Date: December 10, 2024 | Location: Planet Word Museum, 925 13th St NW, Washington, DC
Pre-Conference Events | December 9
If you are in town, please join us for fellowship time before we roll up our sleeves on Tuesday.
DMV Democracy Hub Happy Hour
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: The Hamilton DC (600 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005)
Connect with fellow democracy advocates, civic health practitioners, and community leaders at a casual happy hour co-hosted by the DMV Democracy Hub. Join us to share ideas, build connections, and strengthen our collective civic health.
Cash bar; under 18 welcome to attend.
Film Screening: Join or Die!
Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: The Auditorium at Planet Word Museum (925 13th St NW, Washington, DC)
Join us for a special screening of Join or Die! to kick off the conference. This thought-provoking film provides a powerful look at civic engagement.
Conference Agenda | December 10
Registration opens at 8:00 AM in the Planet Word Museum Lobby
Breakfast
Time: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Location: Mansard Room
The Mansard Room on the 4th floor will be home to meals and snacks over the course of the day. If you need to hop on a call or your computer, this is the best spot. You can view the livestream of the Great Hall all day. Catered by Immigrant Foods.
Morning Sessions
The program will begin with a welcome at 9:00 AM in the Great Hall
How Can Civic Media Help Renew Civic Health?
Time: 9:15 – 10:30 AM
Location: Great Hall
Explore how civic media institutions like NPR and CSPAN are navigating the digital age to strengthen democracy and informed citizenship.
- Katherine Maher, CEO, National Public Radio (NPR)
- Sam Feist, CEO, C-SPAN
- Katie Harbath, Board Chair, National Conference on Citizenship (Moderator)
Measuring Civic Health: 100th Civic Health Index
Time: 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Location: Great Hall
Discover the latest insights into America’s civic well-being with the release of the National Conference on Citizenship’s Civic Health Index. This session will unveil key data and trends, highlighting the state of civic engagement across the nation and offering actionable steps to strengthen our communities. Join Jeff and others to discuss what data is missing in the Civic Health Index (4:00 PM in Classroom A).
- Jeff Coates, Research and Evaluation Director, National Conference on Citizenship
Discussion: How Are Young People Reimagining Civic Solutions?
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Classroom A
Meet the winners of the Youth Civic Solutions Competition, who will discuss innovative ideas for civic engagement from a youth perspective. More about their winning solutions >>
- Damaryan Benton
- Da’Taeveyon Daniels
- Emily Gorodetskiy
- David Guo
- Jenna Fliesen
- Isabella Hanson
- Parth Joshi
- Brandon Tran
- Dr. Audra Watson, Chief of Youth Programs, Institute for Citizens and Scholars (Moderator)
Engaging Communities for Climate Resilience
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Classroom B
Explore how Southern cities like Richmond, VA, Charlotte, NC, Louisville, KY, and Sarasota, FL are leading the way in participatory climate planning. This session dives into the findings of a new report by the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), showcasing how community engagement strengthens climate resilience. Learn how these cities and others have effectively integrated community input, prioritized underserved communities, and implemented best practices for accessible and inclusive climate action planning. Join us to discover how participatory approaches can create more equitable and sustainable futures in response to today’s climate challenges.
- Sarah Beth Gehl, Executive Director, Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP)
- Kyla Fullenwider, Senior Advisor, Surgeon General of the United States
- Allison Plyer, Chief Demographer, The Data Center
Co-presented by SEAP and NCoC
Every Public Meeting: A Vision for Civic Transparency
TIme: 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Location: Great Hall
Discover the potential of a nationwide public meeting database to enhance transparency and citizen engagement. Dive further into public meetings during Darryl’s lunchtime session.
- Darryl Holliday, Partner and Co-Founder, Commoner Company
Mapping Civic Health to Revitalize Local News
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Great Hall
The Information Futures Lab at Brown University and The Listening Post Collective present the newly developed Civic Information Index, a new tool to assess diverse drivers of civic health that can inform opportunities for investment in local news and drive coverage within communities.
- Stefanie Friedhoff, Director, Information Futures Lab (IFL) and Professor of the Practice, Brown University
- Jean Friedman-Rudovsky, Co-founder and Executive Director, Resolve Philly
- Carolyn Powers, Director of US Programs, Internews
Co-presented by Brown Information Futures Lab
Next Steps Toward a National Democracy Strategy
Time: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Auditorium
Millions of Americans are working to strengthen democracy, as we can see on the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map. They include local and national leaders of many different backgrounds and political beliefs, driving over 10,000 organizations in all 50 states. Can this massive, growing, diffuse, diverse set of people come together around some shared ideas and goals? The Building Civic Bridges Act, which has both Republican and Democratic sponsors in both House and Senate, offers one way forward. In this session we will hear from designers of the bill, developers of the Map, and veterans of democracy-building work on the state of civic health and efforts to improve it.
