The Academy partnered with America’s Service Commissions and California Volunteers to develop a data-driven approach to building demand for service, sharing the research insights at America’s Service Commissions’ Leadership Convening in Washington D.C. on February 29.
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** Young Americans' Attitudes Towards Service
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Our Common Purpose recommends establishing a universal expectation of a year of national service. To advance this recommendation, the Academy partnered with America’s Service Commissions and California Volunteers to develop a data-driven approach to engaging more young Americans in service. The research was presented at America’s Service Commissions’ Leadership Convening in Washington D.C. While the underlying value of service for the country is considered important, the more compelling reasons for participating are the tangible benefits of service, including earning money for college, developing workplace skills, building professional networks, and helping one’s own community. Interested in what the data shows about engaging the next generation of Americans in civic life? Learn more here ([link removed]) .
** Stories From The Field
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** Civic Learning Week Promotes Civics as Unifying Force.
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On March 11-15, OCP champion iCivics hosted the second annual Civic Learning Week, which included hundreds of events on the importance of civic education to strengthening constitutional democracy. The national forum held on March 12 in Washington, D.C. featured a conversation between U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett that was moderated by Citizen University CEO and co-founder Eric Liu. Major organizations in the civic education movement used the occasion to announce new resources ([link removed]) , opportunities, and fellowships for students, educators, and adults to engage in yearlong civic learning and engagement.
** Mapping America's Democracy Ecosystem.
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The National Civic League launched the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map, ([link removed]) an unprecedented, interactive resource that allows local leaders, investors, organizational leaders, and policymakers to track the universe of organizations promoting healthy democracy in America. You can add your organization to the map using this form ([link removed]) .
** New Data Identifies Americans Perceptions of Civic Language.
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Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) has exciting new data that identifies what terms Americans like and don’t like, the terms that bring us together, and those that drive us apart. Explore the data ([link removed]) here.
** Pew-Knight Initiative to Measure Media Consumption and Civic Engagement.
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Pew Research Center and the Knight Foundation announced a five-year initiative ([link removed]) to understand not only how Americans consume news, but how they absorb and process it to make civic decisions.
** FairVote Unveils 2024 Elections Hub.
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FairVote launched a 2024 elections hub ([link removed]) that will track the latest Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) developments from the 2024 election cycle.
** In The News
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** Building Civic Bridges Act Introduced.
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U.S. Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) reintroduced the Building Civic Bridges Act ([link removed]) (BCBA), bipartisan legislation to support communities in addressing sources of division by aiding local civic and community organizations in their efforts to bridge divides.
** Fair Representation Act Re-introduced.
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U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) reintroduced the Fair Representation Act ([link removed]) , which would establish multi-member districts for congressional elections, institute ranked choice voting, and create new requirements for congressional redistricting.
** House and Senate Pass Resolutions Recognizing AmeriCorps Members.
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During AmeriCorps Week, March 10-16, a week-long celebration recognizing AmeriCorps programs, the House ([link removed]) and Senate ([link removed]) passed resolutions recognizing the contributions of AmeriCorps members.
** Utah Launches Service Year Fellowships.
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On March 1, the Utah State Legislature passed the Young Adult Service Fellowship (SB 206) ([link removed]) , which invests $11.3 million over 5 years in service fellowships that will provide thousands of young adults from Utah the opportunity to serve in nonprofits and agencies of their choice that align with state priorities. More Perfect worked with Governor Spencer Cox over the past year to develop the framework for the law.
** Get Involved
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** Trust. News. Democracy: An Action-Prompting Event in Austin.
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On April 9-10, the LBJ Foundation, More Perfect and the MacArthur Foundation will co-host Trust. News. Democracy ([link removed]) , a conference that will bring together the nation’s leading reporters, publishers, and broadcasters to examine the news industry’s critical weaknesses and failings, and provide solutions to help restore faith in their profession. The conference is free and open to the public and will be live-streamed.
DATE: April 9-10, 2024 | LBJ Presidential Library, Austin, Texas | Register ([link removed])
** Host a Film Screening During National Week of Conversation.
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The Listen First Project is hosting the first-ever national Better Together Film Festival as part of National Week of Conversation. The festival will feature a selection of nonpartisan films that offer hopeful stories of Americans coming together across differences to find common ground. Organizations interested in hosting in-person screenings of one or more of the films featured in the festival can find more information here ([link removed]) , including the form ([link removed]) to sign up as a hosting venue.
DATE: April 15-21, 2024 | Learn More ([link removed])
** Read the Report
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Learn more about the Academy's current efforts to advance reforms to reinvent American democracy and read the Our Common Purpose report here ([link removed]) .
Read the Report ([link removed])
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