#ADP12: New NIF Forum, Shaping Our Future – How Should Higher Education Help Us Create the Society We Want?

 

The new Shaping Our Future: How Should Higher Education Help Us Create the Society We Want? (2012) issue guide is now on the National Issues Forums website, along with a moderator manual, a promotional flyer, and questionnaire. The site also has a short description of the dialogue approach, with the three options.

Shaping Our Future is a national dialogue organized by the American Commonwealth Partnership, in collaboration with the National Issues Forums.

The following are ACP and National Issues Forum-related sessions at next week’s American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment National Meeting in San Antonio:

Thursday, June 7 | 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Pre-Conference Workshop: American Commonwealth Project Open Forum (open to all)
The American Democracy Project and The Democracy Commitment are two key partners in the new American Commonwealth Partnership (ACP). ACP is an alliance of colleges and universities, higher education groups, P-12 schools and others dedicated to the democracy college ideal for all higher education. Launched at the White House on January 10th, ACP grows out of the Civic Agency Initiative in the American Democracy Project and its ‘We the People” conference in Washington, DC in November, 2010, which laid initial plans for a movement in higher education to deepen civic identities of colleges and universities, spreading empowering pedagogies and community-connecting practices, in partnership with policy makers. At this pre-conference forum, participants have a chance to hear about several key ACP initiatives including the deliberative dialogues on higher education’s role in America’s future; “Citizen Alum,” strategies for broadening the role of alumni from “donors” to “doers”; and Empowering Pedagogies, approaches which bring civic agency into curricular and co-curricular innovation. We will also discuss ADP’s new Campus Civic Health Initiative, on ways to measure and improve civic health.
Forum Moderator: Harry Boyte, Director, Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Augsburg College (Minn.)
Presenters:  Julie Ellison, Lead Organizer, Citizen Alum and Professor of American Culture and English, University of Michigan; Thomas Morgan, Executive Director, Center for Faith and Learning, Augsburg College (Minn.); Kara Lindaman, Associate Professor and ADP Director, and Laura Lake, student, Winona State University (Minn.); Blase Scarnati, Director, First Year Seminar Program and Global Learning, Northern Arizona University and Kaylesh Ramu, Student Government Association President, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Friday, June 8 | 10:30 a.m. – Noon
Featured Session:
National Issues Forum –Shaping Our Future: How Should Higher Education Help Us Create the Society We Want?
This session features a deliberative forum using the new NIF guide Shaping Our Future. This forum also provides an experiential introduction to key concepts and practices in deliberative politics such as naming and framing issues, choice work, and trade-offs experience with choice work. Shaping Our Future was developed by National Issues Forums and the Kettering Foundation and it will be used in collaboration with the American Commonwealth Partnership.
Presenters: John Dedrick, Vice President and Program Director, Charles F. Kettering Foundation and William V. Muse, President, NIF Institute.
Forums will be moderated by: Cristin Foster, Assistant Program Director, and Chris McCauley, Executive Director, David Mathews Center for Civic Life; Doug Garnar, Professor and Service Learning Program Director, and Lisa Strahley, Associate Professor of Teacher Education and Early Childhood Development, Broome Community College (N.Y.);  Kara Lindaman, Associate Professor and ADP Campus Director, Winona State University (Minn.); and Alberto Olivas, Director, Center for Civic Participation and Bernie Ronan, Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs, Maricopa Community Colleges (Ariz.)

Friday, June 8| 3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Concurrent Session
Deliberative Politics and Organizing for Deliberative Decision Making
This session discusses the role of public deliberation in democratic politics, introduces research on developing frameworks for productive public deliberations over controversial issues and provides information useful to people who want to organize and lead forums on campuses and in community.
Presenters: John Dedrick, Vice President and Program Director, Charles F.  Kettering Foundation; Cristin Foster, Assistant Program Director, David Mathews Center for Civic Life; Chris McCauley, Executive Director, David Mathews Center for Civic Life; Bill Muse, President, National Issues Forums Institute

____________

The following is excerpted from the issue guide titled Shaping Our Future: How Should Higher Education Help Us Create the Society We Want?

The diverse system of US higher education–including public and private universities, smaller four-year independent colleges, two-year community colleges, for-profit schools, and others–already serves a number of important social

purposes.  But this guide focuses on the future.  It takes up this fundamental question:  How should higher education help us create the society we want?  It offers three options to consider, each with benefits as well as drawbacks.

