Giving
We live in difficult, divided, and divisive times. So many of us—who identify on both ends of the political spectrum—feel marginalized, stigmatized, or disrespected. Through The Public Life Project, we will address and directly engage the divisions that are becoming more striking, seemingly more absolute, and intractable.
Your gifts will help teach a new generation to fully engage in public life with the understanding of and respect for differences.
The Public Life Project will be led by a faculty director who shapes the curriculum, solidifies on- and off-campus partnerships coordinates the Initiative’s research core, and develops training for faculty and graduate student instructors—the teachers of tomorrow. A graduate research assistant will partner with the director to implement and develop student-, faculty-, and community-facing programming.
Transforming the classroom experience is key to success. Through The Publiclic Life Project Faculty Fellows Program, faculty will explore new approaches to teaching and classroom design that will help them shape discussions, structure debates, and engage with content that pushes themselves and their students to explore and understand differences in new ways.
Under The Public Life Project signature course umbrella, each year we’ll invite visiting scholars to deliver lectures on topics tied to civic readiness themes. Students will be introduced to national experts and exposed to new ideas and differing points of view. They’ll share a common reading and then discuss lectures and readings during weekly faculty-led seminars/discussion groups.
This new series of public events will model debate and dialogue on civic issues, translate ideas into action, and elevate a broad set of viewpoints. The Public Life Project aims to bring prominent thinkers who will be invited to Minnesota to serve as visiting scholars or scholars-in-residence. Visitors will engage students through workshops and seminars, participate in public debates and discussions, and interact with audiences through live Q & A and special experiences for select VIPs in order to increase civic readiness among students and promote communal learning among our larger open public events.