Meet the #CLDE17 Interns: Amber, Christina and Tyler

We are thrilled to introduce you to our three student interns for the 2017 Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) Meeting (#CLDE17). Amber, Christina, and Tyler introduce themselves below and together represent a vested interest in civic engagement among students in our network to engage meaningfully on our campuses, in our classrooms, and in our broader communities and our democracy. In the coming weeks they will work with the meeting planning committee on the program, arranging a student symposium and specifically on creating networking, learning, and organizing opportunities for the students that attend the conference in Baltimore from June 7-10^th. Please join us in welcoming Amber, Christina, and Tyler! And be sure to submit a program proposal by January 30th here.

Jen, Stephanie, & Verdis

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My name is Amber Austin, and I am a sophomore marketing major at Tarrant County College (Texas) where I am pursuing a career in event planning. I am a current member of The Democracy Commitment, Phi Theta Kappa, DECA, the psychology club, and the president and founder of the club Imagine, which helps students on campus build networking and leadership skills.

My name is Christina Melecio, and I am a sophomore attending Winona State University (Minn.). I am triple majoring in political science, public administration, and Spanish. I am exploring more options to better help my community and continue to grow into a better person. I am currently a student senator, the treasurer of College Democrats, and the president of our Political Science Association.

My name is Tyler Ferrari, and I am a sophomore political science major and economics minor studying at Chapman University (Calif.). I am pursuing a career in public policy where I hope to specialize in debt reduction and foreign affairs. I am also a Civic Engagement Assistant, which is a position dedicated to getting the student body involved in the local and global community through political engagement and community service. I am currently the president and founding member of the Chapman University Young Americans for Liberty, a group aimed at promoting economic and personal liberty and training activists to fight for these causes.

We are all incredibly excited, and humbled, to represent students on the 2017 CLDE Planning Committee. We hope to use our positions to help students stay engaged in the political process in the post 2016 election environment, so that effective and positive change can be made in our local college communities and across the nation. With the 2016 election ending, students begin to feel apathetic, as they no longer see tangible ways to be involved in politics. We hope to engage students, and show them ways that they can continue to be active and involved with their community, as well as engage them in their civic duties. After this event, we hope to use the skills we learned planning and executing this event and use them back on our campuses and communities to build civic relationships with schools not in this network.

Q & A with the #CLDE17 Student Interns

By Amber Austin, Christina Melecio and Tyler Ferrari, #CLDE17 Student Interns

Hello readers! We are the 2017 Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Meeting student interns, and we are happy to be working with the planning committee this year to create the wonderful #CLDE17 conference. In addition to helping with the ideas for the conference as a whole, we are also tasked with planning a student symposium where we will be discussing important and relevant topics with the student attendees. Before this happens, however, we would like all attendees to get to know us better, so we created a Q&A between the three of us where you get to learn more about our views on civic and community engagement. We hope you enjoy it!

Amber Austin, Sophomore, Tarrant County College (Texas)
Christina Melecio, Sophomore, Winona State University (Minn.)
Tyler Ferrari, Sophomore, Chapman University (Calif.)

Amber Austin

What do you do for campus involvement?

Amber: For campus involvement, I am a member of eight clubs, for which I am the president of two and an officer in several others.

Tyler: I plan and moderate deliberative dialogues on important issues ranging from homelessness to gun control.

Christina: I am fairly involved with my campus. I hold a position in Student Senate where I sit on several committees that make decisions that affect the university. I am also the president of Political Science Association, and the treasurer of College Democrats.

How did you get involved in TDC/ADP/NASPA?

Amber: I became involved in The Democracy Commitment because of two of my professors during my freshman year. My professors asked me to help them with a “Know Your Candidate” project and it blossomed from there.

Tyler: My supervisor had me apply for this position, and many of our programs are modeled after NASPA programs!

Christina: One of my friends was the intern for ADP on my campus and often needed volunteers at events he organized. I was able to volunteer and then got to know the professor who runs ADP on my campus.

What are you looking forward to most at this year’s conference?

Amber: At this year’s CLDE conference, I am looking forward to our student symposium the most. That is our chance, as student interns, to hear the other students’ voices on universal issues, as well as to get to know the students that are attending the conference.

Tyler: Meeting other students and gaining their knowledge on civic engagement along with their experience.

