The State of the City address is a critical civic moment that outlines Houston’s direction, fosters transparency, and encourages collaboration across sectors. It's an opportunity for residents and organizations to hear directly from their mayor and align around the city’s goals. Events like this promote civic accountability and foster engagement in public life.

This event is part of the planning phase for redeveloping Irvinton Village under the <strong>HUD Choice Neighborhoods initiative</strong>. The planning team—led by the Houston Housing Authority, in partnership with the City of Houston, LISC Houston, Avenue CDC, LRK—wants to hear directly from community members about priorities for housing, neighborhood needs, and opportunity.</p>

No decisions have been made yet—your voice will help shape the direction of the plan.

Why It Matters for Change Lab Audiences

• Emotional & relational learning: Supports caregivers—parents, grandparents, teachers—in naming and navigating emotions with young children during transitional moments.

• Applied civic culture: Rooted in emotions as play, this approach models inclusive, relationship-centered civic learning beginning in early childhood settings.

• Intergenerational civic resilience: Equips adults with communication tools that foster belonging, empathy, and cross-generational understanding.

The arts are more than enrichment—they are vital tools for emotional resilience, trauma recovery, and collective healing. This national day of recognition helps institutionalize the power of creative expression in public health systems, especially for marginalized and underserved communities.

We live in a moment of growing mistrust, misinformation, and misunderstanding. Yet, More in Common's data shows that the majority of Americans actually want to connect across divides—they just don't know how. This session reveals how shared values, dignity, and common goals can help restore trust in our communities and democracy.

From policy to placemaking, visual tools help people of all backgrounds make sense of complexity and co-create solutions. THINK VISUAL creates an accessible space to learn and practice human-centered techniques that honor community voices and advance shared goals.

Civic healing starts with personal and collective wellness. By examining how trauma intersects with culture, race, and systemic injustice, this event invites civic actors to understand trauma not just as a clinical issue, but as a community concern—and to move toward healing-centered, culturally grounded solutions.

Why It Matters

In a time of collective uncertainty, fostering personal and community resilience is vital to well-being and civic health. This session supports mental wellness, adaptive thinking, and community empowerment—key components of a thriving, connected society.

In an era of media saturation and growing political distrust, Braver Angels invites you to a Fishbowl-style conversation exploring how we make sense of the truth. This dynamic and respectful dialogue offers an opportunity for people from across the political spectrum to wrestle with questions like:

• Why is trust in the media breaking down?

• What roles do traditional and alternative media play in shaping opinion?

• How can citizens find truth and resist manipulation?

Participants will rotate into an inner “fishbowl” circle to share insights, while others actively listen and learn.

This is a space for curiosity, not combat.

Rock the Block is a perfect example of community-rooted action that reflects Change Lab values of belonging, mutual aid, and public celebration of civic life. This event helps fulfill goals across several Change Lab pathways—such as Attend a Civic Meetup, Volunteer with a Cause, and Share Your Story—and demonstrates how faith-based institutions can anchor civic connection and neighborhood resilience.