EngageDSM: Providing Pathways to Civic Knowledge, Engagement and Action

DES MOINES, IOWA - Friday, April 10, 2026 - Last night, 25 residents continued their journey or took their very first steps into civic engagement. EngageDSM will serve as a road map, helping residents understand how the City runs and allowing them to explore City facilities, better understand services the City provides, and learn about many ways to participate in their local government.

New this cohort, residents will get to hear from the Des Moines Metro Wastewater Reclamation Authority on how they operate and the services they provide. Additionally, members of Cohort 3 will be the first from this program to explore the new City Hall at T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building and the new Fire Station 4.

"As the City of Des Moines grows and develops new programs and ways of providing services, EngageDSM evolves to reflect those changes," Des Moines Community Impact & Relations Director Manisha Paudel said.
"We are beyond grateful to have so many Des Moines residents be interested in this program requiring us to close registration earlier than expected. We are excited to continue offering many cohorts for interested residents in the future."

Last night's session introduced the program and covered departments, including the City Manager's Office, City Clerk and Community Impact and Relations. Throughout the six weeks, Cohort 3 will learn about all 17 departments that support the city.

EngageDSM is designed to not only open resident's eyes to how the city operates and the services it provides, but also show residents how they can get involved, meaningfully engage and help shape their city.

"Towards the end of each of the past cohorts, we heard residents talk about how much they have learned and how much they want to get involved and make use of the services available," Paudel said.
"Then we see those residents at events, we see them at council meetings, we see them apply to boards, commissions and committees and we know they are more engaged in our city. The goal of the program is to strengthen our public participation by equipping our residents with information, and I can confidently say that we've been successful in achieving that goal already."

EngageDSM Cohort 3 will run through mid-May. For more information, visit DSM.city/EngageDSM

CONTACT
Zoe Sadauskis
Communications Specialist, City Manager's Office
(515) 205-3829
[email protected]

About the City of Des Moines
The City of Des Moines is Iowa's capital city and our 17 departments serve more than 214,000 residents and 46 neighborhood associations. Des Moines is a leader in sustainability and provides its residents with vibrant neighborhoods, an alive and active downtown, and abundant leisure opportunities.

Des Moines continuously improves neighborhoods, public safety and quality of life by offering exceptional city services and reliable infrastructure while fostering an involved and compassionate community for all who visit and live in Des Moines.