Civic Health News and Events – July 2019 Edition

Hi there! It has been a busy couple of months for the NCoC team! We’ve been busy plugging away at the 2019 Annual Conference on Citizenship –  the keynote event in the field of civic engagement and civic health. As close partners to us and leaders in civic health in your communities, your presence is much needed!  We’re excited to offer tailored programming to our CHI partners – building off the groundwork laid during last year’s pre-conference. More on that below, as well as amazing updates from partners like PACE, our CHI partners in Georgia, the Purple Project for Democracy, and others! Thanks for all you do to strengthen civic health in your communities. As always, if you have an update to share, please reach out to me at [email protected]. Lisa Matthews

You’re Invited: Pre-Conference CHI Partner Meeting at the 2019 Annual Conference on Citizenship

To continue on the groundwork set during last year’s preconference, we’d like to invite you to join and collaborate with other CHI Partners in a special convening at this year’s Annual Conference.  This convening will include presentations that will support the importance of the Civic Health Index as the catalyst for building stronger communities as well as an opportunity to engage, share, and learn about the state of civic health in communities from other partners. This event is open to any current or possible future CHI partners who plan to attend the conference on October 29-30 in College Park, Maryland located 20 minutes from downtown Washington, DC.  The preconference will be a half-day working session scheduled for Tuesday, October 29th from 11:30 am – 4:00 pm, before the opening reception of the conference. A working agenda will be available soon. Register using CHIPARTNERS to receive $50 off your ticket. This registration includes the CHI working session as well as general attendance for the full conference. Reduced rate hotel rooms are available – more information on that below. We hope you can join us for this important discussion.

PACE Unveils New Civic Language Perception Project

The Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) recently launched the Civic Language Perception Project. PACE is a community of funders that invest in the sustaining elements of democracy and civic life in the United States. From the report “Much of the language we use to describe civic engagement and democracy work can feel academic and theoretical, and has become politicized and fraught with misunderstanding. While our field seeks to foster inclusive, pragmatic, and cross-partisan discussion, these challenges can create barriers—and, at worst, perpetuate the ideological divisions we seek to address.” The report reveals findings around the perceptions of terms in civic engagement. Read the report here.G

Georgia Partners Featured on Atlanta NPR for 2019 Georgia Civic Health Index

The second-ever Georgia Civic Health Index is gaining some media traction in the Atlanta! Take a listen to WABE – the Atlanta NPR station – starting at the 25-minute mark. Listen here.

Upcoming Event: Alabama Partners to Host the 2019 Civic Institute

Our partners in Alabama – the David Mathews Center for Civic Life – are hosting the 2019 Civic Institute. Join the event to connect with civic-minded change-makers and thought leaders from across Alabama in a dialogue on the state’s past, present, and future. This theme is “Closer to Home” and the day will be packed with engaging speakers and interactive sessions centered around some of the most profound issues in Alabama. Register here.

Opportunity: Texas Civic Ambassadors Program

Our partners in Texas – the University of Austin Moody College of Communication – are seeking the 2019-2020 Texas Civic Ambassadors! The Texas Civic Ambassadors Program seeks to identify and cultivate the next generation of civic leaders. During their year of service, each ambassador will help to enhance civil dialogue or civic engagement on their campus or in their community. Learn more about the Texas Civic Ambassadors Program here.

NCoC Partners with Purple Project for Democracy

We’re pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with the Purple Project for Democracy – a non-partisan coalition, campaign and movement to recommit to our democratic values and institutions. The Purple Project for Democracy has lined up an impressive list of civics and content publishing partners like iCivics and the Washington Post to help inform the American public about the importance of participating in our democracy. A few reasons why this is so important right now:
  • 23% of American millennials say that democracy is a “bad way” or “very bad way” to run the country.”
  • More than 29% of the public recently expressed support for either a “strong leader” or “army rule”
  • From 2017 to 2018, US citizens’ trust for government, business, non-governmental organizations and the free press plummeted 37%
  • Among 1400 young adults asked about the importance of democracy, only 39% said “absolutely important.”
The media and education campaign officially kicks off this November – so stay tuned for updates.
Have news or an upcoming event we should know about? Know other organizations we should be partnering with locally or nationally? Let us know!

Contact Lisa Matthews at [email protected]!