Overview of CitySkills Program

CitySkills is an exciting new program designed as basic training in how to effectively work with government to address issues.

The four week long program, which has one class each week of two hours in length, was born from a collaboration between SVL (Leadership Sunnyvale’s parent organization) and the City of Sunnyvale. During the course of these four evenings, CitySkills gives an introduction to how city government works and offers participants an idea of the processes encountered when working with the city of Sunnyvale. The evening sessions are facilitated by SVL and City staff, and the entire program is offered for the low cost of $15.

CitySkills is meant to give people who may feel there is a lack of opportunity to communicate with the city's representatives a chance to learn how to participate in public hearings, ask questions and have a say in what will impact them in Sunnyvale's future. Many people do not know the basics of the functions and processes that make their city work. This program provides an overview.

Presentations include the City's budgetary process, addressing the Council, boards and commissions, and hot topics that are currently before the City.

The Spring program is held on Wednesday evenings, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., in April, and the Fall program is held on Thursdays evenings in October at the Sunnyvale Senior Center. Click here for the current class schedule.

If you have a candidate you would like to nominate for this program, please refer them to this website, or contact Jim Telfer, the SVL executive director, at (408) 716-1837 or email to . An application for this program will be made available for downloading from this website shortly.

CitySkills provides an introductory element to both train participants as well as giving those participants an opportunity to assess if they would like to go on to the far more intensive and detailed Leadership Sunnyvale program.

CitySkills is apolitical, its purpose is to create an informed public that is better able to engage their elected leaders on topics that concern them from their own perspective.

Pilot CitySkills Class Photo

A Note about Funding

Through it’s community outreach programs, the City of Sunnyvale provides staff support for CitySkills. While there is adequate funding through Silicon Valley Leadership (SVL) to begin the program, interested parties wishing to help sponsor the program are invited to contact the SVL executive director, Jim Telfer, at or call him at (408) 716-1837.