Connect the Dots Student Conference Report by Sarah Massey

A STUDENT CONFERENCE ON PUBLIC DIALOGUE, DELIBERATION, COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING & ACTION REPORT 2010

CONNECT THE DOTS

March 3-6, 2010, Point Clear, Alabama Sponsored by the University of Alabama New College Community-Based Research Internship Program in partnership with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life In the spring of 2010 Alabama welcomed to its gulf coast students, faculty, practitioners, and community representatives from across the country to join a conversation about connecting the democratic practices of public dialogue, deliberation, community problem solving and action. They were also challenged to make connections between these practices and other concerns of community life, such as creativity, education, and justice. Yet, Connect the Dots sought not only to identify what DOTS should be connected, but also to prepare citizens for the very ACT of connecting them, connecting with each other, and connecting to a stronger future together. Acknowledging that the list of people and organizations who made this conference possible is quite nearly endless, New College at the University of Alabama and its partner the David Mathews Center for Civic Life wish to express sincere thanks to the steering committee members, conference speakers, and skill-building workshop leaders featured in this report who gave of their time and talents to make Connect the Dots a reality. A special thanks also goes to the inspiration for it all - the 2009/2010 Community-Based Research Interns participating in the University of Alabamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New College CommunityBased Research Internship Program. They daily inspire their fellow students and all who work with them to be the best citizens they can be. Thank YOU!

Connect the Dots 2010 Steering Committee

Caroylne Abdullah, Everyday Democracy Lydia Atkins, New College, University of Alabama Alice Diebel, Kettering Foundation Kendra Key, University of Alabama Erin McCauley, Johnson and Wales University Lane McLelland, New College, University of Alabama Lindsey Mullen, New College, University of Alabama Dudney Sylla, Bowdoin College Nancy Thomas, The Democracy Imperative Mark Wilson, College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY O n March 3, 2010, students from across the nation gathered together in Point Clear, Alabama, to focus on a unique passion of theirs: deliberative democ-

racy. These students, who traveled from as far as New Hampshire and Oregon to as close as Mississippi and Alabama, made up the inaugural group of Connect the Dots, a student conference on public dialogue, deliberation, community problem solving and action. The University of Alabama’s New College Community-Based Research Internship Program partnered with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life to host the conference. This student-focused exchange was inspired by the No Better Time conference of educators, practitioners, and researchers held at the University of New Hampshire in July 2009. No Better Time was organized jointly by The Democracy Imperative and the Deliberative Democracy Consortium. Over the course of four days, attendees of Connect the Dots, including students, faculty, and professionals with experience in the field of deliberative democracy, networked, learned of similar work being done throughout the country, gained knowledge on important techniques and components of deliberative work and ultimately, established valuable connections with one another. Dr. Catherine Roach, associate professor in New College, attended the conference and noted that the undergraduate students brought energy and enthusiasm to the conference, which gave it a different feel than typical academic conferences and led to productive round table discussions. “There was a younger, high energy feel to it that I think was very productive for the discussions that brought people from a wide-range of different backgrounds together around the tables,” she said. During Thursday and Friday of the conference, attendees were able to participate in skill-building workshops and concurrent learning exchanges. Taught by deliberative democracy professionals, the workshops allowed students to gather crucial knowledge on myriad aspects of deliberation. Workshops included, “Matching the Process to the Problem,” “Social and Political Equity,” “Organizing Public Deliberation Problems,” “Working with Public Officials,” “Preserving Free Speech and Civil Discourse on Campus: Students Rights and Responsibilities,” “Issue Naming and Framing,” “Facilitating Public Forums,” “Measuring Success” and “Sustained Dia-

logue.” In addition to the skill-building workshops, students heard from their peers during the concurrent learning exchanges. In the learning exchanges, students shared their community-based deliberative democracy projects, explaining the successes and difficulties they experienced along the way. Unlike other conferences where single-person presentations are the norm, the students truly conducted a mutual exchange of ideas during this time, as discussion was highly valued at each of the sessions. Roach noticed students took on a higher level of responsibility. “It empowered the students—the conference itself, pre-

senting at the conference and being part of the organization, the planning and the implementation,” she said. “I think it put the students in a position of authority and responsibility that they don’t always occupy as simple students in a seminar. It put them more on show. It made them take responsibility and allowed them to be empowered in a different way than I’ve seen them in most undergraduate settings on campus.” Although the students attending the conference were focused on their work, they were also able to have fun and experience the culture of Alabama, specifically in the coastal town of Point Clear. On the Thursday night of the conference, Connect the Dots participants were treated to the local art and life of Alabama. Photographers, storytellers, and musicians from Alabama, featuring Chip Cooper, Elliot Knight, Joseph Trimble, Wanda Johnson, and the Bay City Brass Band, presented their work, highlighting how art of all forms can enhance community-building experiences. “It was a great format for showcasing Alabama for people who came from across the country and often have never been to Alabama before, and, similarly, for showcasing New College’s priorities on connecting students to communities.” Roach said. On the last day of the conference, students “connected the dots” by proposing ideas that they wanted to work on in the future. With the momentum built, they wanted to continue this connection and establish a foundation for more student conferences in the future. Currently, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, is hosting next year’s student conference, The Citizens’ Toolbox, March 17-19, 2011. n

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Chip Cooper

SKILL-BUILDING WORKSHOPS

Nationally known practitioners of deliberative democracy volunteered valuable time to conduct skill-building workshops at Connect the Dots. Excited to contribute to the learning and skill development of young people from all over the country, these professionals provided the following outstanding array of workshops for the conference participants.

Introduction to Facilitation and Advanced Facilitation Mark Wilson, Auburn University

Chris McCauley, David Mathews Center for Civic Life

Designed for those that may not have much exposure to deliberations “on the ground,” this workshop discussed the methods of facilitating deliberations. Participants explored the moderator’s role and boundaries in deliberative discussions, how one intervenes in a discussion when it goes off track, how a moderator deals with unsupportive community members, and generally, the best ways to get the community talking openly and productively.

Issue Naming and Framing Alice Diebel, Kettering Foundation

The public often feels left out of important conversations about public concerns because these concerns are “named” in ways that seem as though only experts can address them. Further, the way issues are “framed” doesn’t seem to offer the public any real choices. To better encourage public deliberation on public issues, a basic understanding of how to “name and frame” issues in public terms can be of use. This workshop provided an explanation and brief exercise followed by conversation among the participants on this important practice.

Matching the Process to the Problem

Sandy Heierbacher, National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD)

What do methods like Sustained Dialogue, National Issues Forums, Open Space, World Cafe, and Future Search have in common, and how are they distinct? Workshop participants explored the spectrum of dialogue and deliberation practice and where dozens of leading methods land on the continuum. Utilizing mini case studies and NCDD’s popular Engagement Streams tool, participants learned about the variety of models available to them and how to decide which methods are the best fit for their circumstances. 4

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Measuring Success

Carolyne Abdullah, Everyday Democracy

In this session, participants looked at how communities measure the success of their experiences in civic engagement. They explored what indicators should be used for ongoing evaluations that monitor progress, track outcomes, strengthen accountability, display effectiveness to others, and improve engagement in the future, as well as the tools required to meet these needs.

Organizing Public Deliberation Programs Matt Leighninger, Deliberative Democracy Consortium

Centers for civic engagement, public deliberation, collaborative governance, community mediation ... These types of groups exist across the country to serve as partners with local communities. What is currently their role and should be their role inside communities? This workshop explored answers to this question and others such as: How can communities create and sustain their own groups to keep the engagement process going in the future? How do these groups meet the challenges of limited resources, changing participants and staff, unsupportive elements, and other obstacles?