- Kara Jarzynski, Resolutionaries
- Matt Leighninger, Center for Democracy Innovation, National Civic League
- Jennifer Leshnower, Bridging & Democracy Fellow, AmeriCorps
Co-presented by National Civic League
Boxed Lunch catered by Immigrant Foods – 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Mansard Room (Stay in Mansard, or grab your lunch and attend these lunchtime sessions!)
Discussion: How should we think about public meetings data?
Location: Classroom A
Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Discuss the creation of a nationwide public meeting database and its potential to increase transparency and citizen participation.
- Darryl Holliday, Partner and Co-Founder, Commoner Company
Listening to Digital Civic Discourse: Tools & Insights
Location: Classroom B
Time: 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Learn how researchers, journalists, and advocacy organizations can use NCoC tools for social listening to understand and analyze digital civic discourse. , lead discussion about these tools and actionable insights to inform civic engagement strategies and enhance understanding of the digital public sphere.
- Kaitlyn Dowling, Senior Research Analyst at ATI
- Thessalia Merivaki, Georgetown University
Co-presented by the Algorithmic Transparency Institute
Afternoon Sessions
Leveraging Public Health to Increase Civic Health
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Auditorium
This session explores the connection between public health and civic health, and how a focus on health can drive civic engagement.
- Aliya Bhatia, Executive Director, Vot-ER
- Dr. Rishi Manchanda, CEO, HealthBegins
- Lizette Escobedo, VP of Government Relations & Civic Engagement, AltaMed (Moderator)
Co-Presented by AltaMed
Boom and Bust: Cyclical Giving in the Democracy Space
Location: Great Hall
Time: 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM
What drives the dramatic swings in democracy funding between elections? Using data from the U.S. Democracy Hub platform, Democracy Fund will unpack the cyclical patterns in philanthropic giving. From election year surges to post-election declines, this analysis reveals how electoral timelines shape democracy funding—and what that might mean for sustained impact. Join a deeper discussion with Robert and Lance at 4:00 PM in Classroom B.
Speakers
- Robert Griffin, Associate Director of Research, Democracy Fund
Democracy’s Data: How the Census Measures and Strengthens Civic Health –
Time: 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM
Location: Great Hall
The census is more than just a once-a-decade national headcount – it is a cornerstone of our democracy, a reflection of who we are, and a barometer of civic participation. This panel will explore the critical role of the census in our nation’s civic health, from its function as the foundation of political representation to its power as a tool for understanding and addressing the needs of communities across the nation.
Drawing inspiration from Dan Bouk’s Democracy’s Data, this session will delve into the census’s imperfections, the operational choices embedded in its design, and the lived stories it represents. Panelists will discuss how the census measures and reflects the nation’s civic health and trust in government, highlighting its critical role in the enforcement of civil rights laws, driving resource allocation, and shaping the future of our democracy.
- Dan Bouk, Professor of History, Colgate University
- Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean, President, Fair Count
- Cara Brumfield, Managing Director of Research and Policy, Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality (Moderator)
- Meghan Maury, Data Policy Strategist and Current Chief of Staff for the Office of the Under Secretary of Economic Affairs at the Department of Commerce
Co-presented by the Census Quality Reinforcement Task Force
Democratic Innovations: Revitalizing Civic Health
Location: Classroom A
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Would you describe your citizen engagement approach as informative, responsive or inclusive? Explore the transformative potential of deliberative platforms that partner with government to renew civic health. Examine the promise and the practice of Citizens’ Assemblies and Deliberative Town Halls, understand their constituent and distinguishing components, guiding principles and challenges. The session will be interactive and participants will work in groups to address a policy issue by designing a Citizens’ Assembly and a Deliberative Town Hall.
- Marjan Ehsassi, Executive Director of FIDE – North America (Federation for Innovation in Democracy)
- Amy Lee, Associate Director of the Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability (IDEA), Ohio State University
Co-presented by the Federation for Innovation in Democracy – North America (FIDE – North America) and the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA)
Book Talk: Reneé DiResta on Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality
Location: Classroom B
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Join investigative researcher Renée DiResta as she discusses her timely new book, revealing how a sophisticated network of propagandists shapes public opinion by making content trend, effectively manufacturing “truth” in our digital age. As we navigate an increasingly complex information landscape, DiResta’s insights are essential for understanding how modern propaganda works and its impact on democratic discourse.
