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1's Greeley Blog

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By Juan A. Guzman for Greeley Central High School

What is Civic Action?

Civic Action or more commonly referred to as Civic Engagement,in a broad definition, are actions a member of the community takes to address issues within their community or for the betterment of said community. The most common example of Civic Engagement is volunteering for community service.

Why is Civic Action important?

  • Helps resolve issues within a community.
  • Increases awareness of local events.
  • It is critical for a functioning democracy.

Why I chose to research Civic Action (In Greeley,Colorado):

Civic Action is the main way we interact not only within our local communities, but with the government too. When we feel that change is necessary, we rally with others for a cause, when we want to be represented in the government, we go out to vote, and when we feel that there’s a problem in our community,the community takes matters into their own hands to fix it. All of these are examples of civic action, and without it, we would be subjects to an unchanging, and deaf government that is unable to mend the wounds of its people, nor hear its pleas. Whenever change is necessary within a society, it is up to the people to stand up for the change they want to see. This is why I support Civic Action, because it makes the needs of the people visible, not only this, when a conservation group cleans up a city, they’ve made progress to fix the problem on their own, without government involvement. This is why Civic Action is so important, it not only makes an issue visible, it also aids in solving the problem.

Who is Affected?

In a broader sense, everyone in a democracy is affected by civic action as it is the driving force for change within a community. For Greeley, all of its inhabitants are affected, as the decisions the local government, and community take impact the everyday lives of the Greeley residents.

Who Supports Civic Action?

  • Voters
  • Activists
  • Volunteers

In their owns ways, all of these people practice Civic Action, and in doing so, help better their communities and government.

Who opposes Civic Action?

  • Political figures that use polarization to win over/ radicalize voters.
  • Pro-Partisan/extreme ideology/hate groups.

These actors either directly benefit from extinguishing Civic Action efforts, or by restricting who can participate in government.

Why I support Civic Action (And you should too):

Civic Action is one of the pillars of a functioning democracy, it is necessary not only to address problems, but also to decide the structure and policies that the government must focus on. It is not only a right, but also a responsibility,that every member of a democracy must fulfill, so that they may be represented, not only in government, but in their own community as well. Because a democracy cannot be sustained without the continued involvement of the people.

What Core Value connects Civic Action?

Civic Action is mainly based on the value of “Representative Government”, wherein the government represents the wishes of the populace, and the populace holds the reins over government.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.“-United States Constitution, preamble.

$Ls /Files/Stuff I did;
April 13th 2026 “Human Relations Commission Meeting”
  • It was an online meeting that took place via Zoom call.
  • It was mainly about figuring out what actions the Human Relations Commission should take.
  • One of the Committee members announced their resignation.
  • I’m the user whose camera is turned off (because my computer lacks one)
April 14th 2026 “City Council Work Session”
  • The City Council discussed a policy shift when it came to how to penalize non-compliance with city ordinance.
  • There was an overview on Greeley’s tourism, one of the council members had a keen interest on quantifying how much value Greeley’s tourism efforts had generated.
  • I took this piece of paper from the table by the City Chambers entrance.
April 15th 2026 “Water and Sewage Board Meeting”

  • After considerable discussion, the Water and Sewage Board voted in favor of declaring an Adequate Water Year for the city of Greeley.
  • They also discussed what actions to take with Greeley Mall’s code non-compliance.
  • The Terry Ranch water supply project was also mentioned.
  • I was handed the report before the Meeting started.
April 15th 2026 “State of the City at UNC”

  • The mayor gave an introductory speech and presented the guests to the audience.
  • The Police Chief reported a drastic decrease in crime.
  • The Head of the Greeley Fire Department announced the acquisition of new vehicles.
  • There was an orchestra after the event.
  • I took a pin from the event home.
  • I took a selfie with one of the guys at the Water & Sewage Board (who I met a few hours before the event at the Water & Sewage Board Meeting).
  • I ate 2 of the mini-hamburgers.
  • And also 5-6 cupcakes.
May 5th 2026 “Followed 3 elected officials”

