{"id":1121,"date":"2025-09-14T19:26:46","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T23:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bsu.edu\/civics\/?p=1121"},"modified":"2025-09-20T10:48:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-20T14:48:25","slug":"ball-states-2025-conference-on-civic-studies-and-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bsu.edu\/civics\/ball-states-2025-conference-on-civic-studies-and-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ball State\u2019s 2025 Conference on Civic Studies and Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Art, Voice, and the Work of Democracy: Inside Ball State\u2019s 2025 Conference on Civic Studies & Democracy<\/h1>\n

When & Where:<\/strong> September 25\u201327 \u2022 L.A. Pittenger Student Center (Ballroom & SC301\u2013SC304)<\/p>\n

Theme:<\/strong> Character, Aesthetics, and Community<\/em><\/p>\n<\/header>\n

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Why This Matters<\/h2>\n

This three-day gathering treats campus as a civic studio\u2014connecting art, media, place, and dialogue to the daily practice of democracy. Expect practical tools you can use immediately in courses, clubs, and community projects.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

Confernece Program 18-September-2025<\/a><\/p>\n

CCSD 2025 Conference Program 14-September-2025<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Call to Join<\/h2>\n
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  • Bring a class for a single block\u2014or curate a full track for your students.<\/li>\n
  • Invite a colleague or a community partner to co-attend and collaborate.<\/li>\n
  • See the program below<\/strong>, choose your sessions, and make it a hands-on start to a more connected campus and community.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
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    Opening Night: Culture as Civic Glue (Thu, Sept 25)<\/h2>\n

    Fred Meyer Lecture:<\/strong> Michael Greer on how arts and culture build belonging, identity, and civic participation.<\/p>\n

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    • 5:00\u20135:45 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Opening Reception (Ballroom)<\/li>\n
    • 6:15\u20137:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Keynote: Arts and Culture as Community Cohesion<\/em><\/li>\n
    • 7:00\u20137:30 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Audience Q&A<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
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      Friday Highlights: From Classrooms to the Public Square (Fri, Sept 26)<\/h2>\n

      Move from ideas to tools\u2014public art, media, cultural mapping, and classroom practice.<\/p>\n

      Morning Sessions<\/h3>\n
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      • 9:00\u201310:30 AM<\/strong> \u2014 Creating Spaces for Civic Connection (SC301)<\/li>\n
      • 9:00\u201310:30 AM<\/strong> \u2014 Civic Murals in America, 1910\u20131940: The Italian Connection (SC304)<\/li>\n
      • 10:30 AM\u201312:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Education and the Civic Engagement Problem (SC301)<\/li>\n
      • 10:30 AM\u201312:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 School Choice & Civic Virtue: Insight from Adam Smith (SC301)<\/li>\n
      • 10:30 AM\u201312:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Beyond the Broadcast: Public Media & Place (SC303)<\/li>\n
      • 10:30 AM\u201312:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Signals & Sound: Cultural Mapping of Music, Sports & Civic Identity (SC303)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Lunch Keynote (Ballroom)<\/h3>\n
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        • 12:00\u20131:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Trygve Throntveit: What Does \u201cCivics\u201d Mean? William James and the Civic Renewal of Education<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Afternoon Sessions<\/h3>\n
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          • 1:00\u20132:30 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Mock Participation: Designing Civic Parks (SC302)<\/li>\n
          • 1:00\u20132:30 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Politics & the Everyday in \u201cMiddletown\u201d (SC303)<\/li>\n
          • 1:00\u20132:30 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Lateral Reading & AI: Tools for Civic Awareness (SC304)<\/li>\n
          • 2:30\u20134:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Build Communities that Communicate: Secrets of Opera Singers (SC301)<\/li>\n
          • 2:30\u20134:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Country Reckonings: Theater, Environmental Democracy & Civic Imagination (SC301)<\/li>\n
          • 2:30\u20134:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 From Conflict to Connection: Working Together in Divided Communities (SC302)<\/li>\n
          • 2:30\u20134:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Local Land Use & Effective Civic Participation (SC302)<\/li>\n
          • 2:30\u20134:00 PM<\/strong> \u2014 Cultivating Civic Virtue in the Classroom (SC304)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
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            Saturday: Maps, Games, and Voter Know-How (Sat, Sept 27)<\/h2>\n
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            • 9:00\u201310:30 AM (SC301)<\/strong> \u2014 Creative Cartography & Community Engagement for the Civics Classroom (Melissa Gentry)<\/li>\n
            • 9:00\u201310:00 AM (SC301)<\/strong> \u2014 Beyond Civics Lessons to Understanding & Community (League of Women Voters of Indiana)<\/li>\n
            • 10:00\u201311:00 AM (SC301)<\/strong> \u2014 Welcome to Whitely-Opoly: Where Every Roll Tells a Story<\/li>\n
            • 11:00 AM\u201312:00 PM (SC301)<\/strong> \u2014 Voter-education tools and strategies for practical classroom use<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
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              Who Should Attend<\/h2>\n
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              • Faculty and instructors bringing courses or co-curricular programs<\/li>\n
              • Students and student organizations seeking real-world civic projects<\/li>\n
              • K\u201312 educators building America250 units and classroom civics<\/li>\n
              • Arts, culture, public-media, planning, and neighborhood partners<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
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                What You\u2019ll Leave With<\/h2>\n
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                • Ready-to-use activities (civic mapping, media literacy, dialogue tools)<\/li>\n
                • Approaches to foster belonging and civic identity through arts & culture<\/li>\n
                • Models for participatory design and collaboration across differences<\/li>\n
                • Practical voter-education materials for courses and community settings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
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                  Accessibility & Requests<\/h2>\n

                  All rooms are accessible; CART available by request. To coordinate group\/class attendance or accommodations, include your session choices and needs in your message.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n