Preserving Free Speech and Civil Discourse on Campus: Student Rights and Responsibilities Nancy Thomas, The Democracy Imperative

On a college campus, students, faculty, administrators, and staff are part of a community of learners. They share responsibility for each community memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learning experience. What happens, then, when political discourse gets polemic? In this session, participants talked about limits to free speech in an academic context, if any, and whether providing alternative venues for inclusive dialogue and deliberation is an appropriate or even realistic alternative.

Social and Political Equity

Michelle Holt-Shannon and Michael Vidal, University of New Hampshire Dudney Sylla, Bowdoin College

This skill-based workshop combined a focus on social identity, inclusion and systemic change with the skills and practices needed to work effectively across differences. Participants increased their awareness, knowledge, and skill sets related to critical analysis of personal and institutional community change. Specifically, participants explored the concepts of power and privilege, teamwork, inclusion, and equity.

Sustained Dialogue

Amy Lazarus and Rhonda Fitzgerald, The Sustained Dialogue Campus Network

During this interactive workshop, participants learned how the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network supports students and administrators in creating inclusive campus climates. Participants gained an understanding of the process of Sustained Dialogue, key tools for creating and sustaining safe spaces for dialogue about divisive issues, and practical steps for launching Sustained Dialogue on their campuses.

Working with Public Officials Wendy Willis, Policy Consensus Initiative Kendra Key, University of Alabama

Over the past decade, community groups, non-profit organizations, student organizations, and faith communities have had many successes in engaging the public in a wide range of deliberative activities. It is clear that the most successful of those efforts are those that are connected to community leaders, including elected leaders and civil servants. This workshop explored the most effective way to engage those leaders in deliberative activities, how community groups can effectively participate in the political discourse, and what the â&#x20AC;&#x153;no-nosâ&#x20AC;? and risks worth taking are when either working with public officials or just trying to get their attention. Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

CONCURRENT LEARNING EXCHANGES Community as Teacher: Teaching Sustainable Relationships Lucy Bennett, Lydia Atkins, Sarah Massey, Jay Murphy, Laura Woolf

How can the community become a teacher in a society that has forgotten its resources? What is a community’s relationship to the education of its youth? This learning exchange covered the experiences of working with a club of 5th grade students at the Tuscaloosa Magnet Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. During the months of January through March, 2010, the children met twice a week to interactively experience their regional food culture as it relates to the impact their food choices have on lives inside and outside their community. The club explored how nurturing these relationships focused around food and the well being of a community can foster better habits of deliberative decision making due to an increased sense of trust and place. In the learning exchange, the participants addressed these dynamics and explored how, by teaching food culture, the use of community resources, such as farmers, chefs and restauranteurs, and locally grown produce, can teach students about sustainable relationships that form the foundation for sustainable community decisions.

Community Voice: An Essential Element of Service Learning and Community Partnerships Elizabeth Hudson, Chris Glass, Deidra Stockmann

Despite the myriad connections universities have made with communities through student service learning, communitybased scholarship, and new administrative units, navigating a university system can be daunting for community members looking to communicate their needs. Though much has been written about improving community partnership, few studies privilege community articulations of need. This presentation shared community perspectives on the expected roles for campus partners when they meet to organize, implement, and sustain social action with communities. Presenters explored five community-voiced themes from an interview analysis of community partners involved in a program assessment. Participants left understanding how to include community voices in their approach to working with communities through better formulation of roles and expectations.

The Deliberative Process with Undergraduate Volunteer Groups Anna Lloyd, Brittney Jones, Lauree Blair

In February 2010, the presenters conducted and filmed forums with University of Alabama at Birmingham and Miles College student groups. The student groups began meeting in Fall 2009 to discuss and act on issues of poverty and education, expressing the need to contribute more meaningful service to these issues than traditional volunteering opportunities offered. Additionally, they desired to make sustained connections with community members. The film produced from these forums documented the process of going through National Issues Forums issue books and involved personal accounts from the students about their experience in the forums. Additionally, it looked at whether or not they felt the process helped them make more informed decisions together and ultimately more meaningful changes in their community. Presenters shared their film and used it to enlist feedback for future projects of this nature.

Engaging Latino Populations in Social Services Joe Parmer

The learning exchange focused on the community demographics which are directly involved with the Thomas B. Norton Public Library’s Latino Outreach Initiative in Gulf Shores, Alabama. It also provided an overview of the Initiative’s mission 6

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Chip Cooper

Photo by Andrea Mabry

to encourage the growing local Latino community to take advantage of the library’s resources as well as bring together the area’s Latino and non-Latino communities in a neutral space. Research shared in the exchange illustrated the extreme importance of bringing in the target community to play an active role in the development of the library’s services and collection. Such inclusion is also fundamental to meeting successfully the group’s unique needs and fostering a strong connection with the library as an institution. From there, the exchange presentation focused on the Initiative’s activities that have already been accomplished over the past year and a half. These activities ranged in scope from focus groups to community outreach events in both the Latino and non-Latino communities. An analysis of the successes and shortcomings of these activities in accomplishing the Initiative’s mission encouraged the dynamic exchange of ideas among participants.

Faith-based Communities: Conversations about Healthcare Linn Groft, Anne Wheeler, Alonso Heudebert

Alabamians and others around the nation are finding that the ways in which we often engage each other on issues that require difficult choices is both unproductive and divisive. In an effort to frame a different kind of conversation around health care that employs a more democratic structure and encourages more deliberative habits, the University of Alabama’s New College Community-Based Research Internship Program, in partnership with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, worked with several United Methodist and Presbyterian USA communities in the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham areas to frame their own discussion of the issue of health care in their community, in the state, and in the nation. Outcomes of these five-week discussions were shared with the learning exchange participants for further analysis and insight.

Fostering Deliberative Democracy through Peer to Peer Mentoring Jacob Sherman, Krys Roth, Ian McCann

How can educators encourage students from diverse backgrounds to respectfully collaborate and solve problems? What role can peer-to-peer mentoring play in student development? What practices can be used to promote deliberative democracy and help students become responsible citizens? The Peer Mentors in the University Studies Program at Portland State University practice engaged-learning pedagogies in their classrooms, creating low risk environments where students are encouraged to express their own voice and value the diversity of other perspectives. This generates an honest connection in the classroom and lays the foundation on which a deliberative democracy can be built. This session explored the methods that Portland State’s Peer Mentors use to connect with their students and challenged exchange participants to think about how they can use engaged-learning pedagogies to foster deliberative democracy on their own campuses.

Interactive Theater Forum

Evan Russell, Gulson Casuvoglu, Michele Holt-Shannon

WildActs Social Change Theatre Troupe at the University of New Hampshire works to raise awareness of social issues in an artistic and entertaining way. The troupe recognizes the power of theatre and music, not only to entertain, but to inspire and touch lives. In this workshop everyone was an actor! The group explored openly, honestly, and frequently with humor the issues students deal with in finding their voice as engaged citizens. Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Chip Cooper

Lenses and Letters: How Teens View Civic Participation Mark Wilson and Auburn University Interns

In fall 2009, the David Mathews Center for Civic Life interns in Auburn University’s College of Liberal Arts worked with teenagers in local communities around the state to help discover and document what they believe lies behind the civic crisis in the United States. After either an introduction to the project or participation in the National Issues Forum on Democracy’s Challenge, the topic of the Mathews Center 2009-10 Alabama Issues Forums, teens were given a disposable camera and the challenge to reveal why they think citizens are not more active regarding the issues that concern them. In this session, interns reported the results of the project and discussed what they learned about democratic participation throughout the process.