Christina: I am so excited to get a diverse perspective from students that attend the conference. I am also excited for the moderating that will take place.

What has been your most enjoyable moment in the planning process for the 2017

Christina Melecio

CLDE conference?

Amber: The most enjoyable moments I have had during the planning process of this year’s conference are the conference calls with the other two interns. Being an intern for this event is very enjoyable especially since I can share it with two other people.

Tyler: Working with the rest of the committee, especially my fellow interns! They have been great and easy to work with.

Christina: Meeting other people who have a passion who being involved, and getting others involved. I have especially enjoyed the time with the other two interns, and the topics we have been able to discuss.

In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of civic engagement involvement? What is your experience in this type of engagement?

Amber: I believe the most important aspect of civic engagement involvement is the impact working in the community makes. Working to make a difference in civic life is important in itself, but the impact is what counts. My experience includes, know your candidate campaigns, student voter registration programs, and campus/community trash clean-ups.  

Tyler: Getting people interested in local issues is the most important. I’ve worked on campaigns before and I really enjoyed telling people about the issues our campaign focuses on. It was always rewarding to have people involved in the community.

Christina: I think that the most important aspect of civic engagement has to deal with education. Educating people on the issues, so they do not blindly support one way or the other without much thought or background knowledge.

What is your favorite thing about engaging in your community politically, socially, etc?

Amber: My favorite thing about engaging in my community is meeting and communicating with new people to understand their situations, as well as, their thought process regarding social and political issues.

Tyler: Meeting the different people and talking about their experiences. Especially in a state like California, there are so many diverse viewpoints and learning about as many as I can is very rewarding and helps me shape my view of the world.

Christina: My favorite part of becoming engaged in my community, whichever way, is the people who I connect with. Each person has a different perspective, or background, and being able to hear and understand them is what makes me excited.

What is one thing you wish you could change about our political climate?

Amber: Due to the previous presidential election, our political climate is scattered. Many are angry and many have given up. If I could change anything with the political climate, I would bring the divided back together, so we can make a change as a unit.

Tyler: Discourse must me more civil, without the civility that politics normally provides, nothing useful and good for society will get accomplished. Politics has centered too much around tribalism and I think breaking that mindset is something that is important to do.

Christina: I think currently the political climate could use a few adjustments, mostly having to deal with the divided nature of society.

Tyler Ferrari

Tell us about an experience of when you tried to engage students?

Amber: I tried to engage students in the biggest way during our last presidential election. My main focus was getting students to care about their community and realize that their vote does matter.

Tyler: Registering people to vote before the election. We worked at our school’s freshman orientation and we were able to register so many new voters!

Christina: I have done different democratic deliberations, and it is a challenge in order to get students engaged in the conversation. There are many students who don’t want to participate in the conversation, and it is a struggle to have them bring their opinions to the deliberation. More often than not, putting effort into someone they will return it.

How did you become an engaged student?

Amber: I became an engaged student because of The Democracy Commitment. Before I joined TDC, I would go to class and go straight home. They helped me realize how much of a difference one person can make in a community.

Tyler: My mom was always politically engaged and really got me involved in local politics.

Christina: I have always naturally been someone who enjoys being active in clubs, and the next step was to become engaged in other activities. Ranging from student government, or local politics, I have always wanted to participate in the life that is happening around me.

What do you think the number one issue is facing the society today?

Amber: I think the number one issue facing society today is inequality.

Tyler: The loss of social capital. People are simply not involved in their communities anymore and I think that is harming society as a whole.

Christina: I would have to say that the biggest issue facing society today is racial tensions. Most problems today seem to concentrate around this particular issue.

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Thank you for reading our Q&A! We appreciate you getting to know us and we hope to see you around the conference and at our student symposium. The student symposium is a free event where students will be able to discuss many relevant political and community issues. To register for this session, click HERE, and bring an open mind and a willingness to have a dialogue with other students. The symposium is a great opportunity to relax and get to the other students at the conference, and to learn valuable insights and skills from students across the country. This is an opportunity that should not be passed up!

 

#CLDE17: Three Half-Day Pre-conference Workshops the Afternoon of June 7, 2017

During the 2017 Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) Meeting, there are a variety of pre-conference sessions providing opportunities to hone in on our civic skills. On Wednesday, June 7th, consider attending one of the afternoon pre-cons geared toward measuring civic outcomes, educating for democracy, curriculum integration of civic responsibility, and a special civic workshop solely for students.

