Tuesday, Dec. 3, is Giving Tuesday, an annual push to drive donations to worthy causes that’s tied to the holiday shopping kickoff.

This year, you can support local journalism and help ensure better civic education. That’s because the Butler Eagle’s Civics and Civility Project is accepting donations through the Local Media Foundation.

The Civics and Civility Project was created in response to the increasingly polarized political atmosphere, exemplified by the July 13 assassination attempt at a campaign rally for now-President-elect Donald Trump.

But even before then, we heard from conversations with community members that a growing number of citizens were uncomfortable speaking up; others felt unsafe. The lack of knowledge about how government works also contributed to misunderstandings and misinformation.

If you believe that local journalism must play a greater role on the issue, please donate to Butler Eagle's Civics & Civility Project via Local Media Foundation. Contributions to this fund will help the Butler Eagle to host community conversations around our shared values; strengthen democracy by engaging the community with programming around how government works; and tell the stories of citizens from different walks of life.

Along the way, we'll connect with students, giving them a voice in the coverage and teaching them about the role of local journalism. We are proud to represent Butler County and hope to serve as an anchor for its continued growth, community spirit and history. Thank you for supporting our local journalism.

To donate, visit https://givebutter.com/butlereagle.

— JK