Dr. Carrie Makarewicz presents Community Engagement study to City Council Budget & Policy Committee

Dr. Carrie Makarewicz recently presented the comprehensive City of Denver Community Engagement Study Report study to the Denver City Council Budget & Policy Committee on July 24, 2024, highlighting the impact of engagement initiatives on equity and inclusion. Commissioned by the Agency of Human Rights and Community Partnerships and the Mayor’s Office, the vision was to uncover opportunities for programmatic and structural improvements in community engagement practices. Dr. Makarewicz's findings sparked meaningful discussion among committee members, who are now considering how these insights can guide future budgetary and policy decisions to enhance community participation. As told by District 6 City Council Man Paul Kashman, “[the study conducted] by Dr. Carrie Makarewicz, a professor at University of Colorado at Denver, and a team of talented grad students, calls for creation of [an Office of Community Empowerment ] - along with a far more substantial infrastructure of support personnel – as a division of our existing Office of Human Rights and Community Partnerships.”

The City Council Meeting on July 24, 2024 can be viewed here.