Civic Leadership Academy

Applications for the fall 2026 class of the Civic Leadership Academy are now closed.

The Mayor's Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) is a free 10-week course for local residents to learn more about City government directly from leaders of City departments, authorities and bureaus.

CLA is an opportunity for residents to better understand how government operates and how to productively engage with the City of Pittsburgh. This allows participants to be ambassadors for their communities during and after the course and strengthen the relationship between city government and neighborhoods.

Each week, participants will engage in weekly presentations, discussions and site visits with city government leaders who are responsible for all areas of local government, such as:

Sessions will occur weekly on Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00pm, from September 16th through December 2nd, with no classes on October 21st and November 25th. The November 11th class has been rescheduled to Thursday, November 12th, in observance of Veterans Day.

* Applicants must be residents of the City of Pittsburgh. Alternatively, applicants are eligible if they operate a business, nonprofit, or do community impact work within city limits.

* The application includes five short-answer questions and two references.

* Applications are due by 11:59pm on Friday, August 21st.

* Please reach out to CLA@pittsburghpa.gov with any questions.