satisfaction in drawing both older and younger volunteers to the series. These groups typically bring different kinds of experiences and expectations to their volunteer service. "There was tension at times between the two age groups, but older members are now more involved and engaged with younger members than in the past." The series took place over nearly a year and, according to the facilitator, "Discussions have deepened as we've gone along. One thing I really like is seeing how people's perspectives change over time."

She notes that some participants who initially resisted taking time for reflection gradually came to see its value. "One member recently said to me, 'Nowhere in our contract does it say, you have to think about your actions, but civic reflection gives us a space to do that.'" Civic reflection will continue to be incorporated into the group's meetings in the coming year.