The Movement of Improvement: A Deliberative Model for Higher Education

Behnam Bakhtiary, Jack Becker, Darrie Burrage, Nate Fiedler, Chelsea Suchomel, Daniel Weiner

Conducted by the Student Associates from Colorado State University’s Center for Public Deliberation (CPD), the session looked at deliberation and how it can contribute to the challenge of improving higher education. Participants were exposed to a brief presentation of the organization’s overarching endeavors to incorporate deliberation into higher education and a learning exchange activity that modeled a brainstorming process. The activity gave participants an idea of the conversation that has taken place at Colorado State and showed them a unique approach to deliberation that has been found to be valuable for evaluating ideas. This activity “connects the dots” of change within an institution, showing deliberation as a tool for transitioning between these steps: brainstorming ideas for change, evaluating those ideas, and implementing them.

School Board 2.0: A Case Study of E-Democracy and Youth Engagement Nick Troiano

In this exchange, attendees learned about School Board 2.0, an online platform that seeks to increase community deliberation, citizen engagement, and government transparency on a hyper-local level. The project utilizes free Internet technologies to bring school board meetings online to the public, where citizens can view and participate in decision-making. Troiano, who led the exchange, is currently running the pilot program in Pike County, Pennsylvania and offered a case study (in progress) of how technology could be used to improve democracy. The Pike County Youth Coalition, a youth-led non-profit organization, launched the project in July, 2009 with a Democracy 2.0 grant. It can be accessed at www.DVSBonline.com. 8

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Stranger in a Strange Land

John DuBois, Will Thomas, Heather Pleasants, Jodie Simms, Amanda Buck, Robin Mooty

In this concurrent learning exchange participants discussed the methods used by practitioners and students to tap into the deepest roots of communities. University of Alabama students and faculty presented along with community practitioners from the Pie Lab and Horseshoe Farm in Greensboro, Alabama, examining how individuals from non-Southern communities integrate and work in Southern communities. Students also discussed how cultural boundaries are crossed to build a stronger sense of unity on college campuses.

Teaching History and Citizenship: Implementing Deliberative Practices in a Middle School Classroom Cristin Foster, Angel King, Julie Caine

Middle school classrooms serve as unique communities in which to implement the practices of deliberative democracy and decision making. Teaching the practices of deliberative democracy in a classroom provides students with an opportunity to learn decision making skills that will enable them to be effective and engaged citizens in every community they participate in as they mature, including school, town, state, and nation. Among the methods and resources that exist to aid teachers in implementing deliberative decision making practices are: NIF in the Classroom published by the National Issues Forums Institute and “Slavery or ‘Freedom Forever’: What’s at Stake in the Kansas-Nebraska Act?,” produced by The New England Center for Civic Life and Dr. Douglas Ley. The presenters in this session used these resources to integrate the practices of deliberative democracy into the curriculum of Alabama public school 6th grade classrooms at Tuscaloosa Magnet Middle School and Montevallo Middle School. This session presented experiences in working with these 6th graders and explored ideas for future work inside K-12 schools. Session leaders invited participants to discuss curriculum development and share experiences from similar projects involving deliberation with young audiences.

Will You Go Out to Dinner with Me? A Workshop on Broadening Student Engagement in Issues of Diversity Elise Selinger and Becca Schouvieller

In this learning exchange, student leaders of Bowdoin College’s “The Undiscussed” asked participants to consider the ways that myriad identity markers shape the typical “dinner date.” At Bowdoin, they found that enriching discussions on race and class with other identity markers (e.g. gender, sexual orientation, dietary restrictions, religion, nationality, language, body image, able-bodied, etc.) increases the number of students willing to engage in issues diversity. The workshop guided participants through the experience of a “dinner date.” Participants discovered that multiple identity markers inform the choices that each individual makes throughout the evening. Often what appears to be a choice for many is not a choice for all. By learning from one another’s experiences, one learns that the choices made everyday expand or limit opportunities for oneself and for others.

Zombies, Machines, the Cloud and Us Angela Doucet Rand

The University of South Alabama’s Baldwin County Branch Campus developed, over the course of a year, a vigorous and thriving social media campaign. The transparency afforded by the ease of online communities opens doors and gives new members confidence to join in discussions and become a part of a group. Social media users need to be aware of an insidious trend toward anonymity in social media that can work to squelch interaction and freedom of thought. Online anonymity can be a boon for the shy and reticent speaker but it also gives courage to what has been called hive mind. The ethics of creating and using social media that encourages continual democratic discourse was the focus of this learning exchange. Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Andrea Mabry

DOT GROUPS

paced at intervals throughout the conference schedule were times to meet in DOT groups. These DOT groups were designed to serve multiple purposes: 1) provide a small group context for reflecting with others on conference events and experiences 2) encourage participants to meet people other than the friends and colleagues they already knew 3) give the participants an experience in group dialogue and the process a group can use when working together to identify a problem and decide on an action to address it.

of view, answering the question: What do different people say about this? Session 3: Picturing the future, answering the question: What are some different ways we could make progress on this issue? Session 4: Conclusion and looking ahead, answering the questions: What have we learned and where do we go from here? What can we do to make a difference? More information and additinal resources can be found at http:// www.everyday-democracy.org/en/HowTo.aspx

Organized by steering committee members Carolyn Abdullah of Everyday Democracy and Dudney Sylla of Bowdoin College, this small group DOT experience was meant to mirror as much as possible the steps taken in a study circle format practiced by deliberative democracy groups. Study circles are generally composed of eight to 12 people who commit to meet for multiple sessions over a specific time period. As outlined by Everyday Democracy in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Organizing Study Circles With Young People,â&#x20AC;? multiple-session study circles usually follow this general progression: Session 1: Getting to know one another, setting ground rules, and connecting to the issue, answering the question: Why is this issue important to me? Session 2: Examining the issue/concern from many points

In their four correlating DOT group sessions, conference participants used questions similar to the ones listed above to assist them in moving from connecting a community problem they identified as important to a tangible action capable of making a significant difference in addressing that problem. While some DOT groups held to this agenda fairly closely, others took on a life of their own. Recognizing the limited nature of this DOT community (i.e. that the lifespan of this DOT group was limited to the duration of the conference), a number of the groups found their time together most helpful for exploring emerging themes from the conference and ways they could act individually on the various issues addressed once they returned to their home communities. Nancy Panye, faculty member in the Uni-

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Andrea Mabry

Photo by Chip Cooper Photo by Chip Cooper

versity of Alabama School of Social Work, found the DOT groups to be one of the most beneficial compenents of the conference. “As group members began to deliberate around issues, the networking process and the group dynamics had positive impacts on individual group members,” she said. “The groups progressed toward broader understandings of the issues and were able to use collective group wisdom as individual motivation to impact change.” During the closing session on Saturday morning, Sylla and fellow steering committee member Erin McCauley of Johnson and Wales University led the DOT groups in a plenary session in which each group listed on newsprint the issues they had identified and the actions they suggested for addressing them. The lists were posted on the wall and conference participants were invited to put sticky “dots” on the items they personally intended to work on. Among the most “dotted” items were ones that encouraged a) communities to collaborate and become self-sufficient in solving their own community problems b) citizens to engage with and consider ideas of people who hold different perspectives c) students and young practitioners of deliberative democ-

