diff --git a/components/EngagementForm.tsx b/components/EngagementForm.tsx
index 89a461a..ed2e538 100644
--- a/components/EngagementForm.tsx
+++ b/components/EngagementForm.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ function sectionForField(
   return undefined;
 }
 import { evaluate } from "@/lib/conditional";
+import { STAGE_OPTION_GROUP_ID } from "@/config/form";
 import { StageSection } from "./StageSection";
 import { loadDraft, saveDraft, clearDraft } from "@/lib/draft";
 
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ export function EngagementForm({ config, cid, cs }: EngagementFormProps) {
     <form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit, onInvalid)} className="space-y-5" noValidate>
       <SubmissionContextHeader
         orgName={load.data.orgName}
-        currentStage={load.data.currentStage}
+        currentStageLabel={resolveStageLabel(load.data.currentStage, load.data.options)}
         currentRank={currentRank}
       />
 
@@ -339,11 +340,11 @@ export function EngagementForm({ config, cid, cs }: EngagementFormProps) {
 
 function SubmissionContextHeader({
   orgName,
-  currentStage,
+  currentStageLabel,
   currentRank,
 }: {
   orgName: string;
-  currentStage: string;
+  currentStageLabel: string;
   currentRank: number;
 }) {
   return (
@@ -352,17 +353,34 @@ function SubmissionContextHeader({
       <h1 className="mt-1 font-display text-3xl font-medium leading-tight tracking-tight text-ink sm:text-[34px]">
         {orgName}
       </h1>
-      <div className="mt-3 flex items-center gap-3">
+      <div className="mt-4 flex items-center gap-3">
         <StageProgress currentRank={currentRank} />
-        <span className="text-sm text-ink-soft">
-          <span className="text-ink-mute">Stage</span>{" "}
-          <span className="font-medium text-leaf-800">{currentStage || "—"}</span>
+        <span className="text-[10px] uppercase tracking-[0.16em] font-medium text-ink-mute">
+          Current stage
         </span>
       </div>
+      <p className="mt-1.5 font-display text-xl sm:text-2xl font-medium leading-tight tracking-tight text-leaf-800">
+        {currentStageLabel || "—"}
+      </p>
     </header>
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Resolve a Stage option-value (e.g. "Organizing") to its Civi option label
+ * (e.g. "Stage 1 — Convene & Prepare"). Falls back to the raw value if the
+ * option group hasn't loaded or the value isn't in the group.
+ */
+function resolveStageLabel(
+  value: string,
+  options: Record<number, { value: string; label: string }[]> | undefined,
+): string {
+  if (!value) return "";
+  const group = options?.[STAGE_OPTION_GROUP_ID];
+  if (!group) return value;
+  return group.find((o) => o.value === value)?.label ?? value;
+}
+
 /**
  * Six small dots representing the six stages, with the current rank filled
  * and earlier ranks marked as visited. Quietly conveys progression without
diff --git a/config/form.ts b/config/form.ts
index 791e757..103d6b7 100644
--- a/config/form.ts
+++ b/config/form.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ const visibleAtOrAfter = (...stages: string[]): VisibilityRule => ({
   values: stages,
 });
 
+/**
+ * Option group ID for the `Stage` option group on `client.crm.fci.coop`.
+ * Used to resolve the current stage value (e.g. "Organizing") to its Civi
+ * label (e.g. "Stage 1 — Convene & Prepare") for display.
+ */
+export const STAGE_OPTION_GROUP_ID = 75;
+
 // CiviCRM custom group machine names per the APIv4 inventory.
 const G0 = "Check_in_data__organizing_";
 const G1 = "Stage_1";
@@ -50,10 +57,18 @@ const stage0: StageSectionConfig = {
   intro:
     "Core check-in fields. These are visible at every stage and capture the data we follow over time across the lifecycle of the co-op.",
   fields: [
-    // `current_stage` is still tracked in form state (it gates every Stage
-    // 1–5 visibleWhen rule and feeds the journey rail), but it is no longer
-    // rendered as an in-card field — the SubmissionContextHeader displays
-    // the activity-derived Stage value as readonly above the cards.
+    // current_stage is a UI-only readonly field. Its value is the Civi
+    // option *value* (e.g. "Organizing") sourced by /api/data from the
+    // most recent stage-bearing Check-in (organizing) activity. Setting
+    // `optionGroupId` makes the readonly renderer resolve the value to
+    // its Civi option *label* (e.g. "Stage 1 — Convene & Prepare") for
+    // display. The form never writes Stage back to the activity.
+    {
+      name: "current_stage",
+      label: "Current stage",
+      type: "readonly",
+      optionGroupId: STAGE_OPTION_GROUP_ID,
+    },
     {
       name: "Peer_Group_Participation",
       label: "Peer Group Participation",