December Newsletter: Campaign Year in Review; America at 250; New Podcast Series

Dec 22

“As Rich Harwood reminds us in The New Civic Path, we don’t have to fight or flee. We can step forward—with shared principles—and shape the future with our community. Take the first step, and I’m positive you’ll want to take the next and the one after that.” - New Civic Path Book Circle Participant

THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE NEW CIVIC PATH: A YEAR IN REVIEW

Despite the myriad challenges that remain in our country, our Campaign for a New Civic Path is proving that Americans still believe we can be better and do better. This year, Rich and the Institute articulated the need for a new civic path and activated people around the country by:

Releasing Rich’s latest book, The New Civic Path: Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation. It debuted as an Amazon bestseller and has sparked Book Circles across the country.
Producing the original short documentary film Selma, Beacon of Hope, which has been viewed nearly 70,000 times since its release.
Embarking on multiple statewide and regional swings across Virginia, California, Florida, and the DMV, making the case for a new civic path in some of America’s most iconic communities.
Holding virtual and in-person events coast to coast to help people see the challenge we face is cultural, even human, rather than political.

At every step, this campaign has built momentum. Americans from all walks of life have joined us to satisfy their yearning to put this country on a better trajectory. So we’re going to keep going. And want you to come with us.

AMERICA AT 250: ON THE VERGE OF COMBUSTION?

The 250th anniversary of the founding of our country is upon us. While there’s much to celebrate in our history, this monumental anniversary comes at a time when Americans are increasingly consumed by troubling questions:

How can we work with others we disagree with?
Can this moment give rise to anything positive?
And how do we navigate the relentless negativity pouring in from the media, social media, and our toxic national politics without losing hope?

It feels like we’re on the verge of an American combustion. That implies the potential for destruction. But it can also be the very force that injects enough energy into a system to get things moving again. So many of our communities—and so many of us as individuals—desperately need the latter.

Join us on January 14 for a lunchtime chat to discuss how the new civic path can activate a positive combustion—in your work, your community, and the country. You’ll be inspired and equipped with practical ways to get started the very same day.

We’ll also use the space to announce the next phase of our campaign. Let’s go together!

HOW AMERICA’S ‘POOREST CITY’ SPARKED CIVIC AND EDUCATION TRANSFORMATION

The Harwood Institute teamed up with the Courageous Conversations About Our Schools podcast to produce a two-part podcast series about Reading, PA, titled “The Extraordinary Transformation of a City and Its Schools.”

Reading was once declared the poorest community in America. But leaders and community members there came together to catalyze systemic education change and transform their civic culture at the very height of the national culture wars by using the Harwood approach. Our series highlights eight leaders in Reading who played unique roles in catalyzing and supporting the community’s transformation.

The Reading story proves that, no matter where your community is starting, it’s possible to get on a new civic path and create transformational change today in America. Reading did it. Your community can do it too. Listen to the two-part series and consider its implications for you, your community, or your school community. Also be sure to subscribe to the Courageous Conversations About Our Schools podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen Now

THE PATTERSON FOUNDATION’S NEW CIVIC PATH BOOK CIRCLES ‘MOVE HOPE FORWARD’

“Hope is not passive. It is active, alive, and deeply rooted in our desire to care.” - Book Circle Participant

This year, our longstanding partner The Patterson Foundation (TPF) stepped forward to host New Civic Path Book Circles across their four-county region in Florida. The book circles were part of their ongoing mission to get people talking about their shared aspirations in ways that ultimately catalyze positive action.

Hundreds of community members stepped forward to participate in TPF’s book circles over the past few months. All kinds of ripple effects are now emerging from these circles as mindsets shift and new behaviors take hold as leaders and residents across the Suncoast get on a new civic path together.

For one theater stage manager, the book circles prompted her to more readily “notice the other” and “ask questions.” She even adopted a new identity marker. “I began to say I’m one of the Path People… people who show kindness, notice the other, ask questions, and listen.”

The staff at Dogs Inc., a nonprofit that trains and provides guide and service dogs at no cost to people in need of this vital form of companionship, named their group Paws of Hope. Reflecting on the experience and how The New Civic Path connects to their work, one participant said, “Again and again, we came back to this simple truth: action, even small and flawed, is what moves hope forward.”

UPDATES FROM THE STUDIO ON COMMUNITY

Harwood’s Studio on Community is our hub for innovation. This past semester, we were honored to have Karina Burck, currently in her final semester at The Ohio State University, serve as a Studio Associate. Karina reflected on what she learned at the Institute and how our work challenged her to view public life differently: “I had let my desire for change isolate me from the network of fellow visionaries – past, future, and present – that my spirit carries. My time at the Institute helped me reconnect.”

In addition, we are thrilled to have Shawn Reese join the Studio as our newest Associate. Shawn is a civic and public humanities leader with over 20 years of experience in government, nonprofits, and community-centered cultural work. In the Studio, Shawn will support efforts to deepen the Institute’s relationships with groups and organizations seeking to rebuild trust, restore belief, and cultivate the conditions for authentic hope and shared action in their communities.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Finding a New Civic Path in Challenging Times: A Safe Haven for Funders | January 22-23, 2026
The Second Annual Safe Haven for Funders will gather a select number of philanthropic leaders working in complex spaces and seeking to make a real difference in their communities and society for a unique event designed to leave you feeling refreshed, regrounded, and reenergized. Learn more about the Safe Haven.

Getting Started Public Innovators Virtual Lab |April 2026
You want to make community work for all of us. Our Getting Started Lab, a signature offering of The Harwood School, can teach you how. A result of nearly four decades of innovation and learning, this Lab offers the very best of the time-tested Harwood approach in an accessible, high-impact experience. This isn’t your typical approach. And it’s not your typical training. This Lab will catalyze you to develop the capacity and capabilities you and your team need to create real, lasting change. Learn more and register for our next Getting Started Lab in April.