Check out the session descriptions below and be sure to register by May 1st for our early-bird rates.

Half-day Afternoon Pre-conference Workshops
Price: $65/person
Wednesday, June 7 | 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

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• Measuring Civic Outcomes During College

Organizers: H. Anne Weiss, Director of Assessment, Indiana Campus Compact and Assessment Specialist in Community Engagement, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; and Ross Markle, Senior Research & Assessment Director, Global Higher Education Division, ETS

As institutions implement high impact practices across their campuses, learning outcomes, curricular and co-curricular activities, and assessment tools can often become disjointed. This workshop will guide attendees through a concentrated, cooperative process of unpacking and measuring civic outcomes such as civic identity, working with others to solve wicked problems, civic mindedness, and being an agent for social change. Ultimately, participants will articulate the alignment (and in some cases, mismatch) between outcomes, interventions, and assessment methods. Attendees should come with a specific program or course in mind and consider bringing a colleague with whom you can brainstorm transdisciplinary assessment practices. Transdisciplinary assessment means that faculty and staff from different disciplines or units on campus work jointly to develop new or innovative measurement practices from which informed decisions can be made to improve practices surrounding students’ civic learning and democratic engagement during college. Attendees will be introduced to the plethora of measurement tools that purport to assess students’ civic learning and development, such as: AAC&U VALUE Rubrics, Civic Minded Graduate Rubric 2.0, campus-wide survey instruments (ETS Civic Competency and Engagement, NSSE, CIRP Surveys, PRSI, etc.), and a host of other pre to post and retrospective pre to post scales such as social dominance orientation, belief in a just world, or the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. After this facilitated discussion, participants will have a chance to apply certain tools to student artifacts such as essays, digital stories, and eportfolios. Applying the tools to artifacts will allow for participants to evaluate and synthesize their plans for assessing student civic learning and development as it relates to participating in high impact practices during college.  

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• Educating for the Democracy We Want, Not the One We Have

Organizers: Nancy Thomas, Director, and Ishara Casellas Connors, Associate Director, Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE), Jonathan M. Tisch College for Civic Life at Tufts University (Mass.)  

After a long and contentious presidential election season, the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the U.S. stunned faculty, administrators, and students. University presidents issued post-election statements calling for a wide range of responses ranging from tolerance and understanding to vigilance and the protection of democratic principles. Many academics chastised themselves for not making conservative perspectives on campus more visible prior to the election. Others felt they had not done enough to demand truth and statements about public controversies based on facts. National elections represent a teachable moment in college student learning. Over the past two years, the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University has been studying campus climates – the norms, structures, behaviors, and attitudes – for political learning and engagement in democracy. From that research, we’ve identified several attributes of campus climates that may be conducive to political learning for all students, not just a few. Using resources developed by IDHE, workshop participants will have an opportunity to examine what worked and what did not work on their campuses during the 2016 election season. Participants will also examine their political climates beyond election seasons, with particular attention to areas for growth. Participants will leave with new tools, language, and perspectives for educating the next generation of politically engaged students in the context of the current national and regional political landscape in the U.S.

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• Integrating Civic Responsibility into the Curriculum

Organizers: Gail Robinson, Education Consultant; Duane Oakes, Faculty Director, Center for Community & Civic Engagement, Mesa Community College (Ariz.); Emily Morrison, Assistant Professor, Sociology, and Director, Human Services and Social Justice Program, George Washington University (DC.); and Cathy Doyle, Director, Sarbanes Center for Public and Community Service, Anne Arundel Community College (Md.)

Community engagement and academic learning are central to higher education’s mission. Explore ways to help faculty, staff, and administrators prepare students for effective involvement in a diverse democratic society, and examine the role and obligation of higher education to produce good citizens. This interactive workshop features hands-on activities that include looking at service learning from charity and social justice perspectives; identifying appropriate reflection activities; analyzing course syllabi for elements of civic responsibility and civic engagement; reviewing syllabi from the perspectives of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners; and integrating purposeful civic learning strategies into college courses.

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Student Pre-Conference Workshop
For undergraduate students only and FREE!!

