Richardson opens applications for 2026 CARES civic education series

Richardson opened applications Monday for its 2026 Citizens Academy and Resource Education Series, better known as Richardson CARES, giving adults 18 and older a direct route into how City Hall handles public safety, utilities, parks and administration. The free eight-week program is designed as a practical civic education series, with residents meeting city staff, visiting facilities and learning how municipal decisions are made in Richardson, Texas.

The application window runs through Friday, July 31. City officials say the class will be capped at 25 participants, and the selection process is intended to bring in diverse perspectives from people with a strong interest in municipal government. That mix matters in a city where residents regularly weigh in on services, safety, mobility, budgeting and development.

The 2026 class will meet from Sept. 3 through Oct. 22, every Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. A reception and graduation ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 26. The timing puts the series squarely in the fall civic calendar, giving participants several weeks to follow the same departments and issues that shape day-to-day life across Collin County’s eastern edge.

Richardson has used CARES as a recurring way to introduce residents to the structure and function of city government. The city has described the program as a chance to gain a better understanding of how the city works and to learn ways to become an active participant in civic life. Earlier application notices also told applicants they would be notified after the application period closed.

The most recent class, identified by the city as the seventh Richardson CARES group, had 26 members and was recognized at a City Council work session on Oct. 31, 2025. That class completed eight weekly sessions at a variety of city venues, underscoring how the program moves beyond a single presentation and into the offices, operations and systems residents usually only encounter from the outside.

For newcomers, neighborhood advocates and parents trying to follow city services more closely, CARES offers a structured look at who handles what, where decisions happen and how Richardson’s departments connect to the people who live there.