In their book “Generations”, historians and co-authors Neil Howe and Robert Strauss chart America’s journey from its Puritan roots to the modern era and document four generational archetypes they say repeat themselves in cycles over the decades: Prophets, Nomads, Heroes and Artists. Today’s Millennial and Gen Z’ generations reflect the latter two in the cycle; the timeless archetypes of the Hero and the Artist, courage and creativity, just the characteristics we need to lead the transition to a sustainable future over the critical decades ahead.

The Civic Imagination Challenge offers a step on our journey forward. It features virtual conferences with Thought Leaders at the forefront of new directions who share their knowledge and highlight innovations and new practices shaping our pathway forward. They provide a vision of our emerging future and showcase how these directions hold the potential to mitigate climate impacts and regenerate our communities and our world.

How does the knowledge you gain from participation benefit you?

The Civic Imagination Challenge highlights innovations and solutions to challenges across the business, professional, social, and civic sectors featuring exciting new possibilities for careers, enterprises, and community services potential in this emergent future. What you learn can put you a step ahead on your journey forward.

Following are among the topics that will be featured: 

• The Food System, Regenerative & Urban Farming, New Food Choices 
• Public Health, Health Systems, Community & Personal Wellness
• Renewable Energy & Microgrids
• Regenerative Architecture, Retrofit & Passive Housing
• Electric Transportation & Charging Options
• Technology, Ethics & The Digital Infrastructure
• New Economy Models & Practices
• Manufacturing: New Approaches to Product Development 
• A New Corporate Social Responsibility
• Community Resilience & Economies
• Regeneration: The Path Forward

The Civic Imagination Challenge invites college students and young professionals to view the above conferences and choose one of two options as their method of participation:

• The Civic Imagination App
• A Short Form Essay

Participants are invited to highlight an innovation that captured their imagination and share with the public what they see as its potential benefit to individuals or our communities.  Their mini stories will be showcased across our American Imagination social media channels for public voting. Winning themes will win prizes and will be featured in a downloadable Commemorative Publication featured in the IMAGINE FORWARD CAMPAIGN. 

How does the knowledge you gain from participation strengthen civic purpose?

It will help you cultivate your leadership voice. 

By engaging the public in new possibilities through narratives that can inspire their forward focus and greater cooperation you help focus citizens forward. As young generations, you also have a special power in society.

Erik Erikson, a noted psychologist coined the term “generativity” for people approaching mid-life. It reflects a concern for the future and a need to nurture and contribute to the next generation. People who take on this responsibility are more likely to grow an interest in contributing to the world.

You can help stimulate this mid-life tendency toward contribution with narratives that invite citizens into a vision of new promise to be achieved with cooperative action.