While it’s certainly possible for higher education to pursue multiple goals, it’s also true that colleges and universities can’t do everything.  To be effective, they need to focus their energies and set priorities.  As we envision higher education in the future, there are options and trade-offs, and it’s important to think and talk about them with our fellow citizens.  By doing so, we can begin to make tough choices about what higher education can and should be expected to do.

This issue guide presents three options for deliberation.

Option One: Focus on Staying Competitive in the Global Economy
Higher education should help ensure that our economy remains competitive in a tough global marketplace–and that means recapturing our lead in science and technology.  Countries like China are transforming their systems to educate more high-tech professionals, and we should too.  It’s our best chance to keep our economy growing.

Option Two: Work Together and Repair an Ailing Society
Many of the problems we face as a nation reflect an underlying crisis of division and mistrust.  Higher education shapes students’ views about the larger society, and it can do more to strengthen values like responsibility, integrity, and respect for others.  Students also need real-life experience in collaboration and problem solving.

Option Three: Ensure that Everyone Gets a Fair Chance
We call this the land of opportunity, but it isn’t that way for many Americans.  Because graduating from college unlocks the door to advancement, higher education and government should do much more to ensure that all Americans have an equal shot at getting a degree–without accumulating huge debts.

		Download the post forum questionnaire for Shaping Our Future forums.pdf (113 K)
		Download a promotional flyer about Shaping Our Future forums project.doc (483 K)
		Download a guide for moderators for Shaping Our Future.pdf (185 K)
		Download the issue guide, Shaping Our Future.pdf (462 K)

		Forum conveners/moderators, please submit information about your upcoming forum for the NIF calendar
		Forum moderators, after your forum please complete this brief survey

#ADP 12: Campus & Friends Showcase and Poster Session

ADP & TDC

Campus and Friends Showcase
& Poster Session

June 9, 2012 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Salon I 

ADP and TDC campuses, partners and friends will display, share and celebrate their work and help others learn how to promote civic engagement on their campuses during our annual Campus & Friends Showcase. The Showcase will occur over lunch on Saturday, June 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Salon I at the ADP/TDC 2012 National Meeting.

The Showcase is designed as an exhibit hall with tables available for presenters. People love to see what other ADP/TDC campuses have done; the Showcase also serves as an important networking opportunity for project participants to connect with national leaders in the civic engagement movement.

This year’s Showcase will also include a Poster Session featuring the research and civic engagement efforts of individuals and organizations. We’ll see you in San Antonio!

A full listing of the Campus and Friends Showcase and Poster Presenters follows:

Showcase Tables

1.      Illinois State University
Exploring Illinois State University’s core commitments to civic engagement.
Steve Hunt, skhunt2@ilstu.edu
http://americandemocracy.illinoisstate.edu/ 

2.      Society for Values in Higher Education (SVHE)
SVHE will share literature about SVHE meetings, initiatives, publications, projects, etc.
Eric Bain-Selbo, bain-selbo@svhe.org

3.      Keene State College (N.H.)
Integrating curricular and co-curricular initiatives via ADP.
Kimberly Gagne, Program Coordinator, kgagne@keene.edu

4.      Kennesaw State University (Ga.)
Kennesaw State University will showcase its ADP events this year including Constitution Week, the Pathways to Peace lecture series, and Emmanuel Jal’s lecture/performance on youth engagement in global issues.
Carlton Usher, Associate Professor of Political Science, cusher@kennesaw.edu

5.      Center for Civic Leadership, Fort Hays State University (Kan.)
The American Democracy Project and Global Leadership Project based out of the Center for Civic Leadership at Fort Hays State University will showcase the events and activities hosted during the 2011-2012 school year that have educated students on a variety of domestic and global issues, engaged students to act upon these issues, and encouraged political activism and participation.
Kelly Nuckolls and Jen Verhagen, Student Coordinators, kmnuckolls@fhsu.edu
www.adpfhsu.org | www.globalleadershipproject.net

6.      Metropolitan State University (Minn.)
Two faculty members and a member of our Center for Community Based Learning will be providing information and materials showcasing how students in writing and communication courses are helping to gather stories for MSU’s Citizen Alumni Project.
Danielle Hinrichs, Assistant Professor of Composition, Danielle.hinrichs@metrostate.edu
Andrew Carlson, Assistant Professor of Communication, andrew.carlson@metrostate.edu
Jodie Bantley, Community Service Learning Coordinator, jodi.bantley@metrostate.edu                                                                                                                        
7.      University of Central Oklahoma
Take a look at the multiple civic engagement projects found on the UCO campus.
Susan Scott, Professor, sscott@uco.edu

