New Report Invites Ohioans to Reclaim Civic Traditions and Strengthen Community Life Through Everyday Acts of Joining
COLUMBUS, OH – July 30, 2025 - As America nears its 250th anniversary, Leadership Ohio has released Join In: Revitalizing Civic Life, a new report that calls on Ohioans to re-engage with one another and reimagine community life by renewing the simple, enduring act of joining together.
Drawing from Leadership Ohio’s 2024–2025 statewide Join In tour, which convened 550 residents from 42 Ohio counties, the report is an invitation to rebuild trust, strengthen democracy, and increase prosperity through the power of voluntary associations. Anchored by the documentary Join or Die, the tour and resulting publication spotlight everyday Ohioans reimagining civic life - from porches and parks to local businesses and boardrooms.
“As we look ahead to America’s 250th, Join In is both reflection and invitation,” said Lisa Duty, Ph.D., executive director of Leadership Ohio. “It honors Ohio’s civic inheritance and encourages each of us to carry it forward - strengthening Ohio one gathering, one neighbor, one small civic act at a time.”
Join In blends historical insight, modern day examples, and practical tools to help individuals and organizations take part in the everyday work of civic renewal.
The report is authored by Lisa Duty and historians Andrew Feight of Shawnee State University and Johann Neem of Western Washington University. Join In was made possible through the generous support of the America 250-Ohio Commission and the Ellis Family Fund.