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Conference Topics

Civic Learning & Deliberative Dialogue

Engaging Students with Democracy’s Contested Questions

Prudence Layne, Roosevelt Montás, Josiah Ober, Carol Geary Schneider, Trygve Throntveit

Scholar-teachers discuss promising national initiatives to revitalize democracy learning, help students explore alternative conceptions of the democratic promise, and give precollegiate learners from underserved communities meaningful access to studies that foster humanity, expression, civic inquiry, and social power.

9:00am - 10:15am
Bavaro Hall
Oct
19

Teaching the Art of Productive Engagement Across Difference

Jonathan Alger, Kourtney Bradshaw-Clay, Ronald A. Crutcher, Riley Davis, Rebecca Russo, Rachel L. Wahl

What is the impact on college students when they participate in structured dialogue across political differences? The featured speakers lead campus and national initiatives to make “bridge building,” “deliberative dialogue,” and “engagement with viewpoint diversity” a higher-education priority.

10:30am - 11:45am
Bavaro Hall
Oct
19

‘How To Disagree Better,’ with World Debate Champion Bo Seo

Bo Seo

Journalist, author, and two-time world debating champion Bo Seo leads a workshop on how to navigate disagreement constructively so that we can have enlightening and productive discussions.

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Garrett Hall
Oct
19

The New Momentum to Make College Civic Learning Universal

Charles Ansell, Catherine Copeland, John Lane, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Jeff Rosen, Janna Vice

A movement for universal civic learning is gaining both policy leadership and campus-level commitment across all sectors in postsecondary education. But can it prevail against a dominant narrative that sees higher education as “job-skills” only?

2:00pm - 3:15pm
Bavaro Hall
Oct
19

Constructive Dialogue Institute: Fostering Dialogue Skills in Students

Jacob Fay

Participants review the prepare-support-intervene (PSI) approach, which gives educators the tools to prepare students, support them during conversation, and intervene if de-escalation is required.

2:30pm - 5:30pm
Bavaro Hall
Oct
19

Constructive Dialogue Institute: Facilitating Dialogue with Peers

Eliza O’Neil

Student leaders review the PSI (prepare-support-intervene) approach, a model created by the Constructive Dialogue Institute that gives leaders the tools to prepare their communities for dialogue, support them during conversation, and intervene if de-escalation is required.

2:30pm - 5:30pm
Newcomb Hall (Commonwealth)
Oct
19

Civics 101: Educating Engaged Citizens and Future Leaders

Carrie Billy, Arne Duncan, Aimee Rogstad Guidera, James E. Ryan

Experts in education discuss the critical influence of civic learning on workforce development, the role two-year institutions of higher education play, and what it means to educate whole citizens.

7:00pm - 8:15pm
The Paramount Theater
Oct
19

In Search of Crosswalks: Connecting the K-12 and Postsecondary Civic Learning Movements

Danielle Allen, Martha Kanter, Ace Parsi, Lena Morreale Scott, Nancy Shapiro, Stephanie van Hover

What strategies are educators using to bring high-quality civic learning to 60 million students in 100,000 schools by 2030? Experts in education explore Maryland’s efforts to align K-12 and postsecondary civic learning.

9:00am - 10:15am
Special Collections Library
Oct
20

Bringing Civic and Ethical Lenses to Students’ Career Preparation

Theresa Castor, Ashley Finley, Dreama Montrief Johnson, Connie Jorgensen, Ashwin Vaidya

For most college students, their chosen major is the centerpiece of college and an envisioned route to future careers. Now many institutions are changing their approach by emphasizing cross-disciplinary questions and courses along with a focus on practical problem-solving in real-world settings.

10:30am - 11:45am
Special Collections Library
Oct
20

Race, Learning, and American Democracy

Derrick P. Alridge, Laurent Dubois, Bobbie Laur, Tia Brown McNair, Jeremy C. Young

An examination of the nation’s racial learning landscape and the actions that educators can take to help all students fully explore our nation’s past and, going forward, contribute to societal choices about racial healing.

12:45pm - 2:00pm
Special Collections Library
Oct
20

Student Showcase: Participating in Democracy

How do students learn about and engage with key ideas and practices of democracy? Students offer their answers through the lenses of different fields and areas of study—music, history, writing, urban and environmental planning, law, and environmental sciences.

2:15pm - 3:30pm
Bond House 116
Oct
20

Education and Democracy: UVA Equity Center’s Starr Hill Pathways

Panelists discuss how universities as anchor institutions can effectively support access to educational resources for underrepresented local youth in the Charlottesville-Albemarle region of Virginia.

3:15pm - 4:15pm
The Colonnade Club
Oct
20