New Course: How The Somerville Government Works
Taught by yours truly.
Curious about how the city really runs? Want to get things done in Somerville, or understand why they haven’t happened yet? I’m teaching a four-week crash course on the nuts and bolts of the Somerville city government.
You’ll go from a curious citizen to someone with real fluency in how the city operates. By the end, you’ll be in the ~85th percentile of local government knowledge and be much more effective at accomplishing your political or civic goals.
📚 Course Details
Instructor: Me, Ben Orenstein
Dates: 4 weeks, 7/1–7/22
Time: Tuesdays, 7–9pm, plus a City Council meeting on 7/24 (possibly canceled due to their summer recess).
Location: Maxwell’s Green, Somerville
Class Size: Up to 15.
Cost: $50
Application: Apply Now
Questions? Email me: ben@benorenstein.com
🧠 Topics Covered
We’ll dig into how local laws are passed, the powers of the City Council and Mayor, how zoning works, our housing emergency, and much more. We’ll also attend a City Council meeting together to witness government in action (hopefully–the meeting I’d hoped we’d attend may be canceled due to the Council going on summer recess).
For more likely topics, see the draft curriculum →
✍️ How to Apply
Applications are open now! The deadline to apply is June 23rd.
🌱 Part of Fractal University Boston
This class is part of Fractal University Boston, a summer experiment where friends and I are each teaching small, high-quality courses on things we care deeply about (like Chakra-Inspired Yoga, Vibe-Coding for Non-Technical Folks, and Pencil Portraiture).
Check out the full list of courses here: