Pittsboro, NC – The Town of Pittsboro is proud to announce the next offering of our Citizen’s Academy, known as “PBO-101.” PBO-101 is a five-week course designed to offer participants an educational and interactive learning experience on the inner workings of town government. Our flagship civic engagement program, PBO-101, has produced dozens of alumni who have a greater understanding of how town government works through hands-on sessions, deep discussion, and frank conversations with senior town staff.
The curriculum will cover current town programs, services, and procedures and offer an in-depth look at several Town departments, including Administration/Finance, Police, Development Services, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Communications, and the Governing Board. To ensure that participants have the chance to discuss and communicate with Town staff and leaders and participate in the practical exercises, the class size is limited to 20 participants.
For the Spring 2026 daytime offering, senior town staff will lead each session at the Town Offices at Main Street Station (287 East Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312) from 2 pm to 4:30 pm. The traditional evening session will be offered later this fall.
Requirements to Participate
- Participants must be 18 years of age, or older, on or before the first day of classes.
- Participants must complete the written application/registration form and submit the completed document to the Town.
- Participants must sign a waiver of liability on or before the first day of class.
Registration Priorities
Approval for applicants to participate in the PBO-101 course is prioritized based on the following priority schedule:
- Residents and Business Owners within the Town’s Corporate Limits.
- Residents and Business Owners outside of the Town’s Corporate Limits BUT within the Town’s Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ).
- Residents and Business Owners outside of the Town’s Corporate Limits and ETJ, BUT within Chatham County.
- All other participants.
Graduation Requirements
To successfully complete the program and receive a graduation certificate, participants must attend and participate in 4 out of 5 classes, as well as the graduation ceremony which will be held at the May 11, 2026, Board of Commissioners meeting. The Board meeting will start at 6 pm at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center (1192 US Hwy 64 West Business, Pittsboro, NC 27312). If participants miss one or more courses, preventing them from reaching the graduation requirements, they will be allowed to make up the courses in future offerings (if there is available room).
Schedule1,2
All PBO-101 classes will take place on Tuesdays, with exceptions made only if the class date falls on a holiday, due to inclement weather, or due to other scheduling conflicts. The Spring 2026 schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, April 14th, 2026 (2:00-4:30 PM)
- Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 (2:00-4:30 PM)
- Tuesday, April 28th, 2026 (2:00-4:30 PM)
- Tuesday, May 5th, 2026 (2:00-4:30 PM)
- Monday, May 11th, 2026* (BOC Meeting at 6:00 PM)
- Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 (2:00-4:30 PM)
To register, please visit HERE. Registration will close at 5 pm on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Please note that registration is “first-come, first-served” based on the registration priority schedule above, so register soon if you are interested. Upon completing the registration form, Town Staff will reach out to you at the email address provided with additional materials and information. Once this additional information has been reviewed and the forms have been completed and returned to Town staff, you will be formally registered for the academy.