Shaping Our Future Forums: Update & Free Moderator Training Webinar

THE NATION TALKS HIGHER EDUCATION – THE LATEST FROM SHAPING OUR FUTURE

Thank you for your interest in Shaping Our Future, our project to spur thoughtful, inclusive, and open deliberation on the future of higher education on campuses and in communities nationwide. Here’s an update from the National Issues Forums and the American Commonwealth Project on what’s happening this fall.

• Who’s Participating? More than 65 institutions have committed to hosting Shaping Our Future forums. See a list of the institutions that are taking part and learn more about the project at: http://niforums.wordpress.com/tag/shaping-our-future .

• Why It’s Important? Kettering Foundation president David Mathews made riveting closing remarks at Shaping Our Future’s September 4 kick-off event in Washington, DC on why this conversation is needed now. You can view them here: http://kettering.org/featured/david-mathews-shaping-our-future-closing-remarks-2/

• What Students Think. Students at Winona State University prepared a remarkable video about the importance and impact of these discussions. See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR0U_LnStJI&feature=plcp

• Going Viral. And we expect the video idea to catch on. Shaping Our Future is collecting videos from forums around the country. Find out more about the DemocracyU Video project at: http://democracyu.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/democracyu-video-project-bringing-the-voices-of-the-citizen-dialogues-into-a-national-conversation/

• Blogging in the Huffington Post. Plus, we’re hoping to broaden the discussion by bringing the themes and ideas addressed in Shaping Our Future to the pages of The Huffington Post. Read recent op-eds by Harry Boyte and Bill Muse at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-boyte/civic-engagement-collectiveinterest_b_1825218.html , and by Jean Johnson at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jean-johnson/higher-educationreform_b_1900598.html.

• Get Started. Materials to launch community or campus forums-including  a discussion starter video, citizen’s issue guide, and moderator’s guide-are  available free of charge at: http://www.nifi.org/issue_books/detail.aspx?catID=6&itemID=21640 .

We welcome your comments, and please let us know if you’d like more information about participating in the Shaping Our Future Project.

Join Us For A Moderator Preparation Webinar
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2012:  2PM

This coming year, more than 60 campuses and communities will host shaping our future forums. Here’s your chance to find out how to participate.

This free webinar is designed specifically for anyone interested in hosting or moderating deliberative forums for the National Shaping Our Future Project. This project is a joint effort of the National Issues Forums Institute and the American Commonwealth Project.

Participants can ask questions and/or give comments via chat (or voice, if your computer has a microphone).

The webinar will cover these topics and more:

• Overview: Shaping Our Future—its goals, rationale, and background
• A primer:  NIF’s approach to moderating to encourage deliberation and dialogue
• An introduction to the project’s print and video materials
• Tips on expanding the dialogue between campuses and communities
• Troubleshooting techniques
• A chance to talk with seasoned NIF moderators and learn from their experiences

Please click the link below to get registered today. Have specific questions? Send them to us ahead of time and we’ll include them in the webinar discussion period! (alee@kettering.org)

Specific web URL and user credentials to access the Webinar will be sent to you upon registration via the email address you provided during the registration process.  Register Now!