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Shoreline celebrates 10 years of CityWise civic education, staff propose expansion and access improvements
Summary
City staff and alumni reviewed CityWise’s decade of cohorts, reported participant outcomes and participation challenges, and discussed possible expansions (hybrid delivery, childcare support, multilingual outreach and youth programming). Council signaled support and asked staff to return with preliminary findings later this year.
City staff and alumni marked 10 years of the CityWise civic education program at the Shoreline City Council meeting on May 18, reviewing the program’s format, outcomes and next steps for broader community outreach.
Bethany Wahlberg Dunn, Community Services Manager, and Mallory Van Ababa (community opportunities coordinator) summarized CityWise’s history (launched in 2017), the program format (nine weekly sessions, interactive presentations, speaker panels and a closing reflection), and participant feedback. Staff said cohorts peaked in 2025 with 28 participants, and the program currently caps at 40 for manageability.
Staff flagged barriers to participation, including childcare and scheduling, and proposed options such as hybrid delivery, bite‑sized programming, a youth‑focused iteration with the Shoreline School District, and reviving a prior Community Bridge pilot for multilingual civic education. Bethany said staff were exploring childcare supports and alternative formats to reduce barriers.
Alumni who testified during the public comment period praised the program for demystifying local government and fostering civic engagement. Council members praised the program and offered suggestions: Council member Scully recommended keeping hybrid options, Deputy Mayor Povey asked about tracking alumni engagement after the program, and Council member Adamasu emphasized cost and liability issues for potential childcare services.
Staff said preliminary findings and additional developer/stakeholder engagement will return in the fall, with a final feasibility report planned by year‑end. The council welcomed the report and signaled support for continued investment in CityWise.