Organized by the 2017 CLDE Student Interns: Amber Austin, student, Tarrant County College (Texas); Tyler Ferrari, student, Chapman University (Calif.); and Christina Melecio, student, Winona State University (Minn.)  

This workshop will introduce students to #CLDEStuds17 that will provide a space to discuss issues that focus on being an active participant in the local and national communities, and will give students the tools to be effective activists in their communities. These open discussions will be held in large and small groups to effectively dissect the topics being discussed. To thoroughly accomplish our goals at the conference we hope that our peers come with open minds, and thoughtful ideas to contribute to discussions not only at this conference, but at home with their peers. There will be additional information closer to the conference for those who register. We hope to engage our attendees with new, and exciting, information that can further reach students across the nation, and actively enhance the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement initiatives.

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Be sure to register by May 1st for our best rates and book your hotel room by May 16 at our special group rate!

#CLDE17 Student Pre-Conference Workshop #CLDESTUDS17

By the CLDE 2017 Student Interns

It is incredibly important to engage in conversation with fellow peers, and by attending the #CLDE17 student symposium on Wednesday, June 7th 2017 at the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement conference in Baltimore, students will gain experience in a space unique to the conference and to their academic career; a space and event by students and for students. Those who decide to take part in the intellectual talks will leave the symposium with tangible concepts and ideas on how to better their community, as well as broadening their perspectives. We hope that this symposium will bring in students with diverse political and personal opinions to discuss the important issues facing this generation.

Student leaders play a vital role in shaping the landscape of higher education based on the issues, concerns, and insights that come forth throughout the year.  As such, this space is provided for students to harness their skills and passions about the issues that matter most to them.  This student symposium will introduce students to #CLDESTUDS17 and provide a space for students to speak and be heard by their peers. This session will include multiple table discussions. We will be discussing the following topics that are currently receiving a lot of attention: racial tensions, political apathy, and community activism. These topics will be discussed in small groups, and then brought to the large group to have further discussion. In the end, all students will be able to receive a handout of the ideas that were proposed during the symposium. It will also engage attendees in conversation on mobilizing and empowering individuals on campus and in the community, creating diverse partnerships, gaining the support of your faculty and administrators, and building support networks in order to enhance the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement initiatives that already exist at your institution or to create new opportunities.

It is our hope that attendees will gain a new perspective, and learn how to engage in civic discussions with others who may hold opposing viewpoints. Students will learn in-depth information about local government and how they can influence their local leaders through actions such as, lobbying and speaking during a public meeting. It is vital for students to attend this symposium because they will learn how best to take the skills they learn throughout the conference, and apply it to their experiences in their communities and universities. As Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local,” so with this symposium we will aid students in facilitating change in their local spaces.

We interns are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to engage our peers but also learn with them. We know that they will bring a lot of knowledge to the table, and cannot wait for in-depth discussions. As we sit and plan the symposium, we cannot contain our excitement to meet every fellow student who has the same enthusiasm to participate in such important conversations. You are welcomed to the table!

CLDE17 Student Interns:
Amber Austin, Tarrant County College (Texas)
Tyler Ferrari, Chapman University (Calif.)
Christin Melecio, Winona State University (Minn.)

Wednesday, June 7, 2017
1 p.m. – 4 p.m. EST
Student Pre-Conference Workshop
For undergraduate students only
Organized by the 2017 CLDE Student Interns: Amber Austin, student, Tarrant County College (Texas); Tyler Ferrari, student, Chapman University (Calif.); and Christina Melecio, student, Winona State University (Minn.)

This workshop will introduce students to #CLDEStuds17 that will provide a space to discuss issues that focus on being an active participant in the local and national communities, and will give students the tools to be effective activists in their communities. These open discussions will be held in large and small groups to effectively dissect the topics being discussed. To thoroughly accomplish our goals at the conference we hope that our peers come with open minds, and thoughtful ideas to contribute to discussions not only at this conference, but at home with their peers. There will be additional information closer to the conference for those who register. We hope to engage our attendees with new, and exciting, information that can further reach students across the nation, and actively enhance the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement initiatives.

 

#CLDE17: Pre-Conference Workshops Announced and Register Now

We’re pleased to announce the introduction of pre-conference workshops to be held on Wednesday, June 7, 2017 as part of our annual Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (#CLDE17) Meeting. Institute topics were identified by the CLDE Planning Committee and based on feedback received after the 2016 CLDE Meeting.

