Practicing Democracy

As we deal with ongoing polarization and division, this dinner and participatory workshop will help students develop skills for bridging divides and engaging in critical reflection to see the "civic” dimension of their studies and future work. Ultimately, this session will help students learn to facilitate inclusive and participatory problem-solving in communities. It draws upon a new publication, Practicing Democracy: A Toolkit for Educating Civic Professionals (AAC&U and Campus Compact), a guide that is divided into 12 lessons that use civic prompts and conversation starters for deliberative dialogue.

Nicholas V. Longo is the chair of the Department of Global Studies at Providence College. He also co-directs the Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy (Lab) which focuses on using deliberative, community-based pedagogies to promote equity and democracy. He is committed to working collaboratively with students and community partners in areas such as civic education, engaged learning, deliberative pedagogy, and youth political engagement. His most recent co-edited books include Creating Space for Democracy and Deliberative Pedagogy and co-creating projects related to social solidarity, civic professionalism, and community-based art.