Welcome!

This newsletter is the place to find highlights, the latest news, and upcoming events happening from the communities of our CHI Partners.  

Topics will also include updates on other NCoC program partnerships from organizations committed to strengthening our democracy. This bi-monthly newsletter is intended to educate, engage, and connect our network of partners. This is a networking hub to share information and resources as we continue to build relationships across and among our partners. We will showcase best practices, programs and initiatives happening in the CHI network and provide opportunities for others to be aware of events to engage or participate when possible.

If you have news you would like to include, please reach out to me at lmatthews@ncoc.org.

The 2019 Annual Conference on Citizenship will be held 20 minutes outside of downtown DC on October 29th – 30th at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Hyattsville, Maryland. Further information on how to register for the conference as well as the pre-conference CHI Working Group Meeting will be available soon.Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Lisa Matthews

Latest News from Partners

Georgia

Our partners Georgia Family Connection Partnership and the Georgia Municipal Association have released 2019 Georgia Civic Health Index Report.

This is the second report, following the first released in 2012. This editionexamines the way Georgians interact with each other, with their communities, and with political life. 

Houston

With the release of its first 2018 Houston Civic Health Index, our partners at the Houston Endowment have launched an initiative called Houston in Action which is comprised of people and organizations in the community working together to advance the work of civic engagement.

Houston in Action will mobilize local youth to register to vote and increase voting turnout through the work of GenHTX, advance policy that supports a culture of civic engagement, reduce barriers to political engagement for the community at-large with its Census 2020 plan, especially those affecting marginalized communities, and provide resources to empower organizations to be more effective in these areas.

Arizona

The Center for the Future of Arizona launched the Arizona We Want Progress Meters, evolving, dynamic tools to measure the priorities that Arizonans have identified of critical importance to the future of the state. This includes a focus on two key areas of civic health: Civic Participation and Connected Communities. The Center is drawing upon the Civic Health Index data to track progress on these issues over time and engaging communities across the state to spark dialogue about the aspirations Arizonans hold for the future of their state and introduce tools to support data-driven dialogue & planning. Read more here.

Alabama

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life has announced  the fourth annual 2019 Civic Institute scheduled for August 16th.

Resources & Events

Micro Grant for Moderators 

Net Impact is excited to offer a micro grant of $150 to moderators* who host a forum using the newly-updated A Nation in Debt: How Can we Pay the Bills? Issue guide. This program runs through June 31, 2019. All you have to do to receive the funding is fill out the form by May 31, 2019 and host a forum by June 31, 2019.

“Civility and Civil Discourse in the Age of Divisiveness” – Connecticut Civic Ambassadors Learning Series

Dr. Dana Miranda, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Initiative on Campus Dialogue and the Encounters Dialogue Series at UConn, joined CT Civic Ambassadors and guests in an exploration and discussion on the topics of “civility” and “civil discourse.”  Watch the webinar here. 

New Civic Health Current Population Survey Voting Data Now Available

The 2018 CPS Voting Supplement data is now available showing impact of mid year election across the nation.

Have news or an upcoming event we should know about?

Let us know at conference@ncoc.org

Our Partnerships

As part of our mandate, NCoC continues to build and strengthen partnerships with other organizations promoting efforts for democratic reform and more active citizenship.  We want to share our involvement with these organizations as their focus on a varied range of civic issues could prove beneficial to your work.

The Purple Project for Democracy

NCoC has served as a founding advisor and partner to the Purple Project.  This project will launch later this year as a month-long media and education campaign to foster a climate of mindful patriotism about the mechanisms of our democracy and to inspire a Purple movement of civic engagement.


Bridge Alliance

NCoC will support their Summit gathering in conjunction with our 2019 conference.  NCoC continues to work with the Bridge Alliance and their Bridge Alliance Education Fund to develop more opportunities to advance our common efforts to rebuild a health democracy. To see a list of partners with Bridge Alliance, click here.

American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS)

 The goals and work of the Commission are closely aligned with NCoC’s ongoing mandate and our goal is to participate and leverage information and insights generated by the Commission throughout 2019 and leading up to the final report scheduled to be issued in early 2020.   We can also consider how NCoC might connect our conference planning ideas for 2019 and 2020 to help publicize and promote the work and recommendations of the Commission.

CivXNow

NCoC is a strategic partner to this emerging effort to transform how civics and American History are taught in the United States.  

Know other organizations we should be partnering with locally or nationally? Let us know!

Contact Lisa Matthews at lmatthews@ncoc.org