Workshops are listed below and you can register now for the #CLDE17 meeting and the workshop(s) of your choice!

Full-day Pre-conference Workshops

• Charting a Course on the Pathway to Civic Engagement: An Inventory and Action Plan for Engaged Campuses
  Organizer: Marshall Welch, Independent Scholar and author of Engaging Higher Education: Purpose, Platforms, and Programs for Community Engagement (2016)
  
  This full day pre-conference institute is designed for teams from colleges and universities interested in strategic planning of their civic learning and democratic engagement efforts. This institute will provide not only the results of a comprehensive inventory of current practice and infrastructure to advance community engagement, but the “gift of time” for administrators to meet and work with their directors of campus centers for engagement to begin strategic planning for continued development of community engagement. This institute is designed for TWO individuals from each institution: the director of the campus center for community engagement and their immediate supervising administrator.

• Civic Engagement Assessment Pre-Conference Workshops with Networking Lunch – sponsored by ETS
  Organizers: H. Anne Weiss, Director of Assessment, Indiana Campus Compact and Assessment Specialist in Community Engagement, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; and Ross Markle, Senior Research & Assessment Director, Global Higher Education Division, ETS
  
  Attend both half-day assessment pre-conference workshops for a reduced price and participate in our assessment networking lunch from Noon – 1 p.m.
  • Planning for Institution-Wide Data Collection on Civic and Community Engagement (see below)
  • Measuring Civic Outcomes During College (see below)

Half-day Morning Pre-conference Workshops

• Planning for Institution-Wide Data Collection on Civic and Community Engagement
  Organizers: H. Anne Weiss, Director of Assessment, Indiana Campus Compact and Assessment Specialist in Community Engagement, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; and Ross Markle, Senior Research & Assessment Director, Global Higher Education Division, ETS
  
  Most campuses are eager to answer the question “How are the students, faculty, and staff on campus working to address civic issues and public problems?” We will explore this question in this workshop by reviewing a range of strategies to assess community-engaged activities (i.e., curricular, co-curricular, or project-based activities that are done in partnership with the community). In addition to these many strategies, institutions also often approach assessment with a variety of lenses including assessment and evaluation of community outcomes, student outcomes, partnership assessment and faculty/staff engagement among others. In practice, campuses confront an array of challenges to align these approaches into a comprehensive data collection framework and infrastructure. This session will give participants tools, strategies, and information to design, initiate and/or enhance systematic mechanisms for monitoring and auditing community-engaged activities across your institution.
• Measures That Matter: Regarding Engaged Scholarship In Tenure and Promotion
  Organizer: KerryAnn O’Meara, Professor of Higher Education, Director of UMD ADVANCE, University of Maryland, College ParkMany higher education institutions have faculty involved in community engaged scholarship but lack strategies for assessing the quality of this work for promotion and tenure or contract renewal. Engaged scholars do not know how to make the case that their work is scholarship and personnel committees do not know how to evaluate non-traditional, engaged scholarship. A knowledge gap exists related to criteria that might be held up against engaged scholarship projects to assess quality and impact. The purpose of this pre-conference workshop is to share specific reforms that can be put in place to define, assess, document, and reward community engaged scholarship. The presenter will share promotion and tenure language that has already been put in place at other institutions and then suggest four criteria that could be used to assess engaged scholarship portfolios.
• Dialogue and Democratic Deliberation: Moderator Training
  Organizers: Kara Lindaman, Professor of Political Science, Winona State University (Minn.); John Dedrick, Vice-President, Kettering Foundation; William Muse, President Emeritus, National Issues Forum Institute; and John J. Theis, Executive Director, Center for Civic Engagement, Lone Star College (Texas)
  
  In preparation for the Friday plenary session, Democratic Deliberation on Safety and Justice, we invite conference participants to this pre-conference institute for an introduction to democratic deliberation and moderator skills. During this session, participants examine democratic dialogue and deliberation while learning the skills and roles of active and engaged moderation.