  • Followed:
  • Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York
  • Elizabeth May , Parliament of Canada, Green Part Canada
  • Timothy Barnes. Councilor for the Audit Committee,Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA),Downtown Development Authority, Northwest Mayors & Commissioners Coalition, for the city of Lafayette, Colorado. Also member of the Green Party US
  • What did I learn?
  • It is harder for smaller political groups to be elected.
  • Mayor Mamdani has faced strong push back from more conservative fractions of the New York populace.
  • Countries tend to have a green party.
May 5th 2026 “Followed 5 political/nonprofit/advocacy groups”

  • Followed:
  • Sierra Club/ Conservation Group
  • The Green Party US/ Political Party
  • Just Stop Oil/ British Conservation group
  • PEN America/ Advocates for freedom expression
  • Interfaith Alliance/ Advocates for religious freedom/ Against Theocracies.
  • What did I learn?
  • Conservation groups tend to also be left leaning.
  • Alabama has passed a law to display the ten commandments at K12 schools.
  • Dr. Butch Ware was forced of the Ballot for California Governor, but will still run as a write-in candidate.
May 5th 2026 “Created an informative social media post”

Source: http://www.pewresearch.org/politics/202…

— Jgameo777 (@jgameo777.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T00:12:27.956Z
  • I chose to post about how the voter turnout for the 2024 presidential election was 64%
  • The memes were intended to make the post more eye-catching.
  • I tried to make the post as brief as possible to account for short attention spans.
  • I added a graphic that was simple to follow.

What Obstacles did I face?

I am happy to announce that the only real obstacle I faced was finding where the City meetings agenda was posted, but once I found it, it was smooth sailing from there.

What surprised me the most?

Our local Greeley council members are very friendly, it was not intimidating at all, the information is presented in a very easy to digest way, which makes the meeting very informative.

I was also surprised by how vacant the Council Chambers were, despite the population of Greeley surpassing 100k, there were only one or two members of the public who attended the meetings.

What did I learn about myself and the community?

I learned that I care a lot about the environment and the protection of natural resources. I also learned that Greeley has a very conservative water policy, and that they care deeply about protecting water and ensuring its availability for future generations.

What will I continue from this project?

  • If it is financially possible for me, I will continue posting news on this blog.
  • I will attend City meetings whenever possible.
  • Advocate for conservation efforts.

How has this experience changed my understanding of my role in a democratic society?

It has showed me that participating in a democracy doesn’t just mean voting, it also means advocating for the change that you want to see. I’ve also realized that Civic Action is slowly dwindling, and that people are not participating in their community nor government, despite the bar for Civic Action being so low it’s practically digging a hole.

$Cat Files/Sources.txt ;

Civic Engagement is for Everyone, The Colorado Health Foundation, Blog, September 23rd 2025, https://coloradohealth.org/news/blog/civic-engagement-everyone

What is Civic Engagement?, Augusta University, AU Online, accessed on May 4th 2026, https://www.augusta.edu/online/blog/what-is-civic-engagement

Civic Engagement, Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, Resources, Accessed on May 4th 2026,https://gcdd.arkansas.gov/resources/civic-engagement/

Civic Engagement , The University of Iowa, Student Engagement Opportunities, Accessed on May 4th 2026, https://engage.uiowa.edu/browse-experiences/civic-engagement

Civic Engagement: A Vital Sign of Health and Democracy,Philip M. Alberti, Carla S. Alvarado, Heather H. Pierce, AAMC Center for Health Justice, September 26th 2022, https://www.aamchealthjustice.org/news/polling/civic-engagement

What is a Democracy?, Georgetown University, Democracy and Governance, Accessed on May 4th 2026, https://government.georgetown.edu/news/democracy-governance/what-is-democracy/

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