Above (L to R): Issues identified by DOT groups and the actions suggested to address them; Students meet in their DOT group on the lawn of the Grand Hotel; Conference participants “connect the dots” and each other at the closing session. The exercise reinforced the real potential for action on the many connections made at the conference.

racy to find increased opportunities for networking. (See Addendum for list of actions posted and tallied “DOT”votes.) Related to the commitment to continue networking opportunities for young people interested in deliberative democracy work was an enthusiastic call to hold a Connect the Dots style student conference each year. Students interested in serving on a steering committee to organize next year’s conference were asked to act on it immediately by meeting together at the end of the morning session. (For more information about the student conference in 2011, go to the Citizens’ Toolbox Facebook page). All in all the desired outcomes of the DOT groups were achieved, albeit in true organic community fashion. Whereas some groups struggled with having everyone there at each meeting (a result of participants arriving and departing the conference at different times) and some groups chose to diverge from the proposed agenda for discussion, the intended purposes of the DOT groups to provide small group opportunities for dialogue with others from diverse backgrounds and to work through whatever topic they chose in a more deliberative way were fulfilled. n Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Andrea Mabry

OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY A

lice Diebel of the Kettering Foundation introduced the Open Space concept during conference orientation. Those interested in suggesting an idea for a breakfast roundtable conversation, “pitched” the idea during the plenary session on Thursday afternoon at 4:15 p.m. Open Space Technology was created in the mid-1980s by organizational consultant Harrison Owen when he discovered that people attending his conferences loved the coffee breaks better than the formal presentations and plenary ses-

sions. Combining that insight with his experience of life in an African village, Owen created a totally new form of conferencing. Open Space conferences have no keynote speakers, no pre-announced schedules of workshops, no panel discussions, and no organizational booths. Instead, sitting in a large circle, participants learn in the first hour how they are going to create their own conference. Almost before they realize it, they become each other’s teachers and leaders.

one of the many pre-established times and places, they post their proposed workshop on a wall. Open Space is, as Owen likes to say, more highly organized than the best planning committee could possibly manage. It is also chaotic, productive, and fun. No one is in control. A whirlwind of activity is guided from within by a handful of simple Open Space principles. The most basic principle is that everyone who comes to an Open Space conference must be passionate about the topic and willing to take some responsibility for creating things out of that passion - a philosophy very much in keeping with the spirit of this Connect the Dots conference.

Anyone who wants to initiate a discussion or activity writes it down on a large sheet of paper in big letters and then stands up and announces it to the group. After selecting

Connect the Dots participants conducted 14 open spaceinspired roundtable discussions during the Friday morning breakfast, as detailed below. n

Open Space Tables, Friday, March 5, 2010 l l l l l l l l l l l l l l 12

Public Policy and Citizen Involvement in Cuba -- Stan Murphy International Community Interaction at COP15 (discussion, photos, stories) -- Brock Seabrook Community-Based New Media - Digital Storytelling, Blogs, Facebook -- Heather Pleasants Education and How to Develop Models for University Students -- Jack Becker Dialogue and Commitment -- Melvin Perry Mainstreaming Dialogue -- Vanessa Stevens Community Deliberation and Public Health Outcomes -- Alonso Heudebert Incorporating Different Social Identities in Inclusive Communities -- Gulsun Cavusoglu Using the Arts in Community Building -- Evan Russell Matching the Process to the Problem -- Sandy Heierbacher Organizing Public Deliberation Programs -- Matt Leighninger Working With Public Officials -- Wendy Willis Preserving Free Speech and Civil Discourse on Campus -- Nancy Thomas Social and Political Equity -- Michelle Holt-Shannon, Michael Vidal, Dudney Sylla

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photos by Chip Cooper

PLENARY SESSIONS David Mathews President and CEO, The Charles F. Kettering Foundation

Social Justice Advocacy and Deliberative Democracy Carolyn Abdullah, Everyday Democracy Alice Diebel, The Charles F. Kettering Foundation Nancy Thomas, The Democracy Imperative

n addition to the skill-building workshops and the concurrent learning exchanges, Connect the Dots offered two plenary sessions for conference participants to engage in exchanges on challenges to the growing field of Deliberative Democracy. On Thursday, March 4, Dr. David Mathews, President and CEO of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation in Dayton, Ohio, opened the conference by sharing highlights of the civic engagement research gathered by the Foundation over the years. A native of Grove Hill, Alabama; former President of the University of Alabama; and former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Mathews inspired the students and all those gathered to entertain a change in mindset about what it means to be a leader in a community. Citing examples from his experiences of the late 60s and early 70s protests on the University’s campus and the successful efforts of community-based groups to improve their local schools, Mathews challenged conference participants to take civic conversation to where the people are, not simply hold forums and then wonder why the people don’t come. Offering an extended time for questions from an eager audience, Mathews led the group in an informal exploration of responses to the Kettering Foundation’s guiding research question, “What does it take to make democracy work as it should?”

Friday’s plenary topic: “Social Justice Advocacy and Deliberative Democracy: Identifying Tensions and Pursuing Common Ground,” featured panelists Carolyn Abdullah of Everyday Democracy, Alice Diebel of the Kettering Foundation, and Nancy Thomas of The Democracy Imperative. Bringing a wealth of research and practitioner experience to the panel, Abdullah, Diebel, and Thomas engaged the conference in a discussion dealing with the realities that result when an emphasis is placed on a neutral process at the expense of immediate action. The deliberative democracy priority of process wisely encourages working through a problem with more perspectives at the table. Yet, maintaining the necessary neutrality to keep as many perspectives as possible in conversation is frequently in tension with answering the call to justice, which seeks actively to redress wrongs. Many would say dialogue and deliberation only prolong what needs to be done while others believe lasting change won’t happen without deliberation. In response to the comments of the panelists, participant discussion focused on racial disparities in higher education, as well as the privilege a higher education offers in general. The session concluded with this challenge: How will we use the privilege that has been bestowed upon us as college graduates to fashion a socially just and inclusive society? n Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Chelsea Suchomel

LOCAL ART AND LIFE OF ALABAMA

Thursday and Friday evening activities incorporated the local art and life of Alabama.

n Thursday evening Connect the Dots showcased Alabama artists to introduce the connections between the community values expressed via the arts and humanities and the values crucial to decision making. Photographers Chip Cooper and Elliott Knight, whose photography was on exhibit throughout the conference, spoke about the values they try to capture in their photos of Alabama people and scenes. They shared lessons learned over the years from mentors who taught them to look for the essence of community in their work. “The conference was a wonderful experience for a visual artist to hear about events and plans for keeping connected around common problems and goals,” Cooper said. “I found that many issues discussed were similar to things I try to photograph around the country. I have always felt a community involved in the arts is a healthy community so I always try to lend a hand in promoting the Arts in different communities I’m involved in.” Storytellers Robert Trimble and Wanda Johnson told stories of family life in Alabama, elucidating for everyone the bonds that teach us the importance of relationships. From Trimble’s imaginative tale of Rosa Parks making pies as a young girl to

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Johnson’s pearls of wisdom gained from watching her father always care for those in need, the values that allow people to work together for a stronger community were highlighted through entertaining stories. Following the storytellers, Marcus Johnson and his Bay City Brass Band led conference participants in a traditional Mardi Gras line dance, a wonderful image of a community of individuals forming a connection to celebrate together. On Friday evening, conference participants gathered for a sunset cookout overlooking Mobile Bay. Shuttles then took everyone into the nearby town of Fairhope, Alabama, for the festivities associated with its First Friday Art Walk. The conference evening activities emphasized local art and life to demonstrate the potential use of the arts and humanities to enhance community life and thus community capacity to address difficult issues. These experiences were meant to stimulate thinking about creative ways to engage the public in civic action. Reflecting on an artistic representation of a complex social

Photo by Andrea Mabry

dilemma can allow people to express what concerns them in a less confrontational context. Initial discussion at this level of abstraction can also help people of differing perspectives hear each other better before engaging the more challenging details of an issue. Instead of simply gathering people to talk about the priorities of the town on a particular issue, broader attendance and greater depth of understanding could be encouraged by beginning a deliberative discussion with a story or play that illuminates the values in tension with the issue at hand. Some towns have found sharing findings from the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history an inspiring and clarifying beginning to their problem-solving efforts (Art and Soul Project: Orton.org).