Half-day Afternoon Pre-conference Workshops

• Measuring Civic Outcomes During College
  Organizers: H. Anne Weiss, Director of Assessment, Indiana Campus Compact and Assessment Specialist in Community Engagement, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; and Ross Markle, Senior Research & Assessment Director, Global Higher Education Division, ETS
  
  As institutions implement high impact practices across their campuses, learning outcomes, curricular and co-curricular activities, and assessment tools can often become disjointed. This workshop will guide attendees through a concentrated, cooperative process of unpacking and measuring civic outcomes such as civic identity, working with others to solve wicked problems, civic mindedness, and being an agent for social change. Ultimately, participants will articulate the alignment (and in some cases, mismatch) between outcomes, interventions, and assessment methods. Attendees should come with a specific program or course in mind and consider bringing a colleague with whom you can brainstorm transdisciplinary assessment practices. Attendees will be introduced to the plethora of measurement tools that purport to assess students’ civic learning and development, such as: AAC&U VALUE Rubrics, Civic Minded Graduate Rubric 2.0, campus-wide survey instruments (ETS Civic Competency and Engagement, NSSE, CIRP Surveys, PRSI, etc.), and a host of other pre to post and retrospective pre to post scales such as social dominance orientation, belief in a just world, or the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. After this facilitated discussion, participants will have a chance to apply certain tools to student artifacts such as essays, digital stories, and eportfolios. Applying the tools to artifacts will allow for participants to evaluate and synthesize their plans for assessing student civic learning and development as it relates to participating in high impact practices during college.

• Educating for the Democracy We Want, Not the One We Have
  Organizers: Nancy Thomas, Director, and Ishara Casellas Connors, Associate Director, Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE), Jonathan M. Tisch College for Civic Life at Tufts University (Mass.)
  
  The presidential election of 2016 has been described as vitriolic, divisive, and alienating. And at the same time, colleges and universities have long been tasked with the responsibility for cultivating a citizenry that is informed, vigilant, and capable of managing the most pressing matters of public affairs. Does the 2016 election reflect some any kind of “failure” in political learning, systems, and citizen participation? If so, what is higher education’s responsibility to address those failures? The best time to take stock of deficits in democratic learning and engagement is not in the heat of an election, but in between elections. Over the past two years, the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University has been studying the campus climates – the norms, structures, programs, and attributes – of colleges and universities that are highly political and electorally engaged. From that research, clarity on the kinds of things campuses can do to educate for democracy is emerging. In this workshop, participants will have an opportunity to study and envision institutional norms, programs, structures, and processes that foster the conditions for democratic learning. It will include a candid look at the state of free speech and inclusive learning conditions on campuses with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight from the 2016 election. Participants will come away with new skills, as well as concrete action strategies to take back to their campuses in implement immediately. The workshop will provide a long view to change campus climate – not just envision more one-time programs or events.

• Integrating Civic Responsibility into the Curriculum
  Organizers: Gail Robinson, Education Consultant; Duane Oakes, Faculty Director, Center for Community & Civic Engagement, Mesa Community College (Ariz.); Emily Morrison, Assistant Professor, Sociology, and Director, Human Services and Social Justice Program, George Washington University (DC.); and Cathy Doyle, Director, Sarbanes Center for Public and Community Service, Anne Arundel Community College (Md.)Community engagement and academic learning are central to higher education’s mission. Explore ways to help faculty, staff, and administrators prepare students for effective involvement in a diverse democratic society, and examine the role and obligation of higher education to produce good citizens. This interactive workshop features hands-on activities that include looking at service learning from charity and social justice perspectives; identifying appropriate reflection activities; analyzing course syllabi for elements of civic responsibility and civic engagement; reviewing syllabi from the perspectives of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners; and integrating purposeful civic learning strategies into college courses.

• Student Pre-Conference Workshop
  For undergraduate students only
  Organized by the 2017 CLDE Student Interns: Amber Austin, student, Tarrant County College (Texas); Tyler Ferrari, student, Chapman University (Calif.); and Christina Melecio, student, Winona State University (Minn.)
  
  This workshop will introduce students to #CLDEStuds17 that will provide a space to discuss issues that focus on being an active participant in the local and national communities, and will give students the tools to be effective activists in their communities. These open discussions will be held in large and small groups to effectively dissect the topics being discussed. To thoroughly accomplish our goals at the conference we hope that our peers come with open minds, and thoughtful ideas to contribute to discussions not only at this conference, but at home with their peers. There will be additional information closer to the conference for those who register. We hope to engage our attendees with new, and exciting, information that can further reach students across the nation, and actively enhance the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement initiatives.