When she was a girl, Victoria Farrar-Myers named her doll “And Justice For All.”
Looking back, the former Arlington City Council member sees the odd name as an early representation of her lifelong passion for civic engagement — a dedication she hopes to pass on through a new initiative called the Arlington Civic Engagement Institute.
Organized by Farrar-Myers and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the six-month course aims to train and equip individuals interested in entering local politics and leadership.
The institute will consist of six half-day sessions covering the different levels of civic engagement. Starting from a session titled “Knowing Your Community,” the course will progress through the hows and whys of seeking — and leading in — elected office.
People often ask Farrar-Myers, who sits on the chamber’s board, how to get started in local politics, she said. She crafted the institute to answer that and other questions.
About the institute:
- Selected participants will pay a $600 course fee to cover food and expenses
- Applicants must be a resident of the greater Arlington area, which includes Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens.
- Applications close June 23, 2024.
Farrar-Myers spent years studying and teaching political science before becoming involved in local politics. She said the experiences gave her deeper perspective on the theories and practicalities behind civic engagement.
“Local government is where the rubber meets the road,” Farrar-Myers said. “We tend to be amused, bemused, by national politics and international politics, but really the things that affect people’s quality of life is what happens in city hall and what happens in the school board meetings.”
The institute aligns with the chamber’s mission to “champion economic and community prosperity,” said Michael Jacobson, the chamber’s president and CEO. To achieve that mission, Jacobson said it’s necessary to have and cultivate strong civic leaders.
“We need to make sure we have a pipeline of strong leaders that are there, ready to step up, to serve on significant boards and commissions, and to run for City Council, to run for the school board,” he said.
For 41 years, the nonprofit Leadership Arlington has offered youth and adult courses on civic engagement and leadership opportunities that span an academic year. After participating in Leadership Arlington courses, Farrar-Myers served on the board for over a decade until 2018.
Leadership Arlington is a “great building block” and broad base for building city leaders, but the Arlington Civic Engagement Institute will be more for people wanting to focus on how to run for elections, Farrar-Myers said.
About 15 applicants will join the first class after a selection process featuring a panel review and interview, Farrar-Myers said. The panel is looking for civically engaged individuals who have shown passion about the community, economic growth and community prosperity.
“We’re not trying to convince people to be servant leaders. We’re trying to find servant leaders,” Jacobson said.
Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601. At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.