Photo by Andrea Mabry

Photo by Chelsea Suchomel

Above (L to R): Marcus Johnson and his Bay City Brass Band lead conference participants in a traditional Mardi Gras line dance; Students at the First Friday Art Walk in Fairhope, Ala.; Right (clockwise): Wanda Johnson shares a story; Chip Cooper reads a book that features his photography; Robert Trimble tells a story about family life in Alabama

Although wanting to introduce its guests to the wonderful art and folklife of Alabama, Connect the Dots intentionally incorporated these arts and humanities experiences to highlight for the students gathered the creative possibilities for better civic engagement. n Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photos by Chip Cooper

PUBLIC DIALOGUE

I now have a deeper understanding of the reasons particular communities and individuals within a community may act or react in a given way. We explored the foundations of political and social inequities and the importance of a willingness to understand a concept or feeling foreign to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own. This deeper understanding is now a tool that I am able to utilize when participating in dialogue groups and working with a diverse group of people. -LEAH BRUCHIS, University of Alabama

Photo by Chip Cooper

While we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily have all of our guiding questions answered, we came away having had a productive conversation and with a new perspective on how to continue to build positive working relationships with people in communities. -JOHN DUBOIS, University of Alabama

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

DELIBERATION Attending the learning exchange really got me thinking about other ways deliberation could be applied. - ANGEL KING, University of Alabama

Photo by Chip Cooper

By attending the conference I felt energized! Students engaged in structured dialogue and community problem solving. Connect the Dots gave me the opportunity to see how Bowdoin College’s The Undiscussed and The University of Mississippi’s One Mississippi could share resources, tips and support one another’s efforts! - ELISE SELINGER, Bowdoin College

Through Connect the Dots I was not only able to learn the basics of dialogue and deliberation, but I was able to begin putting it into practice throughout the course of the weekend. The conference was a wonderful opportunity to enter into dialogue with incredible students from all over the nation who were passionate about creating meaningful change in their communities. - HALLIE PAUL, University of Alabama Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING

Last year’s Connect the Dots Conference was a timely reminder that young people have both the skills and the desire to collaborate in order to solve community problems. The conference provided me with the resources, the knowledge, and the energy needed to return to my campus and initiate a dialogue series among our undergraduate students. -CRAIG BERGER, Miami University

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Photo by Andrea Mabry

Photo by Chelsea Suchomel

Prior to Connect the Dots, my understanding of community problem solving was limited to the realm of traditional politics. Today the deliberative process is my “go to” tool for problem solving in any community I am involved with, regardless of size. -JOE PARMER, University of Alabama

Photo by Andrea Mabry

ACTION

Photo by Andrea Mabry

“Connect the Dots exposed me to a group of citizens ready to march side by side into any problem. I came back with the confidence and tools necessary to act in my community. Citizens who do this work, I learned, are ready to make a difference, passionate about staying connected, and generous with their time and resources, and I’m certainly applying them all today!” - JACK BECKER, Colorado State Connecting the Dots at the end of the conference allowed participants to wed theory and practice together as they articulated their ideas and action plans to others, creating a web of relationships and partnerships around the nation that will, hopefully, lead to the spread of deliberative practices, and the fulfillment of the commitments made at the conference. -CRISTIN FOSTER, University of Montevallo

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

DOT VOTES

Issues identified by DOT groups and the Bingham, Lisa and O’Leary, Rosemary. Big Ideas in Collaborative Public Management.  actions suggested for addressing them.

M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2008.

What will I do?

I will: Boyte, Harry C. The Citizen Solution: How You Can Make a Diﬀerence. Minnesota  • Work with other students to create a sustained dialogue group @ UNH – 1 dot Historical Society Press, 2008.  • Start teaching teachers about this work – 5 dots

• Have conversations with David Mathews interns about future collaborations – 1 dot Brookfield, Stephen D., and Preskill, Stephen. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools  • Use Nancy’s Ground rules – steal them! – 3 dots • Work with faculty doing community projects and share Sandy’s Chant and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass, 1999.  • Support vision of UNH students! • Talk to NCDD (Sandy) about a youth/young Professional Network in the field – 4 dots • Talk to Lane about getting this info out to conference participants – 1 dot Brown, David W. and Witte, Deborah. Agent of Democracy: Higher Education and the  • Attend next year’s conference! Make it a tradition – 9 dots HEX Journey. Kettering, 2008.  • Continue to push people to be attentive to power and privilege dynamics – 11 dots • Send an e-mail to 20 people asking: “How will you change the world today? “ and have them send it Campt, David and Schirch, Lisa. The Little Book of Dialogue for Diﬃcult Subjects: A  to 20 people Practical Hands‐on Guide (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding). Good Books,  • Help create workshops on community organizing and political advocacy skills at my university • Work to understand the Birmingham community dynamics and strive to teach UAB and the entire 2007.  city of Bham the importance of the deliberative process – 1 dot • Strive to create positive dialogue on campus and my community about community organizing • Try to understand more conservative perspectives – 5 dots Cavalier, Robert. Democracy for Beginners. Steerforth Press, 2008.  • Talk with Laurel about creating a course @ PSU – 3 dots • Go back and tell the people that aren’t here about what we do/did Christensen, C. Roland, David A Garvin, and Ann Sweet. (1991) Education for  • Email with new friends and develop relationships/organizations • Encourage other citizens/students/profs to learn about our organization and practices Judgment: the Artistry of Discussion Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business  School Press.  • Uses techniques learned here in future work and share them with others • Call/email/text Lane anytime we have a question (expect Lane to solve all our problems) – 21 dots • Develop a safe honest network Crosby, Michael H. The Paradox of Power: From Control to Compassion. Crossroad  • Engage with and consider ideas of people who don’t think like you – 1 dot Publishing Co., 2008.  • Spread the word of deliberation • Bring values of sustained dialogue to student organizations on campus – 6 dots • Continue communicating and connecting – 1 dot Dedrick,  John, Grattan, Laura and Dienstfrey, Harris. Deliberation and the Work of  • Create a resource for info sharing – 1 dot • Contact people from conference – 1 dot Higher Education: Innovations for the Classroom, the Campus, and the Community.  • Utilize naming and framing techniques – 2 dots Kettering, 2008. • Approach with concrete ideas and collaborative mindset – 1 dot • Have proactive/positive approach dealing with public officials – 3 dots • Work to get under-privileged at the table – 2 dots

