We the People National Issues Forum

Special Program Feature of the American Democracy Project

National Meeting

Orlando, Florida

By Cecilia M. Orphan, American Democracy Project, and John Dedrick, Kettering Foundation

I am pleased to announce that the Kettering Foundation will be hosting a National Issues Forums (NIF) at the ADP National Meeting in June. During the NIF, selected participants will have the opportunity to explore “We the People,” (WtheP) the new phase of the Civic Agency initiative. In We the People, we will experiment with ways universities might encourage their students and faculty members to partner with elected officials to solve public problems.

We consider NIF to be a signature practice in civic engagement because it encourages deliberation about pressing current events. These discussions often lead to coordinated public action that attempts to address some public problem. I am delighted that we are able to incorporate the NIF model into the ADP National Meeting and I hope many campuses in the ADP network will host their own National Issues Forums after participating in the one in June.

The Forum will take place  during the ADP National Meeting on Friday, June 3, 1:00-3:30 p.m., and Saturday, June 4, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Space is limited for the National Issues Forum. If you would like to participate, please email Cecilia M. Orphan.

Description

This two-part workshop will examine deliberation over shared concerns as integral to the public work of strengthening democracy.  Participants will experience a deliberative forum using National Issues Forums materials, learn skills relevant to convening and participating in deliberative forums, and participate in research leading to a new National Issues Forums guide on democracy that is being developed in collaboration with We the People for use on ADP campuses and educational and community groups around the country.  Experienced forum moderators will lead these highly interactive sessions.

Part I will begin with a deliberative forum using a current NIF guide on What Should Go on the Internet:  Privacy, Freedom and Security. Following the forum participants will explore key concepts such as: options, trade-offs, consequences, and choice work; and the workshop will raise questions related to convening and leading forums and how deliberative decision making can lead to action.

Part II introduces naming and framing issues for public deliberation.  The session will begin by “deconstructing” the issue guide used in yesterday’s forum to highlight critical issue framing principles.  Participants will then identify their concerns about the role of citizens in democracy—We the People—and they will develop a tentative framing for a new National Issues Forums guide.

Part II continues over lunch (provided for registered participants) with a discussion about identifying opportunities to organize forums on ADP campuses.

NIF Organizers

Cristina Alfaro, Professor, School of Education, San Diego State University and NIFI Board Member

John Dedrick, Vice President and Program Director, Kettering Foundation

Elizabeth Gish, Doctoral Candidate, Harvard School of Divinity

Scott London, Independent radio producer, Journalist, and Forum Convener

Bill Muse, President, National Issues Forums Institute

Gary Paul, Professor, Department of History and Political Science, Florida A&M and NIFI Board Member

National Issues Forums

National Issues Forums is a nonpartisan, nationwide network of education, civic, and faith-based groups that convene deliberative forums over issues of concern to local communities and the nation.  Forums have addressed issues ranging from The US Role in the World, to Internet Safety, to Immigration in America, and Democracy’s Challenge.  All forums are locally organized and sponsored.  The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, a nonprofit research foundation, provides research for NIF issue guides.

The Forum will take place on Friday, June 3, 1:00-3:30 p.m., and Saturday, June 4, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Space is limited for the National Issues Forum. If you would like to participate, please email Cecilia M. Orphan.

Assessing the Impacts of the ADP National Meeting

By Cecilia M. Orphan, American Democracy Project

We need your help.

Did you attend the ADP National Meeting in Providence, RI, in June 2010? If so, please take a moment to fill out this brief, online survey that will help us better understand the impacts of the conference.

Our goal is to assess the actual value of the conference to participants in a few key areas:

• We are interested in the immediate impact the event had while you were there. We want to know which one or two sessions/events provided you with some kind of information, or connections, that you felt were most important to your growth in supporting the ADP.
• We want to know what information and/or networks you have used after the conference was over that has/have helped you or improved your civic engagement work.
• We hope to capture the more complicated outcomes of your involvement and learn how you developed new approaches to civic engagement occurs.

Survey

This is a very short survey, I promise.  It will not take long to complete but your contribution to future American Democracy Project national conferences will be long-lasting. Click here to fill out this brief survey.

Robert Shumer, a Research Associate and Lecturer at the University of Minnesota, created the survey and will be analyzing the results of the survey. We will share the results and use your feedback for future programming.

Thank you in advance for considering this request.

Kids Talk Democracy Documentary

By Cecilia M. Orphan, National Manager, American Democracy Project

Kids Talk Democracy was an amazing project to work on which reminded me of how smart elementary school children are, and how cognizant they are of the intricacies of complex notions about democracy, freedom, and compromise. As educators, we often think that we are the ones teaching our students. This video shows that we also have a lot to learn from them as well. These children give me hope that we will have a brighter, more engaged future.

I hope this video will inspire ADP campuses around the country to work with their local K-12 schools to develop the civic skills of their students, as well as to listen to the voices of children, hear their hopes for the future, and hopefully become inspired. The short Kids Talk Democracy documentary is now available online. To view photos from the filming of Kids Talk, please visit the ADP Facebook page.

To view the video, please visit this website.

Call for Participation in the Civic Health Index

We are pleased to announce a new partnership with the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC). NCoC is looking to recruit AASCU campuses to participate in creating State Civic Health Indexes. An informational session will take place at the ADP National Meeting in Providence, RI, Saturday, June 19.

NCoC Partnership Opportunity America’s Civic Health Index is an annual report that measures the civic health of our nation, states, and communities while educating and motivating citizens, business and nonprofit leaders, and policymakers to strengthen it.

In 2009, NCoC produced state Civic Health Index reports in CA, FL, IL, MN, NH, and OH. As the Civic Health Index is increasingly a part of the dialogue around which policymakers, communities, and the media talk about civic life, expansion opportunities exist to help local communities assess their civic vitality and compare their data to other communities across the nation. We are seeking AASCU institutions to serve as local partners to cooperatively produce and release Civic Health Index reports in all 50 states by 2012.

Role for AASCU institutions: The role for partners is simple: NCoC manages the survey, working group, research, analysis, design and publication, while the local partner helps write the report (giving a local context to the key findings), assists with a local release event (including being the exclusive local spokesperson), and secures funds for the customized Civic Health Index report.

Please contact Cecilia M. Orphan if you would like to participate in this new ADP/NCoC initiative (orphanc@aascu.org). To learn more, please plan to attend the breakfast informational session at the ADP National Meeting, Saturday, June 19, at 7:30 a.m.

Don’t Forget to Sign Up for the Campus and Friends Showcase at the ADP National Meeting!

Would you like to promote your ADP campus activities? Here’s a great opportunity to share and celebrate your work and help others learn how to promote civic engagement on their campuses. For the sixth year in a row, we will feature the ever-popular Campus and Friends Showcase!  There is no cost.  Simply complete this very quick registration form no later than May 15th, 2010.

The Campus and Friends Showcase will take place on Friday, June 18th 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. We will be available to help you set up your materials beginning at 9:00 a.m. that day. The Showcase is designed as an exhibit hall, with tables available for presenters. Boxed lunches will be served in this room to guarantee high visibility. Last year, the Campus and Friends Showcases was one of the most popular parts of our program. People loved to see what other campuses have done with the American Democracy Project.  The Showcase also serves as an important networking opportunity for project participants.

Information about materials you should provide, the set-up, and the structure of the showcase are available upon request. Please contact Cecilia M. Orphan to learn more.

If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to register for the American Democracy Project National Meeting, June 17-19, 2010. To register for the meeting visit this website.