Department of Neighborhoods

Neighborhood Academy

Neighborhood Academy is an 8-week training course for emerging leaders committed to making a positive impact in their communities. Course topics include leadership development through civic engagement, volunteerism, and voter education; how city and county governments function and impact neighborhoods; and how to effectively navigate City services and local resources.

Course Structure
The Spring 2025 cohort will run March 19, 2025 – May 7, 2025. The sessions will be held on Wednesdays, 6-8:30 p.m., via Microsoft Teams and in person. The sessions will be presented by department staff with extensive experience in civic engagement and knowledge of Houston communities and will also feature subject experts with other City departments and partner organizations. Attendance is mandatory.

Course Schedule

Course Schedule: March 19, 2025 - May 7, 2025
Graduation: May 14, 2025

In-person classes: March 19, 2025 ... April 2 and 16, 2025 ... May 7, 2025
Online classes: March 26, 2025 ... April 9, 23, and 30, 2025
Online (non-mandatory but encouraged) March 27, 2025 ... April 10 and 24, 2025
In-person (non-mandatory, but encouraged) April 29, 2025

2025 Application

The application period for the Spring 2025 cohort will be January 13, 2025 – February 14, 2025. Please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for updates.

Important Guidelines for Completing Your Application:

• Applicants must be city of Houston residents.
• Answer each question in its entirety with complete sentences.
• Do not provide a business address or P.O. Box. You must provide your home address.
• We’re looking for leaders who want to use their voice to make a statement, not use ChatGPT to make it for them! We want to get to know you and which issues and topics are important to you and your community! The more an application shares your personal views, the challenges you’ve overcome and how you believe Neighborhood Academy will help you build on your accomplishments, the better your chance at admission.
• Applications that do not follow these guidelines will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

For more information, call 832.393.0887 or email neighborhoodacademy@houstontx.gov.