In partnership with ServiceNation, the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) is hosting its annual conference on September 22 at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together leading public and private initiatives to help strengthen citizenship in America, set concrete and ambitious goals for the coming year, and announce new plans for bolstering an understanding of our democracy and the citizen's role in it. The theme of this year's conference is "Beyond the Vote."

Planned highlights of the event include a one-on-one interview about civic engagement with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor; an intergenerational panel on engagement and action "beyond the vote;" and a discussion on the role of the Internet in civic engagement with William Galston (a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution) and Sean Parker (co-founder and chairman of the Causes on Facebook application).

The conference will also mark the release of the 2008 America's Civic Health Index, NCoC's third annual report designed to measure civic progress over time. And while the full report is not yet officially available, a sneak peek reveals some interesting findings about Americans' engagement with the election:

• 52% tried to persuade someone else to vote for/against a candidate.
• 39% said they had watched an Internet video that supported/opposed a presidential candidate.
• 33% watched a presidential candidate's speech online.
• 26% displayed a bumper-sticker or poster or wore a button related to the campaign.
• 15% said they had given money to a candidate or party.

Additionally, the report finds that, across party lines, citizens overwhelmingly back changes in laws and policies that would support greater citizen engagement between elections:

• 87% support giving every young person the opportunity to earn tuition money by completing a year of national or community service.
• 80% support holding a national deliberation on a major issue and requiring Congress to respond to what citizens say.
• 73.5% support requiring service-learning in schools.
• 67% support strengthening civic education.