Colorado Attorney General’s Office and Colorado State University Extension’s Family Leadership Training Institute partner to increase civic engagement in the state
Colorado Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General
José Esquibel
Director of Office of Community Engagement
Jose.Esquibel@coag.gov
Patti Schmitt
Director of the Family Leadership Training Institute at CSU Extension
970.402.4319
Patti.schmitt@colostate.edu
As Coloradans ask how they can make a difference in 2019, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and Colorado State University Extension are excited to announce a two-year, $200,000 agreement to support the work of the Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) of Colorado to increase civic engagement during 2019 and 2020. Funds will allow robust technical assistance to 18 cohorts currently active in Colorado, and recruitment and onboarding of additional sites.
Nonpartisan civics education program around the state
FLTI is a first-of-its-kind civics education program that has been serving the state of Colorado for 10 years. Managed by CSU Extension, FLTI delivers a nonpartisan curriculum that brings together diverse family and community members to explore their personal leadership goals and equip them with the vital knowledge and civic engagement skills required to create positive change for their families and communities.
During the 20-week training, leaders acquire the tools necessary to engage in civic actions addressing critical health, social, and economic inequities affecting their schools, neighborhoods, and communities. Leaders learn about the tenets of democracy and explore effective methods to co-create strategies to tackle significant community issues.
FLTI intentionally recruits diverse, underrepresented, and marginalized perspectives and seeks to reduce barriers to participation by offering the program at no cost to participants, often also providing evening meals and child care. A variety of statewide partners sponsor FLTI programming locally across the state, and more than 1,300 adults and youth have been graduated from the institute since 2009.
Fostering partnerships to inform, engage, and inspire
This partnership with FLTI of Colorado furthers the mission of the Office of Community Engagement in the Attorney General’s Office by promoting the value of civic engagement and its importance to a healthy state and local government for Colorado residents.
“I have spent nearly all of my career in public service, and I know firsthand how important it is for our state to have informed citizens actively participating in their communities and in government,” said Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman. “FLTI empowers Coloradans to engage effectively on a variety of critically important issues, and their graduates make a tangible, positive difference in our state. I am proud that my office will be able to help support this work.”
FLTI curriculum used around the state is one of the most effective platforms supporting the Attorney General’s Office work to inspire individual and collective actions that prevent fraud, crime, and abuse of community members.
Opportunities to work together
Colorado State University has a long-standing tradition of inspiring and supporting the growth of civil society. CSU’s Office of Engagement’s mission is to connect communities around shared solutions through education, research, and leadership. Vice President for Engagement Louis Swanson leads this commitment by providing leadership for the Family Leadership Training Institute of Colorado as director of CSU Extension, with the support of the entire University.
“We are enormously proud to partner with the Colorado Attorney General to support families and communities across Colorado,” said CSU President Tony Frank. “This program is part of CSU Extension’s strong commitment to connect faculty innovation, strategies, and resources with Colorado communities that are working to address complex social, health, and safety issues.”
Investing together, the Office of the Attorney General and Colorado State University provide a platform for government and diverse communities to work collaboratively and help communities thrive, supporting the co-creation of solutions for some of Colorado’s most pressing issues.
More information
Family Leadership Training Institute of Colorado: www.fltiofcolorado.colostate.edu
Colorado Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Community Engagement: https://coag.gov/OCE