CivicLex Updates - October 2025
Summer was full of energy at CivicLex -- and Fall is shaping up to be just as exciting! From mini-grants and park openings to workshops and conferences, we’ve been everywhere helping to strengthen civic health in Lexington. In this update, you’ll see how our team is bringing local civics into classrooms, sparking new neighborhood connections, and piloting bold ways for residents to shape community decisions.
Helping our community understand & get involved in local issues
Kicking off the 25/26 School Year
As the school year starts up again, so does the core programming of our civic education work! Stephanie has been busy teaching workshops to students on local government and budgeting, hosting our first Civic Expos of the year, talking to middle schoolers about the Kentucky Civic Seal, facilitating a field trip to the Government Center for Henry Clay students, and was even honored as a Golden Apple Nominee at the Fayette Education Foundation's State of the Schools Breakfast.
And there's more!
Haley published with the American Press Institute on engaging students in civics.
Anabel Peterman, our Urban-Rural Reporting Fellow with NextCity, published her first pieces on food markets and Black farms in Kentucky.
Stephanie joined a state standards advisory panel and trained teachers on the Kentucky Civic Seal.
Adrian and Haley were on a panel at the Kentucky American Planning Association conference about making dense information accessible.
Megan hosted workshops and registered voters at the Lexington Public Library.
Richard, Noel, and Haley connected with peers at the LION Publishers Summit (Richard even hosted two panels!).
Helping our community connect with their neighbors
We selected six community projects for our first round of Neighborhood Connections Mini-grants!
From neighborhood block parties to local newsletters, we're excited to see how these projects support neighbors connecting with each other. Here’s what's being funded through this pilot project:
Two Block Parties in Joyland and on Rand Avenue will connect newer and longtime residents. First African Baptist Church will revive a popular community gathering in the West End.
Three Newsletters will connect neighbors and share information about local events in Pralltown, Blackford Oaks, and Bell Court.
We’re hoping to learn from these projects and grow this program in the future.
Catch us at community events!
Save the Date for our screening of Join or Die -- a film about why you should join a club! Join us on November 6th at the Kentucky Theatre at 7pm. Get tickets here.
We attended the Phoenix Park opening in September. This one is special for us, as it was the first public space project that we helped gather community input for. We're so happy with how many community priorities made it in -- from the self-cleaning bathroom to the performance stage and playground.
We've also been at a few fun events to connect with our community like the Casa de la Cultura Viva Mexico Festival and UK Fusion!
Helping our community have a say in decision making
We hosted a successful trial run for next Spring's Civic Assembly
This past summer, we teamed up with folks from across the Lexington to run a Trial Civic Assembly. People from all walks of life showed up for two Saturdays to test out the process with us in preparation for the the full Civic Assembly coming next Spring.
We learned so much about what kind of space feels welcoming, how people best connect with each other, and what makes these conversations really work. We're excited to try out this new process to bring community members into local decision making!
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I left feeling hopeful. It reminded me that people can actually work together.”
And other things we've been up to!
We're working with the Division of Planning, MKSK, and EHI to talk to residents, businesses, students, and visitors about what you want to see in downtown Lexington. Come to the public workshop on October 8th!
A new Council Subcommittee on Boards & Commissions was created, based on our research evaluating Lexington's Boards & Commissions.
News features
CivicLex was featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy as showing the way to spark a new civic life
The Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights our unique and fun ways we help people get involved in local decision making, like the Urban Growth Fest we hosted last year! This piece emphasizes the importance of strengthening civic health in our communities, and we're grateful to be included alongside organizations we admire and know well: Front Porch Forum, The Village Square, and City Bureau.
CivicLex was also featured in a new report from Press Forward called This is local news now.
