What We Do
We link relief, learning, and participation. Each part supports the other.
How It’s Supposed to Work runs programs that link basic relief to practical civic knowledge and usable tools. We address immediate needs, explain how public systems function, and give people straightforward ways to navigate decisions and processes. Each initiative fits into the path from short-term stability to long-term civic capacity.
Starting Points
Relief programs that fill immediate gaps in food, childcare, and basic costs.
Programs:
Feed to Learn Pop-Up
From Gap to Growth Grants
How It Works
A clear, accessible toolbox that explains how public systems function and how narratives shape what people believe about them.
Resources:
How Systems Work — Basics and deeper explainers on housing, transit, budgeting, schools, healthcare, and other public systems.
Words Matter — Plain-language definitions for the civic, policy, and political terms that drive debates.
Facts & Frames — Side-by-side comparisons showing shared facts and how different worldviews interpret them.
Voices in Practice
Tools that help people participate—contacting officials, giving comment, and understanding local processes.
Tool: