A Call for Civic Innovators

Update: If you missed the livestream, please see all the videos recorded so far at NCoC here.

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The national narrative this past week, from the President’s address to Congress to the Republican candidate debate, was focused on how America can innovate its way out of these tough economic times. Connected to this conversation about stabilizing our economy and reducing the unemployment rate, our nation needs to find ways to innovate our way out of this civic depression as well.

To address exactly this topic, the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), the Case Foundation, and Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) are convening the Third Annual Civic Innovator’s Forum (CIF) in partnership with the National Constitution Center on September 15 in Philadelphia.

NCoC sounded the alarm back in 2009 with America’s Civic Health Index, which was supported by the Case Foundation. The index found that the economic recession had caused a civic foreclosure with rates of volunteering, discussing politics, and community actions experiencing a significant pullback. To kick off this year’s CIF the Chief Strategy Officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, Heather Peeler, will release the 2011 Civic Life in America report outlining the current state of engagement in our nation.

Building on this report, NCoC will release a supplementary paper entitled, Civic Health and Unemployment: Can Engagement Strengthen the Economy? This breakthrough research, released in partnership with CIRCLE, Civic Enterprises, the National Constitution Center, and the Saguaro Seminar, will display trends of how states and cities with high levels of civic involvement have been resilient in these tough economic times.

Understanding that our country needs to deepen our level of participation and civic knowledge, we will then turn the discussion to solutions. The first panel, Civic Commonsense: The Civic Mission of Schools, will focus on establishing a shared common experience for all young Americans in the classroom.  Kicking off this discussion will be the release of Guardian of Democracy, a new report released in partnership with the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, CIRCLE, Annenberg, and the American Bar Association, describing the urgent need for a quantum leap in civic learning as teaching these skills are foundational for informed, involved, and effective citizens.

Our discussion will then turn from the established groundwork of civic education to supporting trends and opportunities for civic innovation. The Case Foundation’s own Michael Smith will engage in a discussion with leaders from the Knight Foundation, Razoo, Code for America, and Color of Change, with a goal of sparking a discussion on innovative trends in civic participation, ranging from new technologies and social media to new models and groundbreaking experiments.

In the wake of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and incredible outpouring of volunteers throughout our country, PACE’s Chris Gates will moderate a discussion focusing on what’s next in the movement of service as a solution with the Chief Service Officer of Philadelphia and leaders from the Guiding Lights Network, The Corps Network, Reimagining Service and Gap.

The closing capstone of this day of big ideas will be the presentation of NCoC’s Citizen of the Year Award to Jean Case and Steve Case. Senator Harris Wofford and Civic Enterprises President and CEO John Bridgeland will present the award and recount just a few stories of how Jean and Steve have explored and succeeded in changing the face of participation, philanthropy and civic innovation. The presentation will be followed by a conversation between The New York Times’ Stephanie Strom and Jean Case and Steve Case.

In a time where there is uncertainty in our markets, in our neighborhoods, and in our homes, it is time for the American people to rely on our greatest strength – our ingenuity and pioneering spirit. Join us in discussing the trends, opportunities, and dire need for civic innovators to step forward and lead our communities towards prosperity. David B. Smith is the Executive Director of the National Conference on Citizenship