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

BOOKS OF INTEREST  • Connect our organization with DM Center • I will write and publish work on these issues – 7 dots • Encourage everyone to fill out the Census – 2 dots Adams, M, et.al. (2007) Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (2nd ed.). New York:  • I will not be a bystander – 2 dots Routledge.  • I will speak up – 1 dot • Try to model what I am working toward Barker, Derek W.M.  and Brown, David W.  A Different Kind of Politics: Readings on the  • Try a Pecha Kucha in my classroom – 4 dots Role of Higher Education in Democracy. Kettering, 2009.  • Try to work with a local public school garden/food program – 4 dots • Increase the number of community members who are DIRECTLY involved in K-12 mentoring and education – 5 dots Bingham, Lisa and O’Leary, Rosemary. Big Ideas in Collaborative Public Management.  • Have a conversation with an existing program at my school – 5 dots • Email Vanessa about knowledge café and website M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2008.  • Seek out other organizations • Find creative ways to integrate forums on my campus – 2 dots Boyte, Harry C. The Citizen Solution: How You Can Make a Difference. Minnesota  • Use deliberative skills to solve conflicts at my school • Consider how to use this method to talk about immigration reform and involve immigrants – 1 dot Historical Society Press, 2008.  • Consider collaborative workshop with peer program and dialogue program Brookfield, Stephen D., and Preskill, Stephen. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools  • Find ways to incorporate this process at Alabama A&M / Connect dots back to communities • Contact at least one person once a month (from Connect the Dots) – 2 dots and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass, 1999.  • Talk with one person, when the opportunity is there, who I wouldn’t normally talk to – 2 dots • Listen to news for underlying values – 2 dots • Talk to people with different values/points of view than I have – 2 dots Brown, David W. and Witte, Deborah. Agent of Democracy: Higher Education and the  • Ask more questions – 4 dots HEX Journey. Kettering, 2008.  • Host a forum in my community – 1 dot • Facilitate/moderate said forum • Get my friends involved Campt, David and Schirch, Lisa. The Little Book of Dialogue for Difficult Subjects: A  • Be patient / stay committed – 3 dots Practical Hands‐on Guide (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding). Good Books,  • Raise awareness online – 1 dot 2007.  • Vote or die – 2 dots • Do this well Cavalier, Robert. Democracy for Beginners. Steerforth Press, 2008.  • Use modern tech to defend the constitution • Accept your friend request – 3 dots • Encourage others and empower them with forum models Christensen, C. Roland, David A Garvin, and Ann Sweet. (1991) Education for  • Help organize a safe-space for speech by contacting trained persons on campus – 1 dot • Spread the word about organizations such as One Mississippi – 2 dots Judgment: the Artistry of Discussion Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business  • Email a local community that I met here to co-work on a project – 1 dot School Press.  • Connect a specific group with One Mississippi – 1 dot • Work with others to create a conference at One Mississippi – 3 dots • Moderate more forums – 2 dots Crosby, Michael H. The Paradox of Power: From Control to Compassion. Crossroad  Publishing Co., 2008.  • Lead groups in sustained dialogue – 2 dots • Seek out more community partners and community conveners – 5 dots • Seek out more individuals to hold moderator training workshops Dedrick,  John, Grattan, Laura and Dienstfrey, Harris. Deliberation and the Work of  • Do more publicity for existing and new forums (larger scale) – 1 dot • Explore new deliberative practices like study circles, bohn dialogue, etc. – 5 dots Higher Education: Innovations for the Classroom, the Campus, and the Community.  • Look up open government initiative – 1 dot Kettering, 2008. • Allow everyone to participate • Thank the people who made this even possible – 5 dots • Encourage my supervisor to express my values to people in power

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

• Use democratic practices in my BOOKS OF INTEREST  personal life – 2 dots • Establish spaces for public dialogue on campus Adams, M, et.al. (2007) Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (2nd ed.). New York:  • Focus on my immediate community on campus • Offer myself as a resource person – 1 dot Routledge.  • Raise awareness about connecting the dots – 2 dots • Build cohesion, overcome individualism – 3 dots Barker, Derek W.M.  and Brown, David W.  A Diﬀerent Kind of Politics: Readings on the  • Strengthen citizen voice through community organization – 1 dot • Open my house for consultation, planning, and reflection – 1 dot Role of Higher Education in Democracy. Kettering, 2009.  • Share insights from this conference with online social action group – 1 dot • Spread knowledge through blogs, conversations, etc. with friends and family Bingham, Lisa and O’Leary, Rosemary. Big Ideas in Collaborative Public Management.  • Incorporate this comm. – 6 dots • Capacity-building into K-12 curriculums and community wide programs – 3 dots M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2008.  • Encourage problems to be addressed outside of the hierarchical governing structures – 3 dots

Boyte, Harry C. The Citizen Solution: How You Can Make a Diﬀerence. Minnesota  Historical Society Press, 2008.

What specific things need to happen?

Brookfield, Stephen D., and Preskill, Stephen. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools  • Empower communities to collaborate and become self-sufficient in solving community problems – 16 dots and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass, 1999.

• Increase skill sets through workshops and trainings, etc. – 2 dots • Train the trainers Brown, David W. and Witte, Deborah. Agent of Democracy: Higher Education and the  • Skills to target: community, organizing, political engagement, community advocacy, facilitation HEX Journey. Kettering, 2008.  • Open dialog – 1 dot • Organize our resources – 1 dot • Engage children in deliberative process – 8 dots Campt, David and Schirch, Lisa. The Little Book of Dialogue for Diﬃcult Subjects: A  • Encourage more participation – 1 dot Practical Hands‐on Guide (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding). Good Books,  • Media needs to be less polarizing – 6 dots • Provide access to conversations – 1 dot 2007.  • More dialogue and forums at Ole Miss about pertinent issues – 2 dots • Discussions in a safe environment about religion at VA – 2 dots Cavalier, Robert. Democracy for Beginners. Steerforth Press, 2008.  • At UAB, make sure community members are being included in dialogues – 2 dots • At PSU, connect with students in the University Studies Program • People need more opportunities to discuss things in their community (forums) Christensen, C. Roland, David A Garvin, and Ann Sweet. (1991) Education for  • Deliberate more, debate less – 11 dots Judgment: the Artistry of Discussion Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business  • Identify specific issues that need to be addressed by the citizens of that community – 4 dots School Press.  • Identify key people who can bring more people to the table – 6 dots • Create timeframe appropriate action to ensure long term success and change – 1 dot • Education, both comprehensive and civic Crosby, Michael H. The Paradox of Power: From Control to Compassion. Crossroad  • Career mobility and freedom – 1 dot Publishing Co., 2008.  • Grassroots movement to empower communities • Consciousness raising – 1 dot • Bring all perspectives to the table – 13 dots Dedrick,  John, Grattan, Laura and Dienstfrey, Harris. Deliberation and the Work of  • Government 2.0 – 7 dots Higher Education: Innovations for the Classroom, the Campus, and the Community.  • Increase awareness (talk to people) 3 dots Kettering, 2008. • Informing ourselves – 1 dot • Becoming a better facilitator – 5 dots • Practicing dialogue skills beyond the forum groups