8.      U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC)
FMC will share information about its Congress to Campus Program, which brings Former Members of Congress to campuses across the country and around the world.
Elizabeth Ardagna, Member Services Manager, eardagna@usafmc.org
www.usafmc.org 

9.      CIRCLE, part of the Tisch College of Citizenship & Public Service at Tufts University (Mass.)
CIRCLE: The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement is a national, non-partisan research center on young people’s civic education and engagement.
Abby Kiesa, Youth Coordinator & Researcher, abby.kiesa@tufts.edu
www.civicyouth.org

10.  eJournal of Public Affairs: A collaboration between Missouri State University and ADP
The eJournal of Public Affairs is a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary, open-access journal that provides a substantive forum for scholarly publications related to civic engagement.
Andrew Lokie, Editor, AndrewLokie@MissouriState.edu
http://ejournal.missouristate.edu/

11.  Weber State University’s ADP (Utah)
Deliberative Democracy Day – 200 students discussing a controversial issue on campus
Leah Murray, Community Involvement Center Faculty in Residence, lmurray@weber.edu
http://www.weber.edu/leadership/adp.html

12.  American Bar Association, Division for Public Education

The ABA Division for Public Education promotes public understanding of law and its role in society. It leads law-related and civic education efforts through its curriculum support resources, Law Day and Constitution Day resources, national Law-Related Education conference, and professional development activities.
Leslie Warren, Assistant Director, leslie.warren@americanbar.org
www.americanbar.org/publiced

13.  Campus Vote Project
Campus Vote Project is a campaign of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Fair Elections Legal Network to provide colleges with the tools they need to implement specific reforms on campus that will break down barriers to voting for students.
Dan Vicuña, Campus Vote Project Coordinator, dvicuna@campusvoteproject.org
www.campusvoteproject.org

14.  Epsilen
Epsilen is an online collaborative platform that is used by TDC members to share best practices, develop forums, and to distribute and co-create resources and course materials
Mekelle Douglas, Senior Business Development Director, mdouglas@epsilen.com
www.epsilen.com

15.  American Red Cross, San Antonio Area Chapter
Our materials will highlight free online tools and resources from our Exploring Humanitarian Law program that help today’s students build competencies essential to navigating increasingly complex global realities.
Angelita De Luna, Exploring Humanitarian Law Coordinator, Angelita.DeLuna@redcross.org
www.redcross.org/ehl

 

Poster Descriptions

1.      Towards Democracy? Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (1960-2011)
By Elizabeth Hauck, Student, Santa Fe College (Fla.)

2.      Youth Vote Overseas: Building a Network of Young Voters Abroad in 2012 and
Introducing U.S. Vote Foundation: The First Online Absentee Ballot System for Every State
By Susan Dzieduszcka-Suinat, President and CEO, Overseas Vote Foundation

3.      Controversial Issues in Discussion-Based Opportunities to Develop Youth Civic Engagement
By Alex Lin, Doctoral Student, University of California, Irvine

4.      Public Achievement in Urban & Suburban Schools with Leadership Focus From Student Proposed Issue and Action Using Empowerment and Civic Responsibility
By Becky Hamlin, Undergraduate Student Teacher in Special Education and  Robert Logan, Graduate Student Teacher in Special Education, Augsburg College (Minn.)

5.      Student Involvement and the Fiscal Incentives that Deter It
By Jennifer Burger, Student, University of Michigan-Flint

6.      Engaging Students through On-Campus Candidate Forums
By Alyssa Martin, Student, Northwest Vista College (Texas); Evan Bohl, Student, Northwest Vista College (Texas)

7.      Infusing Civic Learning Across the Curriculum
By Alberto Olivas, Director, Center for Civic Participation, Maricopa Community Colleges

ETS Study Shows How Colleges Can Help Students Become Active Voters

This is a re-post of a blog story that originally appeared on the blog of the Fair Elections Legal Network (FELN). FELN’s nonpartisan Campus Vote Project (CVP) is a partner and friend of ADP. Take a look at this summary of the new ETS report Fault Lines in Our Democracy: Civic Knowledge, Voting Behavior, and Civic Engagement in the United States. Dan Vicuna, the author of this blog story and CVP’s Coordinator will be at the ADP National Meeting in San Antonio. If you’d like to meet with him to learn more about CVP and how to connect your campus work with CVP, you can email him at dvicuna@campusvoteproject.org. CVP will also have a table at the Campus and Friends Showcase on Saturday, June 9 from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm.

