Real-time air quality for Houston's environmental justice communities. Current citywide AQI: 85 (Moderate) as of Feb 22, 2026. Sources: aqicn.org, TCEQ, Air Alliance Houston, NRDC.
Live bayou water levels from USGS stream gauges across Houston. Gage heights update every 15 minutes. Data is critical during heavy rain — know your nearest bayou.
Key indicators from the Kinder Institute 2025 State of Housing, 45th Houston Area Survey, Census ACS, and Good Reason Houston. Real data on affordability, climate risk, and economic mobility.
Democracy Forward
Why It Matters
As threats to voting rights, transparency, and accountability grow, Democracy Forward ensures that everyone’s voice is heard through the courts and the halls of power.
We Hold These Truths
At a time when democracy is under threat, We Hold These Truths seeks to build bridges and affirm the principles that bind us together. The campaign fosters civic pride and unity by promoting shared values and encouraging civic responsibility through actionable public commitments.
A New National Narrative
Without a shared story built on democratic ideals, public cohesion and collective action weaken. Amid rising polarization and authoritarian threats, a revitalized narrative rooted in civic values provides the social glue and moral framework to sustain democratic governance and shared purpose.
Agents of Change in Environmental Justice
Most environmental policies are shaped without the voices of communities most impacted. Agents of Change shifts that balance by empowering underrepresented scholars to lead in media, science, and policymaking—redefining power, participation, and truth in public health and environmental spaces.
Civics 101 – Civics for Life
Millions of Americans lack a working knowledge of how government functions or what their civic responsibilities entail. Civics 101 meets this challenge head-on with fast, foundational lessons that help people of all ages—from students to retirees—understand the systems that shape their daily lives. With trust in institutions declining and polarization rising, resources like Civics 101 play a vital role in rebuilding civic competence and confidence.
Bill of Rights Institute
As democratic norms and institutions face growing challenges, there is a clear need to strengthen civic literacy, especially among young people. The Bill of Rights Institute addresses this by fostering informed, thoughtful civic participation rooted in historical understanding and constitutional awareness.
You're More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen
This book is foundational for those who feel disconnected from traditional politics or unsure how to contribute. Liu demystifies power and provides a roadmap for civic agency—particularly valuable in the face of polarization, inequality, and distrust. It’s a call to move from cynicism to creativity, helping readers unlock their own potential to shape institutions, narratives, and outcomes.
Learn How Government Works — the Fun Way!
Schoolhouse Rock! is a beloved series of animated musical shorts that first aired on ABC in the 1970s. Designed to teach children important lessons in subjects like grammar, math, history, science, and civics, the series became a cultural touchstone for generations. Known for its catchy tunes and clever animation, Schoolhouse Rock! helped millions of viewers understand everything from how bills become laws to the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
In the realm of civic education, the series played a powerful role in making the foundations of American government more accessible and engaging — especially for young learners. Songs like “I’m Just a Bill,” “Three Ring Government,” and “Preamble” introduced key concepts such as legislation, separation of powers, and the U.S. Constitution in ways that stuck.
Still widely used in classrooms today, Schoolhouse Rock! remains a fun and informative entry point for building civic literacy, understanding how democracy works, and encouraging active participation in civic life.
The City We Make Together: City Design and Participatory Culture
This book reframes city-making as a collaborative cultural process—shaped by stories, rituals, and relationships, not just bricks and regulations. It offers a vocabulary and set of practices for embedding empathy, pluralism, and public imagination into civic infrastructure, directly aligning with The Change Lab’s mission of building social cohesion and systemic change from the ground up.
Narrative Initiative
Narrative Initiative strengthens the connective tissue between story, power, and systemic change. Their work supports movements in building shared narratives that counter disinformation, deepen civic belonging, and make progress toward equity and justice possible.
Results for America
Results for America helps governments at all levels—federal, state, and local—make better decisions and get better results by using evidence and data. Since 2012, they've been building a movement around the idea that public dollars should go to programs that are proven to work. Their team includes former policymakers, data scientists, and civic innovators who offer practical tools and training to embed outcomes-based thinking into government systems.