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

BOOKS OF INTEREST  • Dig deeper into thoughts by asking why? • Make effort to increase diversity – 5 dots • Consider Multiple POV – 2 dots Adams, M, et.al. (2007) Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (2nd ed.). New York:  • Make connections and build community and campus relationships – 4 dots Routledge.  • Increased citizen engagement • More focus and standards on civic education K-12 – 3 dots • Collaboration: Government of, by and with the people – 1 dot Barker, Derek W.M.  and Brown, David W.  A Different Kind of Politics: Readings on the  • Hold more community/campus forums – 4 dots Role of Higher Education in Democracy. Kettering, 2009.  • Creation of public space for exchange of ideas (i.e. in public transportation) – 5 dots • Using technology and web 2.0 to open government and create opportunities for participation – 1 dot • Creative PSAs about getting involved Bingham, Lisa and O’Leary, Rosemary. Big Ideas in Collaborative Public Management.  M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2008.  • Ensuring diversity in deliberation – 5 dots • Elect leaders (not politicians) who get this! – 5 dots • Have a “place” (online) to continue the conversation and reflect – 1 dot Boyte, Harry C. The Citizen Solution: How You Can Make a Difference. Minnesota  • More conferences – 2 dots • Creation of public and impartial places for deliberation Historical Society Press, 2008.  • Increase minority representation at the table – 7 dots • Increase collaboration citizen-citizen and citizen-officials – 4 dots Brookfield, Stephen D., and Preskill, Stephen. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools  • Start small – 4 dots • Combine materials/perspectives from this conference and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass, 1999.  • Continue networking – 2 dots • Bring perspectives from this conference back to campuses and organizations – 7 dots Brown, David W. and Witte, Deborah. Agent of Democracy: Higher Education and the  • Introduce methods of dialogue and deliberation into work and jobs – 1 dot HEX Journey. Kettering, 2008.  • Share knowledge gained at other conferences • Bridge resources between attendees, use knowledge, place and institution to bring our passion and skills together – 3 dots Campt, David and Schirch, Lisa. The Little Book of Dialogue for Difficult Subjects: A  • Network – using NING – people from each state from this conference posting reflections and Practical Hands‐on Guide (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding). Good Books,  forums – 4 dots • Create safe spaces for dialogue in our communities 2007.  • Challenging yourself and others to step out of our/their comfort zone – 2 dots • Listen eloquently, active/respectful listening to find common values behind stories and comments Cavalier, Robert. Democracy for Beginners. Steerforth Press, 2008.  (empathy for others) – 2 dots • More intentional in using conference tools – 1 dot • DD field should connect/collaborate with other fields in community change (social justice, etc.) – 8 dots Christensen, C. Roland, David A Garvin, and Ann Sweet. (1991) Education for  Judgment: the Artistry of Discussion Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business  • Build the habit of paying attention to issues of power – not blaming – 3 dots • Theory from practice – ground work = theory – 1 dot School Press.  • Don’t lose focus on small communities or opportunities telling the story of the impact of DD – 2 dots • Create art and new media about work printed!!! – 1 dot • Need to develop youth affiliates (regionals?) funding through field work – 1 dot Crosby, Michael H. The Paradox of Power: From Control to Compassion. Crossroad  • Develop resources to prepare young people to run for public office – 3 dots Publishing Co., 2008.  • More writing! Blogs, editorials – what you value (from 30 and under crowd) – What public life should look like – 15 dots • Peer to Peer review/publish youth journal or adopt journal section (NCDD?) – 1 dot Dedrick,  John, Grattan, Laura and Dienstfrey, Harris. Deliberation and the Work of  • Census! Info to college students – 1 dot Higher Education: Innovations for the Classroom, the Campus, and the Community.  • UA journal of Community Engagement Scholarship – 3 dots Kettering, 2008. • Jargon free, plain spoken – 6 dots

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Wednesday, March 3rd 3:00‐8:00 Registration

Grand Ballroom Foyer

6:00

Dinner Buffet

Grand Ballroom Patio

7:00

Connections

Grand Ballroom North

Thursday, March 4th 8:15  Breakfast: Roundtable Discussions  9:00

Orientation/Overview of sessions

Grand Ballroom North

10:00  Skill‐building Workshops Matching the Process to the Problem  Magnolia 1 Sandy Heierbacher, National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation  Social and Political Equity  Magnolia 2 Michelle Holt‐Shannon and Michael Vidal, University of New Hampshire Dudney Sylla, Bowdoin College Organizing Public Deliberation Problems          Matt Leighninger, Deliberative Democracy Consortium

Magnolia 3

Working with Public Oﬃcials  Wendy Willis, Policy Consensus Initiative Kendra Key, University of Alabama

Magnolia 5

Preserving Free Speech and Civil Discourse on  Campus: Student Rights and Responsibilities Nancy Thomas, The Democracy Imperative

Magnolia 6

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

12:15

Lunch: Welcome and Keynote  David Mathews, President, Kettering Foundation

Grand Ballroom North

1:30

Study Circle Discussion: Dot Groups

Grand Ballroom North

2:30

Break

2:45

Concurrent learning exchanges: Session I Interactive Theater Forum  Evan Russell, Gulson Casuvoglu, Michele Holt‐Shannon

Beachside

Zombies, Machines, the Cloud and Us  Angela Doucet Rand

Magnolia 1

Community as Teacher  Magnolia 2 Lucy Bennett, Lydia Atkins, Sarah Massey, Jay Murphy, Laura Woolf

The Movement of Improvement: a Deliberative   Model for Higher Education Behnam Bakhtiary, Jack Becker, Darrie Burrage, Nate Fiedler, Chelsea Suchomel, Daniel Weiner

Magnolia 3

Stranger in a Strange Land  John DuBois, Will Thomas, Heather Pleasants, Jodie Simms,  Amanda Buck, Robin Mooty

Magnolia 5

Lenses and Letters: How Teens View Civic Participation  Mark Wilson et al.

Magnolia 6

4:15

Plenary: Call for open space at breakfast roundtables   Grand Ballroom North

5:00

Poster session, Organization Exhibits, and Reception  Grand Ballroom North

6:00

Dinner

Grand Ballroom North

7:00

Local Art and Life

Grand Ballroom North

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Friday, March 5th 8:00  Breakfast: Roundtable discussions   9:00

Grand Ballroom North

Skill‐building Workshops Issue Naming and Framing  Alice Diebel, Kettering Foundation

Magnolia 1

Facilitating Public Forums  Mark Wilson, Auburn University Chris McCauley, David Mathews Center for Civic Life

Magnolia 2

Measuring Success  Carolyne Abdullah, Everyday Democracy

Magnolia 3

Sustained Dialogue  Amy Lazarus, The Sustained Dialogue Campus Network Rhonda Fitzgerald, The Sustained Dialogue Campus Network

Magnolia 5

11:00  Break 11:15

Social Justice Advocacy and Deliberative Democracy:   Grand Ballroom North Identifying Tensions and Pursuing Common Ground Abdullah, Everyday Democracy Panel:   Carolyn Martha McCoy, Executive Director of Everyday Democracy Alice Diebel, Kettering Foundation   Najeeba Syeed‐Miller, Center for Civic Engagement and Dialogue Nancy Thomas, The Democracy Imperative

12:30  Lunch: Roundtable and large group discussions   Grand Ballroom South   Social Justice Advocacy and Deliberative Democracy: Identifying Tensions and Pursuing

Common Ground

1:45

Study Circle Discussion: Dot Groups

2:45

Break

3:00

Concurrent Learning Exchange: Session II

School Board 2.0: A Case Study of E‐Democracy  and Youth Engagement Nick Troiano

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Grand Ballroom North

Magnolia 1

4:15

Will You Go Out to Dinner with me? A Workshop on  Broadening Student Engagement in Issues of Diversity Elise Selinger, Becca Schouvieller

Magnolia 2

Fostering Deliberative Democracy through  Peer to Peer Mentoring Jacob Sherman, Krys Roth, Ian McCann

Magnolia 3

Engaging Latino Populations in Social Services  Joe Parmer

Magnolia 5

Community Voice: An Essential Element of   Service Learning and Community Partnerships Elizabeth Hudson, Chris Glass, Deidra Stockmann

