![]() "The Futures Happening: Democracy Edition" was a generative and interactive gathering focused on building positive narratives and possibilities for democracy's future. Led by Lisa Kay Solomon, the event emphasized imagining and creating desirable futures rather than merely reacting to current challenges. It featured immersive activities, diverse voices, and a "civic imagineer" gallery showcasing civic innovations. The gathering aimed to empower participants as "civic futurists" to shape a thriving civic society and has already sparked significant impact and connections across various sectors. Read the blog post below and learn more here.
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![]() Weave's Social Trust Index and Map show how different neighborhood traits are linked to social trust. They look at behaviors, intentions, and spaces separately but recognize how they all work together. The data, updated annually from sources like Esri and SafeGraph, is collected locally to be specific and timely. Experts chose data linked to social trust, and Datastory analyzed it into easy-to-understand scores. The Index covers community engagement, intentions, and social spaces to help neighbors connect. Check out the blog post below, read the article, and explore the Social Trust Index Map here. ![]() Thank you to everyone who participated and provided feedback on NCDD's response to the White House Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) recent Request for Information on developing a Federal framework for Public Participation and Community Engagement (PPCE). The final response, reflecting input from our coalition, is now available on the Federal government's site. Additionally, several NCDD members submitted their own comments, which are linked in the blog post below. TODAY - May 29th from 1-3 PM Eastern, will be a virtual event hosted by The Open Government Secretariat titled "Strengthening Democracy and Improving Our Communities Across All Levels of Government: The United States Experience". This session will explore open government approaches and their impact on democracy and communities across the United States. Learn more in the post and register to join here. ![]() The pandemic and political divisions have intensified social distancing and loneliness, underscoring the need for public gathering spaces to rebuild connections. Civic infrastructure, like community gatherings, can bridge social gaps, foster trust, and encourage civic engagement. Citizen University offers a task to all - Become a "gathering engineer" by identifying areas of disconnection and envisioning purposeful gathering places, such as swap meets or BBQs. Relatedly, if you want to strengthen your skills in civics and hosting ritualized gatherings, check out the Civic Saturday Fellowship opportunity. Applications to join the Fall Fellowship are open until May 17. Learn more in the post below and on the Citizen University site here. ![]() NCDD Member Organization, The Kettering Foundation has joined the All By April pledge, emphasizing the importance of free and fair elections in democracy. This nonpartisan campaign urges early support for essential nonprofit organizations vital for democratic functioning, aligning with Kettering's commitment to fostering an inclusive democratic environment where citizens are informed, engaged, and empowered to confront threats to democratic institutions and values. Learn more in the post below and on KF's site here. ![]() If you've ever felt the strain of discussing politics with differing views or feared for democracy's future amidst division, you're not alone. The Building Civic Bridges Act (BCBA), a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress last week, offers a glimmer of hope through funding vital dialogue programs. Take action now by urging your representatives to support the BCBA, envisioning a future where respectful discourse leads to solutions. Resolutionaries has made it easy to write your representatives via the BCBA site - learn more in the post below and use their advocacy tool to contact Congress! H.R.6843 - Building Civic Bridges Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Andy Barr [R-KY-6]* & Rep. Derek Kilmer [D-WA-6] with 20 cosponsors in the Education and Labor committee on 02/25/2022 to help local communities foster civil discourse to address shared challenges. The bill would establish a new, non-partisan pilot program, led by an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding, within AmeriCorps focused on building relationships across lines of difference. The program would have four core pillars:
![]() NCDD Member Organization, The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), leverages science to advance community priorities. These projects are contributing to a growing movement toward engaged, community-driven science. They recently shared an interview from The Wildlife Center of Virginia where Community Science Fellow Devin Jefferson was interviewed for "Untamed: Life is Wild". Devin showcased his work with the Science Museum of Virginia and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond to study urban heat islands and air quality. His interview is in the May 5: Episode 403: Citizen Science (starting at 16:53). Untamed: Life is Wild is an award-winning television series co-produced by the Wildlife Center of Virginia and VPM, Virginia's home for public media. The series focuses on a variety of wildlife issues drawn directly from the stories of the thousands of wild animals in need of care that arrive at the Wildlife Center’s doorstep every year. The stories of these animals illustrate the wider problems wildlife face — litter, pesticides, free-roaming domestic animals, habitat loss, and diseases – and challenge viewers to take action to protect wildlife.
The Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) is a professional membership organization with a vision of increased understanding of—and engagement with—science and technology among all people and a mission to champion and support science and technology centers and museums. Founded in 1973, ASTC champions and supports more than 500 science and technology centers and museums, natural history museums, children’s museums, and other STEM-rich, place-based institutions. ASTC currently runs a Dialogue & Deliberation Fellows Initiative - learn more here! The National Civic League, an NCDD member organization, released the National Civic Review (NCR) Spring 2022 edition and NCDD members receive a digital copy of NCR for free! (Find the access code below.). This esteemed quarterly journal offers insights and examples of civic engagement and deliberative governance from around the country. Thanks to Rebecca Trout, NCL’s Program Director for All-America City Award & Communications, for sharing this announcement with the NCDD network!
National Civic Review Spring Edition 2022 – Access Code: NCDD22 ![]() NCDD is thrilled to be involved in the April Promising Practices webinar from the National Civic League! Next Tuesday, April 26th at 2:00pm Eastern/11:00am Pacific, NCDD's Executive Director Courtney Breese will join Samantha Oakley from the American Library Association and Kellee Forkenbrock from North Liberty Library to speak about the Libraries Transforming Communities initiative and NCDD's support of these efforts. The webinar will also talk about the work libraries are doing to serve as centers for dialogue and engagement. Check out the webinar description and speak bios below. And don't forget to register at this link to join us! Webinar Description: Libraries are far more than repositories for books, often serving as hubs for community life and civic engagement. As one of the last remaining accessible public spaces, libraries serve as centers of education and literacy, academic and professional development, engagement and dialogue. During this webinar, attendees will learn about the American Library Association’s initiative, “Libraries Transforming Communities," which has provided libraries opportunities to learn the skills of facilitating community conversations with help from the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation. We will then hear how two libraries are engaging their communities and centering public discourse. Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) — an initiative of the American Library Association — seeks to strengthen libraries’ role as core community leaders and change-agents. The initiative addresses a critical need within the library field by developing and distributing new tools, resources and support for librarians to engage with their communities in new ways. North Liberty Library in Iowa – Lighthouse in the Library is a conversation series giving North Liberty residents an opportunity to speak on important community issues in a town-hall style setting. Speakers Courtney Breese, Executive Director of the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) As the executive director of NCDD, Breese leads a network of 700 individuals and organizations who bring people together across divides to discuss, decide, and take action together effectively on today’s toughest issues. She directs ongoing programs including NCDD’s work with the ALA. Breese is also an experienced mediation and public engagement practitioner. She has a passion for helping people make connections, communicate more effectively, and make decisions collaboratively. She enjoys examining systems and structures and working to improve society on a macro level. Kellee Forkenbrock, Public Services Librarian, North Liberty Library After two decades of work in the private sector, Kellee Forkenbrock joined North Liberty Library in June 2019 as a library assistant. She was promoted to her current role as Public Services Librarian in October of the same year, serving as the community engagement liaison for the library and assisting with the management of the library’s part-time staff. Kellee holds a Bachelor’s in Marketing and is pursuing a Masters in LIS from the University of Iowa. Her professional background includes a decade of project management with a skills assessment firm and seven years in multimedia advertising for a Gannett newspaper. Kellee is active in her community as a board member, having served for the Iowa City Public Library and Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa. Read more about Kellee on her LinkedIn profile. Samantha Oakley, Project Director, American Library Association Samantha Oakley is an experienced project director with a demonstrated history of working in the library field. She is a project director with the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office; in this position she directs the following efforts: Libraries Transforming Communities, Let's Talk About It: Women's Suffrage, Media Literacy Education in Libraries for Adult Audiences, Community Connect, ALA PPO's annual grant opportunities, online learning, evaluation, and partnership inquiries. She has a BA in English from Western Illinois University, an MA in Gender Studies from Minnesota State University – Mankato, and a Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. |
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