As you gear up to register students for the November 2012 elections, make sure to check out CVP’s Campus Vote Project toolkit and other resources!

– Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager

ETS Study Shows How Colleges Can Help Students Become Active Voters

By: Dan Vicuna, Coordinator of FELN’s Campus Vote Project

An Educational Testing Service (ETS) study on education and civic engagement demonstrates the role that colleges and universities can play in helping students become active and informed voters. The study suggests that many students arrive at college with limited knowledge of civics. For example, ETS found that only about one-quarter of American students in 4^th, 8^th, and 12^th grade achieved a “proficient” designation in civics, a level demonstrating solid academic performance. The study’s authors argue that voter turnout is likely to suffer as a result of this academic shortfall.

The study also examined the importance of establishing voting as a habit. ETS found that a young adult who voted in the 2004 election was 30 percent more likely to vote in the 2006 election than a young adult who did not vote in 2004. The authors concluded that voting in 2004 “played the most powerful role in voting in 2006.”

ETS argues that colleges and universities “can play a more active role in encouraging voting and civic participation at all levels by their students.” By helping students overcome the barriers to registration and voting that disproportionately affect them, colleges can set their students on a lifelong path of active civic engagement.

Colleges can implement reforms detailed in the Campus Vote Project toolkit to ensure that students have access to registration and voting information. For example, schools can increase understanding of the issues at stake by organizing election awareness campaigns. Administrators can also support student-run voter registration blitzes and organize student poll worker programs to encourage active participation in the 2012 elections.

For more information on the ways that FELN’s Campus Vote Project can work with your school to increase student participation in this year’s elections, contact Dan Vicuna at (202) 331-0114 or info@campusvoteproject.org.

_____

Re-posted from FELN’s blog; see the original post here.

ADP 2012: Town Hall USA with Former Members of Congress

ADP is excited to announce that our friends at the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) will be partnering with us to bring you a Town Hall USA plenary session at the ADP/TDC 2012 national meeting in San Antonio. Here are the details:

Friday, June 8 | 9 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. 
Plenary: Town Hall Meeting USA with Former Members of Congress  
Discuss today’s most pressing issues—including Congress’ civility/bipartisanship crisis, the 2012 elections, and the important role of public service in our democracy and how to foster it—with two former college professors and members of Congress. This informal and open session includes ample time for audience Q&A. This session is offered in partnership with the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress and its Congress to Campus program.   
Moderator: Alberto Olivas, Director, Center for Civic Participation, Maricopa Community Colleges (Ariz.) 
Presenters: The Hon. Dan Miller (R-FL, 1993-2003) and The Hon. Jerry Patterson (D-CA, 1975-1985)

Learn more about FMC in the guest blog post below, and be sure to talk with Liz Ardagna about bringing their Congress to Campus program to your college or university!

See you in San Antonio!

Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager 

Former Members of Congress Continue to Serve Via the Congress to Campus Program

By Elizabeth Ardagna, Member Services Manager, U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress

“Democracy is not a spectator sport; for our system of government to work effectively, we need bright and dedicated Americans to make themselves available for public service. I’ve never been part of any other program that was nearly as successful as the Congress to Campus program in increasing awareness of the importance, and value, of entering the public arena. We show the real face of public service and the good it can do, and as a result, we encourage others to see government as a vehicle for the public good. I love the program.”
-The Hon. Mickey Edwards (R-OK, 77-93)

For over 35 years, the Congress to Campus program of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) has been cultivating opportunities for students and former Members of Congress to have face-to-face discussions about current issues, the value of public service, and how students can (and should) become active participants in representative government.

The Congress to Campus program (CtC) brings bipartisan pairs of former Members to college, university, and community college campuses across the United States and around the world for two and a half days of packed programming. While on campus, former Members visit with students in a variety of formats, including classroom discussions, Q&A sessions, roundtable talks, open forums, meals with students, and interviews with campus and student media. Since the host school plans the former Members’ schedule, educators can decide how to best utilize the team’s time.

Congress to Campus

The goals of Congress to Campus are to connect with students, strengthen understanding of how Congress does (and does not) work, and inspire the next generation of leaders to be politically engaged. The CtC’s “R” and “D” former Member teams demonstrate that civil—yet still partisan—discourse across the aisle is not only possible, but productive. CtC facilitates an environment in which informal and personal discussions between former Members and students create candid conversations about the role of the U.S. Congress and why all citizens should be actively engaged in civic life.

Additionally, in a recent effort to promote bipartisanship and a more civil political discourse, FMC has created the Common Ground Project (CGP). The goals of CGP are to encourage current Members of Congress  to interact with more respect, so that meaningful dialogue leads to bipartisan solutions to our nation’s dire issues; to foster a more civil and productive political dialogue among American voters; and to restore the public’s faith in its elected representatives and combat some of the misconceptions and cynicism that are attached to the Congress. FMC seeks to accomplish these goals via public panels at the National Archives, budget simulations for students with the Concord Coalition, and roundtable meetings with current Members of Congress.

FMC—founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress—strives to promote public service and strengthen representative democracy both domestically and abroad at no cost to the taxpayer. FMC utilizes the diverse skill set of its Members to help educate the public and create healthy dialogue to foster productive solutions to our nation’s most pressing issues.

Through vital initiatives like the Congress to Campus program or Common Ground Project, FMC works to connect students and citizens with the former Members “who have been there,” fostering unprecedented understanding of why America has the greatest democracy in the world, and how to strengthen and improve it for generations to come.  

To learn more about FMC or how to bring Congress to Campus to your school, contact Liz Ardagna at 202.507.4847 or eardagna@usafmc.org. You can also find her and a bipartisan former Member team at the ADP’s Annual Meeting—during Friday’s 9:00am Plenary Session (Town Hall Meeting USA with Former Members of Congress), Saturday’s 7:00am Breakfast Breakout Session (U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress), or Saturday’s 11:30am Campus and Friends Showcase.

Please visit FMC’s website at www.usafmc.org and follow us on Twitter @USAFMC.

Campus Spotlight: Winona State hosts Civic Summit

In April, Winona State University, an American Democracy Project participating institution, hosted a civic summit featuring the new National Issues Forum guide Shaping Our Future: How Should Higher Education Help Us Create the Society We Want? I encourage you to read about the summit and people’s thoughts on how higher education can help us create the kind of democratic society we hope for.

I also encourage you to consider attending the following two program sessions at the upcoming ADP/TDC 2012 national meeting, June 7-9 in San Antonio:

Friday, June 8 | 10:30 a.m. – Noon
Featured Session:
National Issues Forum (NIF)—Shaping Our Future:  How Should Higher Education Help Us Create the Society We Want?
This session features a deliberative forum using the new NIF guide Shaping Our Future. This forum also provides an experiential introduction to key concepts and practices in deliberative politics such as naming and framing issues, choice work and trade-offs experience with choice work.  Shaping Our Future was developed by NIF and the Kettering Foundation and it will be used in collaboration with the American Commonwealth Partnership.
Presenters: John Dedrick, Vice President and Program Director, Charles F. Kettering Foundation (Ohio) and William V. Muse, President, NIF Institute (Ohio).
Forums will be moderated by: Cristin Foster, Assistant Program Director, David Mathews Center for Civic Life (Ala.); Doug Garnar, Professor and Service Learning Program Director, Broome Community College (N.Y.);  Kara Lindaman, Associate Professor and ADP Campus Director, Winona State University (Minn.); Chris McCauley, Executive Director, David Mathews Center for Civic Life (Ala.); Alberto Olivas, Director, Center for Civic Participation, Maricopa Community Colleges (Ariz.); Bernie Ronan, Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs, Maricopa Community Colleges (Ariz.); and Lisa Strahley, Associate Professor of Teacher Education and Early Childhood Development, Broome Community College (N.Y.).

Friday, June 8 | 3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.       
Concurrent Session:
Deliberative Politics and Organizing for Deliberative Decision Making
This session discusses the role of public deliberation in democratic politics, introduces research on developing frameworks for productive public deliberations over controversial issues, and provides information useful to people who want to organize and lead forums on campuses and in community.
Presenters: John Dedrick, Vice President and Program Director, Charles F.  Kettering Foundation (Ohio); Cristin Foster, Assistant Program Director and Chris McCauley, Executive Director, David Mathews Center for Civic Life (Ala.); Kara Lindaman, Associate Professor and ADP Campus Director, Winona State University (Minn.); and Bill Muse, President, National Issues Forums Institute (Ohio)

See you in San Antonio!

