The Growing Democracy Project, housed at Kent State University and officially launched in 2019, offers a unique approach to civic and political engagement.
We aim to bridge the boundaries between academia and the community, and break down barriers between community residents and governing institutions. Committed to fostering social justice and racial equity in all that we do, our ultimate goal is to foster a just democracy and equitable civic engagement by creating spaces for critical discussions and meaningful learning that takes place in the community and beyond the classroom.
Our programs
As part of this effort, we are developing programs and tools that inspire civic engagement and can be broadly disseminated:
- A workshop series that tackles some of the toughest issues that our communities face.
- A free model curriculum and toolkit that can be adopted and adapted by other communities.
- A podcast series that expands the discussions explored in the community series, featuring interviews with community leaders and area experts.
- A blog that posts essays, reflections, and stories about local democracy, grassroots activism, civic engagement, and public service.
Our work is grounded in empirical research and informed by community voices.
Moving forward, together
We have brought together community members, civic leaders, grassroots organizations and universities to learn from each other, assess the current state of critical civic concerns, and gauge what each group can do to drive social change.
We are open to anyone interested in community politics, political engagement, social activism and community organizing.
To get involved, sign up for our email list or connect with us on social media.
We gratefully acknowledge our pilot funding from the American Political Science Association’s Presidential Task Force for New Partnerships and financial support from Mark Lewine and the John Gray Paynther Program (2021-2022), as well as backing from our many Sponsors and Supporters.