Join NCW Libraries and the Washington Secretary of State Office in November for an interactive virtual workshop series, Civics 101, to learn more about local, state, and federal government.
These workshops will cover topics like how bills become laws, how the different branches of government work and relate to each other, and how to participate in the political process.
Join us for one or all three of these workshops:
Civics 101: Federal Government| Monday, Nov. 10, 6-7:30 p.m.
With a focus on the three branches of the federal government, the U.S. Constitution, and legislative committees, this workshop explores the workings of the federal government
Civics 101: State Government| Monday, Nov. 17, 6-7:30 p.m.
With a focus on the three branches of state government, this workshop explores how a bill becomes a law in Washington and how the public can track and participate in the process.
Civics 101: Local Government| Monday, Nov. 24, 6-7:30 p.m.
Learn about the forms and functions of city and county councils, advisory boards, commissions, and committees. Walk away with several tools and ideas for local civic engagement.
All three workshops will be facilitated by Michael Bowman with the Office of the Secretary of State’s Civic Engagement Program. The Civic Engagement Program develops strategies, resources and programs that encourage disenfranchised, underserved, and marginalized communities’ participation in civic life throughout Washington.
Bowman came to the Office of the Secretary of State in 2024 after spending the previous 15 years in higher education at The Evergreen State College in Olympia and Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Over that period, Michael taught undergraduate, teacher education, and doctoral courses in social foundations, social studies, histories of education, community and place-based education, participatory and historical research methods. Previously, Michael worked at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and in the Seattle Public Schools, where he first learned about the power of collaborative, place-based, and culturally-sustaining civic education alongside a diverse group of community mentors, families, teachers, and students.
Our Collections team has curated a suggested reading list as a companion to the Civics 101 series.
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