Democracy & Civic Action

Programs designed to foster civic engagement and strengthen connections within communities.

• Democracy & Civic Action Week

  Events explore diverse perspectives about the role of democracy and civic engagement in the United States. Departments, programs, and organizations across campus will present a wide-range of activities to engage both campus and community members in reflecting on their rights and responsibilities that are fundamental to creating a civil society. UAA celebrated its first Democracy & Civic Action week in 2018.

   

  Democracy and Civic Action Week

• Campus Vote Project UAA

  Campus Vote Project UAA strives to increase voter registration, education and turnout, with a special focus on college students.  The project began during the spring 2016 semester and has continued each semester since.  Much of the Campus Vote Project UAA efforts take place in sections of Fundamentals of Oral Communication (COMM A111), with students creating informative materials and encouraging voter registration on campus.  Through these efforts, nearly 400 people have been registered to vote (as of Sept. 2017).  As a result of our outreach, UAA has been designated a Voter Friendly Campus.

  Learn more about Campus Vote Project

• Dialogues for Public Life

  The Dialogues for Public Life program was created to facilitate and develop the capacity of the campus and local communities to discuss challenging social issues in a productive and meaningful way. Co-sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement & Learning and The Ethics Center at UAA, the initiative was started when UAA was invited to participate as a member of a national cohort with The Kettering Foundation. The Kettering Foundation is a research organization with an interest in working with institutions of higher education that “seek to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with the public engagement and the public deliberation of pressing local or national issues.”

  Dialogues for Public Life

Urban and Rural in Alaska Conference

A conference and networking opportunity for faculty, students, and community members to engage in dialogue together about community-engaged issues.  Featuring a keynote address, break-out sessions, and the popular "rapid fire" faculty presentations.

Urban and Rural in Alaska Conference

Think Tanks

A non-profit agency presents a challenge or issue, and attendees brainstorm solutions for the organization. Students, faculty, staff and community members join us to assist the agency through contributing thoughts and ideas to the discussion.

• 2020-2021

  Think Tanks are currently on hold. 

  Please check back for updates.

• 2019-20

  Thursday, October 17, 2019
  1:00 pm - 2:15 pm | LIB 307
  How Can Various Communities Help Support the Needs of Older Adults in Alaska?
  UAA Division of Population Health Sciences
  Older Persons Action Group

  Wednesday, November 13, 2019
  5:30 pm -7:00 pm | LIB 307
  What path is Alaska on? Should steps be taken to mitigate the impacts of alcohol?
  COMM A310: Democracy, Deliberation, and Communication Students

  Thursday, February 20, 2020
  11:30 am - 12:45 pm | LIB 307
  UAA Department of Art
  Canceled due to unforseen circumstances.

  Thursday, March 19, 2020
  1:00 pm - 2:15 pm | LIB 307
  UAA Division of Population Health Sciences
  The Food Research, Enterprise, and Sustainability Hub (FRESH)
  Canceled due to COVID-19
  

• 2018-19

  Thursday, September 20, 2018
  11:30 am - 12:45 pm | LIB 307
  How Can We Safely Reduce the U.S. Prison Population?
  UAA School of Social Work & Department of Communication
  Coalition for Democracy & Civic Action & ACLU of Alaska

  Thursday, November 15, 2018
  11:30 am - 12:45 pm | LIB 307
  How Can Anchorage Strengthen its Climate Action Plan?
  UAA Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies
  Municipality of Anchorage

  Thursday, February 21, 2019
  11:30 am - 12:45 pm | LIB 307
  How can birds develop eco-minded students and community members?
  UAA School of Education
  Anchorage School District

  Thursday, March 21, 2019
  1:00 - 2:15 pm | LIB 307
  How can we make parks safer and more welcoming for Anchorage's young teens?
  UAA Justice Center & Department of Geography & Environmental Studies
  Anchorage Parks and Recreation

  Thursday, April 11, 2019
  11:30 am - 12:45 pm

• 2017-18

  How should we plan for action on climate change in Anchorage?
  Municipality of Anchorage & The Alaska Center

  How can we create strong, sustainable, and equitable food systems in Alaska?
  Alaska Food Policy Council

  What does a solution to homelessness in Anchorage look like?
  United Way 

  How can we support and celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity?
  Cook Inlet Native Head Start

  Can we make public spaces in Anchorage safe and welcoming for everyone?
  Municipality of Anchorage

  Fair Housing: Whose responsibility is it?
  US Housing and Urban Development and Alaska Legal Services

• 2016-17

  What Contributes to a Welcoming Community?
  Welcoming Anchorage

  Does society owe anything to the wrongfully convicted?
  Alaska Innocence Project

  What can our education system do to serve the needs of Alaska Native students?
  UAA College of Education

  How should Anchorage respond to challenging needs of those abusing alcohol/drugs? How can health care professionals best advocate for care for this population?
  Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission

  What does food security mean to you, and how should we strengthen the food system here?
  Alaska Food Policy Council

  How can we better connect homeless individuals with social services across Anchorage?
  Bean's Cafe

• 2015-16

  How do we provide enough nutritious food for every Alaskan?
  Food Bank of Alaska

  How can adults in our community get the tech skills they need?
  Anchorage Public Library

  How can STAR & UAA/APU work together to serve the collegiate population in Anchorage?
  STAR

  How can we engage business-corporate leaders to invest in early care & learning?
  thread

  How can we build a stronger sense of community through Anchorage neighborhoods, parks, and trails?
  Anchorage Park Foundation

  How can the community work together to ensure that schools are culturally responsive and respectful?
  ARISE

• 2014-15

  How can organizations create gender neutral workplaces that promote pay equity and opportunity?
  YWCA Alaska

  How can we better help those experiencing mental illness get connected to the services they need?
  Covenant House AK

  How can our community bridge the civil legal justice gap?
  Alaska Legal Services Corporation

  How can our community support the transition and integration of refugees resettling in Anchorage?
  RAISE & Catholic Social Services

  How can we spur housing development in Anchorage that is affordable to our workforce?
  Housing Anchorage

  What is the best way to convey information about exposure to harmful chemicals in our food, products, and environment in a way that empowers people to take action?
  Alaska Community Action on Toxics

  Chronic school absence in Anchorage: What can we do about it?
  United Way of Anchorage

  Serving the homeless: walking the ethical tightrope between compassion and enabling?
  Catholic Social Services

Community Engagement Forum

 Annual Forum recognizing the civic engagement accomplishments from the past year.  The Forum features awards to students and faculty and highlights of our community partnerships, including the presentation of the Selkregg Community Engagement & Service Learning Award. A poster session reception follows the awards program and provides an opportunity to speak with Community Engaged Student Assistants about their faculty-community partner projects (posters will be available to view virtually in an e-portfolio this year).  

Thank you to everyone who attended the 12th Annual Community Engagement Forum! 

Click on the buttons below to view the e-portfolios.

2021 Community Engagement Forum e-portfolio

2020 Community Engagement Forum e-portfolio