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Overview
The Active Citizenry Series is a program consisting of various workshops held throughout the academic year that will allow participants to not only learn about both basic and complex governmental systems, but will also give participants insight on how they can become a part of our ever-evolving political world. Workshops will be led by faculty across the state, as well as non-academic community members whose goal is to foster meaningful political conversations while simultaneously challenging any preconceived notions participants might have about political processes. In the “age of bottom-up citizen power,” it is crucial that individuals feel as if they can create purposeful change in their political communities. By attending these workshops, participants will feel energized and empowered to take civic action.
Participants can attend each workshop individually, or they can complete the requirements to receive the Active Citizenry Series Certificate. You do not have to be a United States citizen to attend these workshops or to complete the certificate, as the content presented is relevant to all individuals looking to become civically active.
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Active Citizenry Series Workshop Schedule 2021-2022
Before December 6, state legislators will have to redraw our state’s political districts. In North Carolina, redistricting is always a point of political contention, due to legislators drawing maps to better suit their political interests, which is called gerrymandering. This workshop aims to outline the history and context of redistricting, specifically focusing on when redistricting becomes gerrymandering, and how that affects targeted communities. Participants who attend this workshop will learn how gerrymandering can be a tool used to silence the voices of our community, and learn how to recognize when it is actively occurring around them.
Facilitators: Jane Pinsky, director of the NC Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform and Anna Martina, John Blundel Fellow at the John William Pope Foundation
Location: 4210 Talley Student Union
Now more than ever, being able to identify societal issues is vital to active members of our society. But when you identify those societal issues, how do you go about addressing them? This event will be focused on giving perspectives of organizing to create social change, and gives students the opportunity to learn more about already accessible points of creating change. Participants who attend this workshop will learn how organizing can be a valuable tool to create change, and learn about avenues to join existing coalitions that address issues in our communities.
Facilitators: Pending
Location: 4210 Talley Student Union
As more and more aspects of our lives become political topics, being able to have discussions on the current events going on around us is more vital than ever. This workshop invites students of all beliefs and ideologies to join us via Zoom to have structured conversations about recent events, and focus on developing skills to understand others and participate in civil discourse.
Facilitators: Wanya Ward, Student Leadership and Engagement Graduate Assistant and Brian Mathis, Student Leadership and Engagement Associate Director
Location: Online, via Zoom
Join us on January 20th at 6:30pm for an informative and intimate small panel and group discussion with Black local and state policymakers and elected officials to learn about their experiences in creating change in the space around us! Topics to be discussed include their journey and experiences in their field, the motivations that move them forward, and some of the issues and topics that they are addressing in our communities.
Students will be able to take away tools and strategies that they can use to influence policy and create change in their community or on issues they feel are important, and will learn about current topics and issues in the policymaking space. This event is part of our NC State’s Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration week programming and celebration.
Panelists:
Monika Johnson-Hostler, Wake County School Board Member
Sydney Batch, N.C. State Senator
Shinica Thomas, Wake County Commissioner
Stormie Forte, Wake County Council Member
Erica Porter, Wake County Board of Elections Chair
Location: Online via Zoom
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Past Active Citizenry Series Workshops
The events of the first months of 2020 have caused a social revolution as individuals, communities, and institutions grapple with their complex histories and current policies towards the citizens of this country. This session will cover topics to inform and prepare students to engage in activism and organizing in the spaces and communities they are a part of and engage with the complex political landscape of our times. We invite participants to come with questions for this interaction panel.
- Facilitators:
- Angaza Laughinghouse, Activist, Organizer, and Attorney at ACLU North Carolina
- Tavon Bridges, Community Organizer at Poder NC Action
- Outcomes Covered: F, G
- Wednesday, August 26, 2020 6:30 – 8:00 PM virtual on ZOOM
This event has passed, thank you to those that joined us!
Political discussions are getting more and more difficult to have, as individuals are fearful of their personal views and beliefs being highly criticized. This interactive workshop invites students of all beliefs and ideologies head up some dinner and to join us on Zoom at “the dinner table” to have structured conversations on topics of recent events that focus on developing the skills to see to understand and listen first.
Thursday, October 1, 2020 6:30pm-8:00pm
Register on Reporter Here
How did the Two Party system develop in the United States? What third parties exist in the US, and what access do these parties have to the electoral system? What other systems of government exist?
Take the deep dive with us into the United States’ Party system!
- Guest Speakers:
- Professor Steven Green, Political Science, NC State University
- Zainab Baloch, City of Raleigh Mayoral Candidate 2019
- Rescheduled for Spring 2021
- Outcomes Covered: B, C, D
Participants of this workshop will learn the intricacies of how various politically engaged groups impact the American government. We will have a panel of speakers that will be composed of individuals from various interest groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), lobbyist groups, as well as individuals who work in state government. All of the organizations that the panelists are affiliated with will be centered around environmental quality, as this will allow for better understanding of how various groups can have differing impacts within one issue topic. Participants who attend this workshop will walk away with a better understanding of how outside organizations influence our government, as well as how they can become involved in these groups themselves.