–Jen Domagal-Goldman, National Manager, American Democracy Project

How Should Higher Education Help Us Create The Society We Want?

On April 19, 2012, Winona State University hosted the inaugural civic summit on the National Issues Forum and American Commonwealth Project Deliberative Dialogue Initiative on Shaping Our Future:  How Should Higher Education Help Us Create The Society We Want?  The first national conversation using this issue guide was held in honor of WSU’s retiring president, Judith Ramaley, who is a tireless advocate for higher education and its civic mission.  President Ramaley serves as a member of the President’s Council for the American Commonwealth Partnership.

Over 110 participants attended the Civic Summit at Winona State University.  Individuals came as high school and college students, university faculty and staff, community members, higher education experts, media editors and journalists, local law enforcement, and business people.  It was quite the range of participants and they were mixed in groups with WSU students as trained moderators through the Minnesota Campus Compact moderator training series.

When organizing the Civic Summit, we immediately determined the event should be student led, as moderators, participants and organizers. This stems from our rich experience in student organizing and mobilizing efforts.  It also reflects our experience with the Center for Democracy and Citizenship’s training led by Harry Boyte and Dennis Donovan in the “We the People” series held with the Minnesota Campus Compact in Spring 2011.  For many of the fifteen plus students who became moderators, this was a new experience.  Despite its unfamiliarity, the students rose to the challenge, prepared their notes, and were comfortable enough to welcome others to their tables.  Each group of approximately 10-12 guests had two students—one as moderator and one as recorder.   Each group was designed to have a variety of individuals from different backgrounds, however the structure was very minimal to encourage open and honest discussion.  With little formality, students forged ahead, were indeed taken seriously by others, and extolled confidence and credibility to members of their groups.

“Seeing the different levels of a university present in one group with community members truly provided unique input regarding the different approaches.  Seeing the differences between the views of students, professors, and members of the administration was extremely interesting, however, what was more exciting, was seeing the areas they agreed upon – that higher education does indeed help us create the society we want…” Laura Lake

One particular group that was indicative of the principles behind the NIF process included a local and well-respected business person from the Winona community.  Known for his conservative underpinnings and his large contributions (nearly a quarter of a million annually to local grants and scholarships for students and community members), this community member began with strong support of American exceptionalism and Approach One.  It was evident of the potential generation gap experienced within the group as the local businessman began the discussion by voicing his stereotype that young people were lazy, took out too many loans, and used the money to go on vacation.  As one student shared his personal experience in joining the army (ROTC) to fund his education and his education at MCTC and transferring to WSU, without adequate financial aid and the lack of family support to co-sign loans, group members visibly recall the local businessman becoming more favorable and open to thinking about other ideas and other perspectives, with genuine respect towards the student advocating for and needing more student and financial aid.  It became clear the businessman had changed his mind after he heard the student’s personal experience and was open to seeing the other side as the group’s discussion continued.  In the end for the local businessperson, Approach II received support to train responsibility through community service.  While there was not an overall consensus regarding one approach over the other in this group and many others, this particular experience in the Winona Civic Summit: NIF Forum demonstrated a student and a businessman taking each other seriously and respecting their differences on the shared purpose of higher education.

One aspect of the Civic Summit that makes it so exceptional is that people of all walks of life participate in the democratic process together. Having such a diverse group of individuals discussing a public issue or good can cause participants to feel hesitant about what the outcomes of the dialogue will be. Student-moderator Courtney Juelich, had first-hand experience with this principle within her democracy pod:

“At first many of the students, both college and high school, were apprehensive about talking openly with adults. They were not quick to answer the posed questions and often looked to myself or to the three older members of the group after a question was stated. After introductions and finding common ground on themes and experiences, communication was fluid and respectful between all members in my democracy pods.”  Courtney Juelich

Even though participants came from all sorts of backgrounds but with a shared interest and common purpose, in the end the differences we previously used to distinguish ourselves were less important and noticeable than the sense of community, which was established over the shared principles of mutual respect and open discussion.  Student-moderators thoroughly enjoyed the process and felt empowered to be taken seriously and welcomed in a group of diverse generations and members.  We feel very fortunate to have launched this national conversation on the role of higher education in communities such as ours.  We also want to thank all of the participants for thoughtfully contributing to the health and well-being of democracy and deliberative dialogue in Winona.  Special thanks are extended to the Kettering Foundation, the National Issues Forum, and the American Commonwealth Partnership for granting us permission to pioneer this dialogue.  We wish President Ramaley the best in her retirement from Winona State University and appreciatively recognize and celebrate her support of the civic mission and the civic responsibility of the university with Winona and beyond.