Magnolia 6

Concurrent Learning Exchange: Session III

Faith‐based Communities: Conversation about Healthcare  Linn Groft, Anne Wheeler, Alonso Heudebert

Magnolia 1

The Deliberative Process with   Undergraduate Volunteer Groups Anna Lloyd, Brittney Jones, Lauree Blair

Magnolia 2

Teaching History and Citizenship: Implementing   Deliberative Practices in a Middle School Classroom Cristin Foster, Angel King, Julie Caine

Magnolia 3

Center for Public Deliberation: Building Student   Magnolia 5 Capacity for Deliberative Practice Through Passionate Impartiality Leah Sprain, Jack Becker, Darrie Burrage, Chelsea Suchomel, Daniel Weiner One Mississippi: Bridging Racial Barriers Through Dialogue  Jacob McGraw, Patrick Weems

5:30

Bayside Social

Magnolia 6

Grand Ballroom Patio

Saturday, March 6th 8:15  Breakfast with Dot Groups

Azalea Ballroom

9:15

Azalea Ballroom

State‐wide and Regional Networking

10:00  Report Back on Networking Plans and Farewell

Azalea Ballroom Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

BOOKS OF INTEREST  Adams, M, et.al. (2007) Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (2nd ed.). New York:  Routledge.  Barker, Derek W.M.  and Brown, David W.  A Different Kind of Politics: Readings on the  Role of Higher Education in Democracy. Kettering, 2009.  Bingham, Lisa and O’Leary, Rosemary. Big Ideas in Collaborative Public Management.  M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2008.  Boyte, Harry C. The Citizen Solution: How You Can Make a Difference. Minnesota  Historical Society Press, 2008.  Brookfield, Stephen D., and Preskill, Stephen. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools  and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey‐Bass, 1999.  Brown, David W. and Witte, Deborah. Agent of Democracy: Higher Education and the  HEX Journey. Kettering, 2008.  Campt, David and Schirch, Lisa. The Little Book of Dialogue for Difficult Subjects: A  Practical Hands‐on Guide (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding). Good Books,  2007.  Cavalier, Robert. Democracy for Beginners. Steerforth Press, 2008.  Christensen, C. Roland, David A Garvin, and Ann Sweet. (1991) Education for  Judgment: the Artistry of Discussion Leadership. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business  School Press.  Crosby, Michael H. The Paradox of Power: From Control to Compassion. Crossroad  Publishing Co., 2008.  Dedrick,  John, Grattan, Laura and Dienstfrey, Harris. Deliberation and the Work of  Higher Education: Innovations for the Classroom, the Campus, and the Community.  Kettering, 2008.

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Diamond, M.R. (ed.) (2008) Encountering Faith in the Classroom. Sterling: Stylus  Publishing, Inc.  Dzur, Albert. Democratic Professionalism. Penn State Press, 2008.   Dukes, Franklin E.  Reaching for Higher Ground: Creating Purpose‐driven, Principled,  And Powerful Groups. BookSurge Publishing, 2009.  Finkel, D. L. (2000) Teaching with your Mouth Shut. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook  Publishers.  Fishkin, James. When the People Speak: Deliberative Democracy and Public  Consultation. Oxford University Press, 2009.  Friedman, Will and Yanklovich, Dan. Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Judgment:  Making Democracy Work in a Complex World. 2009.  Forester, John. Dealing with Diﬀerences: The Drama of Mediating Public Disputes.  Oxford University Press, June 2009.  Fung, Archon, Graham, Mary and Weil, David. Full Disclosure: The Perils and Promise of  Transparency. Cambridge University Press, 2007.  Fung, Archon. Empowered Participation: Reinventing Urban Democracy (Princeton,  2004)  Fung, Archon and Wright, Erik Olin eds, Deepening Democracy: Institutional  Innovations in Empowered Participation (Verso, 2003)  Galura, J., Pasque, D. , Schoem, D. Howard, J. 2004.  Engaging the Whole of Service‐ Learning, Diversity and Learning Communities. Ann Arbor: OCSL Press at U of  Michigan.  Gastil, J. (2008) Political Communication and Deliberation. Thousand Oaks: Sage  Publications, Inc.

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Gastil, J. and Levine, P. (2006) The Deliberative Democracy Handbook: Strategies for  Eﬀective Civic Engagement in the 21st Century. San Francisco: Jossey Bass and John  Wiley & Sons.  Guinness, Os. The Case for Civility, and Why Our Future Depends on It. HarperOne,  2008.  Harriger, Katy and McMillan, Jill. Speaking of Politics: Preparing College Students for  Democratic Citizenship Through Deliberative Dialogue. Kettering, 2007.  Hawken, Paul. Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement In the World Came Into  Being and Why No One Saw it Coming. Viking Press: New York, 2007.  Hess, Diana. Controversy in the Classroom: The Democratic Power of Discussion.  Routledge, 2009.  Kadlec, Alison. Dewey’s Critical Pragmatism. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.  Keith, William M. Democracy as Discussion: Civic Education and the American Forum  Movement. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.  Korgen, Kathleen. The Engaged Sociologist. Pine Forge Press, 2008.  Leighninger, Matt. The Next Form of Democracy. Vanderbilt, 2007.   Levine, Peter. The Future of Democracy: Developing the Next Generation of American  Citizens. Tufts University Press, 2007.  Mallory, Bruce, Aber, John and Kelly, Tom. The Sustainable Learning Community: One  University’s Journey to the Future. University of New Hampshire, June 2009.  McAfee, Noel. Democracy and the Political Unconscious (New Directions in Critical  Theory., Columbia University Press, 2008. McKeachie, W.J., et al, (1994) Teaching Tips. Lexington, MA:  DC Heath.  Meister, Hans Peter. Participation: A Program for Politics, Business and Society. 2008.

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Nash, R.J., et. al. (2008) How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus. Sand Francisco:  John Wiley & Sons, inc.   Oakes, Jeannie and Rogers, Fred. Learning Power: Organizing for Education and  Justice. Teachers College Press, 2006.  O'Leary, Rosemary and Bingham, Lisa Blomgren (eds), The Collaborative Public  Manager, Georgetown University Press, 2009.  Rostboll, Christian F. Deliberative Freedom: Deliberative Democracy as Critical Theory.  SUNY Press, 2008.  Schaffer, Marguerite. Public Culture: Diversity, Democracy and Community in the  United States. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.  Schoem, D. and Hurtado, S. eds. (2001) Intergroup Dialogue: Deliberative Democracy  in School, College, Community, and Workplace. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan  Press.  Singleton, G. and C. Linton (2006) Courageous Conversations About Race. Thousand  Oaks: Corwin Press.  Sirianni, Carmen. Investing in Democracy: Engaging Citizens in Collaborative  Governance. Brookings Institution Press, 2009.  Sarah Stitzlein, Breaking Bad Habits of Race and Gender: Transforming Identity in  Schools.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Press, 2008.  Tatum, B. D. (1997) Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, and  other conversations about race. New York: Basic Books. Weinberg, Adam and Hovey, Rebecca. Global Learning and the Making of Citizen  Diplomats. Routledge, 2009. Yankelovich, D. (1999) The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conﬂict into Cooperation.  New York: Simon & Schuster.  Zlotkowski, Edward. Students as Colleagues. Campus Compact, 2006.

Connect the Dots Student Conference Report

Connect the Dots report designed by Sarah Massey Photo by Chip Cooper

Photo by Chelsea Suchomel

Photo by Andrea Mabry

Photo by Chip Cooper

Photo by Andrea Mabry