- Panelists: Dan Crawford, NC League of Conservation Voters; Joy Hicks, NC Department of Environmental Quality; Matthew Star, Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation; Tomás Carbonell, Environmental Defense Fund; Dr. Christopher Galik, NC State Associate Professor within the Department of Public Administration
- Outcomes Covered: C, E, F, H, J
- Monday, January 27, 2020 6:00-7:30 PM
- This workshop has now occurred. Thank you to all of those who participated!
How does the electoral college work? Does your individual vote actually count? (Hint: the answer is yes!) What’s the deal with all of these voter ID laws? Come learn the answer to all of these questions at this workshop about the electoral college and voting! Participants of this workshop will walk away feeling confident about what their vote means and how the whole voting process works in America.
- Facilitator: Dr. Whitney Ross Manzo, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Meredith College
- Outcomes Covered: E, F, H, I, J
- Monday, February 17, 2020 6:00-7:30 PM
- This workshop has now occurred. Thank you to all of those who participated!
The world of politics is complex, difficult, elaborate, and frankly, tiring. However, being civically engaged is one of the greatest privileges we have as members of a democracy. Participants of this workshop will walk away feeling rejuvenated and inspired to be involved in politics in anyway they see fit – whether that be walking in a protest, volunteering for a candidate’s campaign, or running for a political office.
- Speakers:
- Jenna Wadsworth, a current Wake County Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor and who is the youngest woman to ever be elected to a public office in North Carolina
- Erica Porter, a member of the Wake County Board of Elections
- Saige Martin, Raleigh City Council Member
- Outcomes Covered: E, F, H, I, J
- This event was cancelled.
This workshop aims to highlight how complex and intricate the three branches of government are, and how they work together. Many of us are taught in basic Civic and US History courses that each branch of government has a set list of duties that they are restricted to, when in actuality they are very intertwined. Participants who attend this workshop will walk away with a more holistic understanding of the United States government not only on the federal level, but on the state and local levels as well.
- Facilitator: Dr. Andy Taylor, Professor of Political Science at NC State
- Outcomes Covered: A, B, C, E, F
- Wednesday, September 25, 2019 6:00-7:30 PM
- This workshop has now occurred. Thank you to all of those who participated!
Political discussions are getting more and more difficult to have, as individuals are fearful of their personal views and beliefs being highly criticized. This workshops aims to explain how we have come to live in the highly politically polarized world we are in today. Additionally, it will cover how to conduct deliberative dialogue and productive conservations surrounding political topics.
- Facilitator: Pearce Godwin, CEO & Founder of Listen First Project
- Outcomes Covered: C, E, F, G
- Thursday, October 24, 2019 6:00-7:30 PM
- This workshop has now occurred. Thank you to all of those who participated!
With there being so many different methods and media to access world events updates, it has becoming increasingly more important for individuals to be wary of where they are receiving their news from. This workshop aims to teach participants not only how important it is to stay updated on current events, but how to do it effectively. Additionally, the workshop will cover how to spot fake news articles and outlets.
- Facilitators: Brian Mathis, Leadership and Civic Engagement Associate Director & Madison Teeter, Leadership and Civic Engagement Graduate Assistant
- Outcomes Covered: C, D, E, F
- Thursday, November 21, 2019 6:00-7:30 PM
- This workshop has now occurred. Thank you to all of those who participated!
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Active Citizenry Series Certificate
The Active Citizenry Series Certificate program will give students insight into various governmental processes while empowering them to apply this knowledge to be an active and engaged participant in society. While covering topics ranging from the media’s role in politics to how the electoral college works, students will be able to foster an environment of common ground and reduce political polarization. Students will have the opportunity to build a network of people passionate about civics, as well as gain confidence in their ability to reach out to community members on their own after attending the workshops.
Certificate Requirements
In order to receive the Active Citizenry Series Certificate, a participant will be required to attend four of the program’s workshops, as well as complete a Civic Action Plan. More details on each of the certificate’s requirements can be found on Reporter.
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Contact Us
If you have any questions about Active Citizenry Series, please email bjmathis@ncsu.edu.
Special Acknowledgements:
Erinn Foote, for her Impact Leadership Village project that served as a foundation for Active Citizenry Series.
Madison Teeter, Graduate Assistant of Leadership and Civic Engagement that developed a robust network of experts to lead the curriculum, and for her work of implementing the program.
Adapted from Eastern Carolina University’s Citizen U program