Courtney L. Juelich is a junior at Winona State University and a major in Political Science and Public Administration with a minor in Economics.  She was one of the student organizers of the Civic Summit.  Her hometown is Chanhassen, Minnesota. She was the creator and writer of the 2012 Warrior Grant named “The Green Grant”, which after winning the student referendum vote will create a self-sufficient composting system for the Winona State campus to collect organic food scraps as well as to educate the student body on the process of composting and how it is beneficial to the environment.

Laura A. Lake is a junior at Winona State University and a major in Political Science and Public Administration with a Music minor. She is involved in Pi Sigma Alpha, Political Science Association, Student Senate, and National Residence Hall Honorary, and is currently a Resident Assistant, and will be an Assistant Hall director in the following year. Laura was the lead organizer of the Civic Summit. Her hometown is Hillsboro, Oregon.

Kara Lindaman serves as the American Democracy Project Coordinator at Winona State University, where she is an associate professor of political science and public administration.  She also serves on the Steering Committee of the American Commonwealth Partnership and enjoys collaborating with civically minded and passionately motivated students such as these.

Re-posted from ACP’s DemocracyU blog, here.

Partner Spotlight: NCoC Civic Health Index

ADP partner and friend NCoC — the National Conference on Citizenship — has announced its deadline for accepting new partners for 2012 civic health initiatives. NCoC plans to finalize all partnerships for 2012 by May 31. Will you join them?

NCoC currently works with cross-sector partners in over 25 communities across the country to use civic health data to measure and understand how our communities and democracy are functioning. We explore everything from the rates at which people are voting and volunteering, to indicators of engagement with neighbors, family, and institutions. This year, we were able to collect new indicators examining pressing issues such as online political engagement, trust of neighbors and confidence in major institutions that will inform 2012 projects.

These partnerships have produced reports, infographics, and initiatives that have been used to drive civic strategies of nonprofits, businesses, and governments. Our partners have used civic health data to pass new civic education legislation, promote statewide voter engagement initiatives, create citizen-driven grant making programs, and more.

We are excited to continue working with our current partners while growing this network to include all 50 states, the 50 largest metropolitan areas, and new demographic focus areas. Our partners serve as authors, funders, and conveners on these projects—giving life to our research, providing critical context for the findings, and preparing recommendations for next steps. Partners also ensure that the information reaches key stakeholders throughout the community. NCoC provides data and analysis, supports project management, leads the design phase, and provides in-depth consultation and support to meet partner needs and objectives.

We invite you to join this growing effort, by bringing the Civic Health Index to your community in 2012. For detailed information on our 2012 partnership opportunities, please visit www.NCoC.net/PartnerRecruitment. To speak further about partnership, please contact Kristi Tate, Director of Community Strategies at ktate@ncoc.net or 202-729-8038. All partnership agreements must be finalized by May 31, 2012.

Learn More About Partnering With NCoC!

Byron White, VP for University Engagement at Cleveland State to give Saturday Plenary at #ADP12

Byron White

Byron P. White, Ed.D. is Vice President for University Engagement at Cleveland State University where he is responsible for developing strategic plans for community engagement to enhance CSU’s numerous partnerships. Before joining CSU in February 2012, White was Vice Chancellor for Economic Advancement for the Ohio Board of Regents. He previously was Associate Vice President for Community Engagement at Xavier University in Cincinnati and founding executive director of the university’s Eigel Center for Community-Engaged Learning. A former editorial page editor of The Cincinnati Post, White also served as editor of the Chicago Tribune’s Urban Affairs Team and a writer on the Tribune’s editorial board. He later became the newspaper’s senior manager of community relations.

White has directed and worked with community-based organizations in Cincinnati and Chicago often in conjunction with the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University, on whose faculty he serves. He also continues to serve as a Senior Fellow for the Community Building Institute at Xavier University, and a Research Associate at the Kettering Foundation. White has a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in social science from the University of Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University.

