AEI’s Restoring Free Inquiry & Civility in Higher Education Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo1LG2g7UlE Institute for Citizens & Scholars’ Campus Call for Free Expression, a flagship project of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, is a commitment by a diverse group of college presidents to recenter critical inquiry and civic discourse on their campuses. Two presidents participating in Campus Call, DePauw University President Lori S. White, and James Madison University President Jonathan Alger, […]
Finding solutions to America’s civics crisis
Thomas Kelly, VP of Civics Initiatives, Jack Miller Center Cross-posted from The Fulcrum. Thomas Kelly, VP of Civics Initiatives at the Jack Miller Center, mentions the strides made in assessing civic learning through Citizens & Scholars’ Mapping Civic Measurement report. For those who care about civic education, these may seem like hard days indeed. Recent national assessments suggest that student learning in […]
C&S Fellow Fights Book Bans with LeVar Burton
Da’Taeveyon Daniels (Civic Spring ’23) in conversation with renowned actor, director and literacy advocate LeVar Burton during Banned Books Week. (Photo credit: GLAAD) Da’Taeveyon Daniels, a 2023 Civic Spring Fellow, was named Youth Honorary Chair for Banned Books Week 2023 alongside co-chair LeVar Burton. The annual event, hosted by the American Library Association and coalition partners, was themed […]
College Presidents for Civic Preparedness Spotlight
In August 2023, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars launched the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness bringing together 25 college presidents who are committed to ensuring today’s young people are well-informed, productively engaged, and committed citizens. Since then, higher education has been grappling with escalating challenges, including free expression, academic censorship, and political polarization. Tensions on campuses […]
To Strengthen America’s Democracy, Invest in Youth Civic Learning
Rajiv Vinnakota , President Crossposted from Philanthropy News Digest. As we enter a presidential election year, donors are opening up their wallets for voter education and mobilization initiatives. But temporary efforts fall short in addressing today’s broader challenges. This moment calls for shifting the focus to a more enduring investment: the civic readiness of more than 31 […]
2023 Annual National Conference on Citizenship
The Institute for Citizens & Scholars team attended the 2023 Annual National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) on Thursday, November 30, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Leaders in the civic field and beyond worked together in-person to explore ways to strengthen our democracy and discuss technology’s role in the future of citizenship in America. Several of our staff members […]
Higher Ed Spotlight Podcast Episode – Free Speech, Civility & College Campuses
Battles over free speech and the boundaries of civility are roiling college campuses. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway sees these as high stakes issues connected to student learning and their engagement with citizenship and democracy. President Holloway is among a diverse group of college presidents part of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars’ College Presidents for Civic […]
Democracy Needs Citizens Who Can Think—Not Just Act
Hans Zeiger, President of the Jack Miller Center Crossposted from Newsweek. Hans Zieger, guest contributor, utilizes Citizens & Scholars’ survey, The Civic Outlook of Young Adults in America, to make the case for comprehensive, content-based youth civic education. The 2020 presidential election saw the highest voter turnout in 120 years. Former president Donald Trump received more votes in 2020 than he did […]
UVA Higher Ed Summit on Free Speech & Intellectual Diversity
Photo credit: Cal Cary, The Daily Progress “There are best practices all over. There are organizations working with you, including leadership development with the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, to shine a bright light on examples of critical inquiry and civil discourse on campuses.” -Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, along with representatives […]
How Can We Cultivate Engaged Citizens If We Can’t Measure Our Progress?
Rajiv Vinnakota, Stefanie Sanford, Co-authored by Rajiv Vinnakota, President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, and guest contributor Stefanie Sanford, Board of Trustees Chair. Crossposted to Nonprofit Quarterly. US democracy is in rough shape, and voters know it. According to a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, Americans rank preserving democracy as the second-most important issue facing the country […]