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Training the next generation of community engineers.

IncludUs Institute is the training arm of the IncludUs ecosystem. We train volunteers, organizers, civic staff, and community leaders in Community Engineering™ — the four-layer framework for building inclusive civic, economic, wellbeing, and climate systems from within.

Our Focus Areas 

  • Certificate in Community Engineering & Systemic Change

    • A seven-course training that equips leaders to analyze, design, and evaluate systems change strategies.
      Modules include: Research + Policy, Strategic Prioritization, Human-Centered Design, Storytelling, and Evaluation.

  • Leadership Development

    • ​Short, cohort-based workshops applying Community Engineering™ in real-world civic, community, and organizational contexts. Designed for volunteers, civic staff, organizers, nonprofit leaders, and local government teams who want practical tools, not just theory.

  • Fellowships & Cohorts

    • Year-long experiences pairing emerging community engineers with mentors and place-based projects — developing the next generation of civic infrastructure builders across civic power, economic development, wellbeing, and climate resilience.

  • Custom Training & Partnerships

    • The Institute partners with local governments, foundations, corporations, and universities to co-develop Community Engineering™ training programs — building internal capacity to design and sustain inclusive systems without ongoing external support.

  • ​Digital Platform — Coming 2026
    IncludUs Institute is developing a digital learning platform to make Community Engineering™ training accessible nationally — for organizers, civic staff, and community leaders who want to build inclusive systems in their own cities. Interested in supporting the build? Contact us.

Community Engineering Training

Every Institute program is built on the Community Engineering™ framework — the same four-layer methodology deployed by IncludUs Labs in cities across the country.

Participants learn to:
1. Diagnose — map civic, economic, wellbeing, and climate infrastructure gaps using the Community Engineering™ framework
2. Design — co-create solutions grounded in community wisdom and lived experience
3. Build — implement governance, infrastructure, and participation systems from within
4. Measure — use the Community Engineering™ Maturity Model to track progress and drive continuous improvement
5. Sustain — adapt the program or implementation based on outcome learnings

6. Lead — with the cultural competency and civic relationships that make change stick

Programs range from short cohort workshops to a full Certificate in Community Engineering — with a digital platform in development to scale training nationally.

Trainings Topics

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  • Elect.org Leadership Cohort – Training young adults to run for office and lead policy change.

  • Community Healing Workshops – Embedding wellness practices into leadership and workplace culture.

  • Inclusive Team Dynamics: Enhancing collaboration and trust through inclusion-driven practices.

  • Navigating Implicit Bias: Tools to identify and mitigate unconscious biases.

  • Inclusion in Decision-Making: Embedding inclusion principles into everyday decisions.

  • Building Psychological Safety: Creating environments where teams feel safe to innovate.

  • Leadership for Business and Employee Resource Groups: Strengthening ERG leaders to drive meaningful change.

  • Advancing Cultural Competency: Understanding and navigating cultural dynamics in the workplace.

  • Thriving in the Era of Digital Transformation: Rapid digital shifts can pose challenges for organizations adapting to new technologies. Our guidance helps you embrace innovation, optimize digital strategies, and manage change effectively, ensuring you stay competitive in the digital age.

  • Building Stronger Community Engagement and Partnerships: How to foster meaningful partnerships, whether you're a corporation, government body, or non-profit, driving positive change and stronger relationships. 

  • Harnessing Data for Informed Decision-Making Data: Our team guides you in how to make data-driven decisions, from measurement frameworks to insightful analysis, ensuring your organization's success.

Build the Pipeline for Inclusive Cities

We partner with foundations, local governments, corporations, and universities to build the trained community engineering capacity that cities need — creating a sustainable pipeline of civic infrastructure builders in every region we work.


Partnership Opportunities include:

  • • Sponsoring Community Engineering™ fellowships and cohorts
    • Co-developing city-specific or sector-specific training tracks
    • Funding the digital platform that will scale training nationally
    • Hosting Institute training sessions in your city or region

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