White’s keynote address is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, June 9:

PLENARY SESSION: Community Strengths, Assets and Other Ideas We Don’t Really Believe
Language about community strengths and assets is present in nearly every grant proposal, statement of purpose and presentation related to university-community engagement: “We will build on the strengths and assets of the community.” And yet, in the implementation of our engagement efforts, the community’s assets are more an afterthought than the substance of the work. The dominant framework for engagement continues to view the community as deficient and in need of fixing, and residents as clients rather than producers. Byron White will address why our rhetoric and convictions so often fall short of our practice, and what can we do to walk our talk.
Presenter: Byron P. White, Vice President for University Engagement, Cleveland State University (Ohio)

To learn more about Byron White, read this article from the CSU student newspaper, The Cauldron.

Register for the conference here.

Ami Dar, Founder of Idealist.org to give Opening Keynote at #ADP12

Ami Dar

Ami Dar is the founder and executive director of Idealist.org. Ami was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Peru and in Mexico, and lives in New York.

The 2012 ADP/TDC national meeting, “Civic Engagement 2.0: Re-Imagining, Strengthening and Deepening Our Civic Work will open with a plenary session featuring Ami Dar. In a talk entitled “Closing the Gap Between Intention and Action,” Ami Dar will explore with participants ways in which we can build a global network that will help people everywhere take action on any issue that concerns them, locally or globally, online and in person.

Built in 1995 with $3,500, Ami launched Idealist.org in order to make getting involved in social action easier than ever. Idealist.org was designed to connect social action agencies to would-be citizen activists, linking like-minded individuals to one another and generating a critical mass of interconnected citizen sector organizations and people. Idealist has become one of the most popular nonprofit resources on the web, with information provided by 70,000 organizations around the world and 100,000 visitors every day. The vision of Idealist.org is:

We would like to live in a world where:

• All people can lead free and dignified lives.
• Every person who wants to help another has the ability to do so.
• No opportunities for action or collaboration are missed or wasted.

Their work is guided by the common desire of their members and supporters to find practical solutions to social and environmental problems, in a spirit of generosity and mutual respect.

To learn more about Ami Dar and Idealist, check out this “flip” chat on Philantopic here. You can also read an interview of Ami Dar here.

Follow Ami Dar on Twitter.

Register for the conference here.

 

Promoting Your ADP Activities: Campus & Friends Showcase at the ADP/TDC National Meeting in San Antonio

Are you an ADP campus coordinator? Do you want to share your campus activities? Are you an ADP Friend? Do you want to promote the work of your organization? Consider hosting a table at the Campus and Friends Showcase at the American Democracy Project/The Democracy Commitment National Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

Campus and Friends Showcase Instructions

Saturday, June 9

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

The Campus and Friends Showcase is a wonderful opportunity to share and celebrate your work and help others learn how to promote civic engagement on their campuses. For the seventh year in a row, we will feature the ever-popular Campus and Friends Showcase!  There is no cost to participate.  Simply complete this registration form no later than Monday, May 7th to reserve your spot.

The Campus and Friends Showcase will take place on Saturday, June 9th 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  The Showcase is designed as an exhibit hall with tables available for presenters. People love to see what other campuses have done with the American Democracy Project.  The Showcase also serves as an important networking opportunity for project participants to connect with national leaders in the civic engagement movement.

This year the Showcase will occur simultaneously with the ADP/TDC Poster Session.

Information about materials you should provide, the set-up, and the structure of the showcase is here: Campus and Friends Showcase Instructions.

If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to register for the American Democracy Project/The Democracy Commitment National Meeting, June 7-9, 2012. To register for the meeting visit our website.

I hope to see you in San Antonio!

Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP National Manager

Georgia College hosts NIF Forum on Public Purposes of Higher Education

By Gregg Kaufman, ADP Campus Coordinator, Georgia College

The Georgia College American Democracy Project’s Public Voice Partnership recently facilitated a “test forum” for a draft of a new National Issues Forum issue book, How Should Higher Education Help Us Create The Society We Want?

The forum was incorporated into a faculty workshop that explored how public deliberation methods can be used to enhance classroom discussion across the disciplines. Students, citizens, and faculty deliberated multiple options that offered distinctive actions aimed at imagining what we expect of colleges and universities with regard to creating the American society we want.

The issue book is related to the American Commonwealth Partnership mission of exploring higher education’s purposes and practices relative to civic life. The NIF authors observed the deliberation and participated in the workshop. The Georgia College forum is one of several forums being held on campuses and in communities prior to publishing the final version.

The Public Voice Partnership is the result of Georgia College’s participation with the Kettering Foundation research initiative, Organizing Centers for Public Life. Georgia College is the University System of Georgia’s designated Public Liberal Arts University.

For more information about ADP at Georgia College, go here.