The James B. McClatchy Foundation envisions communities across the Central Valley thriving in all facets of civic life — from organizing their churches and neighborhoods — to showing up at city council or school board meetings, to creating more local news outlets to uplift voices in the home language of residents.

It is with the First Amendment freedoms of speech, and expression, and a free press, the LIFT Initiative strives to support and activate civic engagement in the Central Valley through examples such as:

• Local Journalism and Community Media: Local news, a core tenet of our democracy, is declining. Can we preserve and innovate newsrooms in the Central Valley and support new media outlets forming in response to local news deserts? How can we lift up community voices and intentionally create a diverse pipeline of journalists and stories?
• Media Literacy and Civic Education: Informed and engaged communities are necessary for equitable civic engagement. Are students and families familiar with their rights as residents? How can we support local communities to exercise their First Amendment freedoms?
• Civic Leadership: Representation matters where decisions are made. With existing efforts to build leaders that represent Central Valley communities, what does it look like to create more pathways for young leaders, parents, and community members to be part of decision-making and local issues that impact their lives?