Engaging Congress: Lessons from the Inside
Time: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: Auditorium
How can citizens and advocacy organizations effectively engage with members of Congress to achieve impact on the issues they care about? This discussion between a veteran Chief of Staff in the House of Representatives and the leader of a firm that manages the communications between legislators and their constituents will help us understand what moves elected officials to take action on critical issues.
- Shana Teehan, Chief of Staff, United States House of Representatives
- Alex Kouts, CEO, Indigov
- Betsy Hawkings, Former Congressional Chief of Staff (Moderator)
Co-presented by Congressional Management Foundation
What Volunteering Data Can Teach us about Improving Civic Life
Time: 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: Great Hall
Michael Smith, the CEO of AmeriCorps will share insights about how data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement informs the outlook on the future of civic life in America.
- Michael Smith, CEO, AmeriCorps
Crossing Silos: The SHIFT Action Lab Inter-Field Experiment
Time: 3 PM – 4 PM
Location: Classroom B
The SHIFT Action Lab is based on the premise that each approach within the democracy ecosystem brings an important piece of the puzzle. If we choose to move beyond the silos of those who share our theory of change and methods, we have the potential to expand our impact. The SHIFT Action Lab members come from across the fields of bridging, community organizing and participatory governance.
They are now implementing several collaborative projects, with a pilot project nearing launch in Parkersburg, WV and a new cohort open to additional funders for 2025. In this session, Lab members will reflect on what becomes possible when we bring the best of our fields together.
- Laura Rigell, Action Lab Convener
- Danny Morales, Action Lab member, Braver Angels
- Matt Leighninger, Action Lab member, National Civic League
- Carolyn Lukensmeyer, National Institute for Civil Discourse
Navigating the Challenge of Public Service in a Polarized Landscape
Time: 3:45 – 4:45 PM
Location: Great Hall
Two former members of Congress from each side of the aisle engage in a frank discussion about the future of public service including both the risks and rewards, with a look at the toll on family life, the risks of political violence, and how to reinvigorate civic engagement around shared values.
- Rep. Val Demings, Former Democratic Congresswoman from Florida
- Rep. Rodney Davis, Former Republican Congressman from Illinois
- Mo Elleithee, Founding Executive Director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service (Moderator)
Deep Dive on the US Democracy Hub
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Classroom B
Democracy Funders Network and Democracy Fund share a detailed overview of a new resource for understanding the funding landscape as well as an interactive discussion about new ways to increase transparency and improve tooling for understanding the relationship between philanthropy and civil society.
- Robert Griffin, Associate Director of Research, Democracy Fund
- Lance Bitner-Laird, Senior Associate, Third Plateau
What are the gaps in measuring civic health?
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Location: Classroom A
During this open-discussion session we will explore the evolving definition of ‘civic health’, that data that is currently being collected, the gaps in measuring civic health and how NCoC can continue to advance the CHI program and support our partners.
Speakers:
- Cristin Brawner, Community & Civic Engagement Consultant Cristin Brawner, LLC
- Rachel Bruns, Chief Engagement Officer America’s Service Commissions
- Melvette Hill, Executive Director Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity
- Nancy Petitto, Senior Director of Programs Civic Nebraska
2024 Citizenship Awards Ceremony
Time: 4:45 PM – 5:30 PM
Location: Great Hall
Celebrate leaders in civic engagement at our annual awards ceremony, honoring recipients of the Graham Award, Hooah Award, and Youth Civic Solutions.
Honorees:
- Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County
- Gwen Graham, Former Democratic Congresswoman from Florida
- Youth Civic Solutions Award Winners
Presenters:
- Michael Weiser, Board Chair Emeritus, National Conference on Citizenship
- Dr. Audra Watson, Chief of Youth Civic Programs, Institute for Citizens and Scholars
- Cameron Hickey, CEO, National Conference on Citizenship
Join Us for a Post-Ceremony Reception!
Location: Wild Days – the Rooftop Bar at Eaton DC
Time: Immediately following the program
Let’s celebrate the 2024 Citizenship Awards Ceremony at a special reception honoring this year’s awardees and close our the conference. Connect with fellow attendees, enjoy refreshments, and reflect on the day’s inspiring moments as we come together in the spirit of civic health and community building.
Register now to secure your place at #NCoC2024 and be part of an inspiring experience! We are also accepting applications to volunteer.