Community engagement: What can we learn from the USA?

How do communities create sustainable solutions to their own social issues? And what is the role of local government in bringing together these communities under a shared agenda for change?

Senior Advisor to the US-based Collective Impact Forum and co-Chair of Barack Obama’s Civic Engagement Group – Paul Schmitz – has been at the forefront of civic engagement in the US, advising local government authorities on how to involve communities and citizen leaders in solving community problems.

One of these initiatives includes the United Way of Greater Milwaukee, where issues like family violence, teen pregnancy, youth crime and homelessness required a common agenda for reform across local government agencies, services, non-profits, local business and the community itself.

“To solve social problems in our communities, the solution must be to build stronger communities not just stronger programs and services,” says Paul Schmitz.

Paul Schmitz is coming to Australia in September for a series of 1-day Community Engagement Masterclasses, hosted by Collaboration for Impact.

For more information or to register for the ‘Communities Leading Change’ Masterclasses, visit: