Good Governance: How Local Government Works

Good Governance: How Local Government Works

Background image: collage of city hall buildings

Program Concept

Do you want to help students shape their own communities?

An important first step is understanding how local government functions. This is complicated, as California decision-making is shared among a mix of state-level offices, counties, cities, and special districts. Good Governance: How Local Government Works will introduce educators to multiple kinds of California governance, with a special focus on cities and counties. Alongside this exploration, participants will learn about examples of successful policies and practices in California and in other parts of the world. The emphasis will be on deepening knowledge of civic participation and broadening participants’ conceptions of the positive impacts good governance can have on people’s lives. 

The program will be built around four core questions:

  • How does local government work?
  • What are the unique powers and limitations of California local governments, as compared to local governments elsewhere in the world?
  • In what ways can local government respond to global issues?
  •  What tools and practices can engaged Californians learn from active citizens in other places?

Good Governance: How Local Government Works is a working group for k-12 educators who are interested in a comparative and interactive study of California local government systems.

Program Details

Schedule + Format

Participants in this program commit to attend six 2.5-hour, in-person meetings at UC Berkeley.  Hybrid attendance options may be available in very limited circumstances.

Meeting dates are tentatively set for the following weekends, with exact hours TBD in consultation with participants. Participants should plan to attend all sessions:

  • November 7/8, 2026
  • January 23/24, 2027
  • February 20/21, 2027
  • March 20/21, 2027
  • April 17/18, 2027
  • May 8/9, 2027

Participant Eligibility

This program is open to k-12 teachers, TOSAs, and curriculum specialists who work in public or private schools in California. Teachers beyond commuting distance are welcome, but please note that meetings will be held in-person and travel funds are not available through the program.

Participant Responsibilities

  • Complete preparatory reading/listening/viewing prior to each session. This work will take approximately 30 - 60 minutes per session.
  • Attend (parts of) 2 - 3 local government meetings between November and May.
  • Attend and actively participate in all program sessions
  • Author one section of a collaborative handbook for educators, providing tips and steps for engaging with local government. 
  • Complete a post-program survey.

Stipend

Each teacher-participant will receive a stipend of $840 upon completion of the program.

Application

Project Funding

Infrastructure: California and the World is made possible by support from the California Global Education Project, which is part of California’s State Subject Matter Project. Additional support comes from UC Berkeley's Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) and the area studies centers and institutes at UC Berkeley. 

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