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NEWS SERVICES |
| For immediate use |
Sept. 15, 2003 -- No. 471 |
Community Forum to reveal how Western North Carolina compares to rest of the state in civic education and engagement
ASHEVILLE -- On Sept. 24, residents of Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey counties have the opportunity to shape the future of citizenship in North Carolina by participating in a Western North Carolina Community Forum in Asheville. The forum will be held from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Center for Creative Retirement, and the public is invited. Students are encouraged to attend the forum, as they will have a special opportunity to let their voices be heard during a pizza reception with public officials.
Residents of other areas of Western N.C. are invited to forums held earlier that same week in Cullowhee (Sept. 22) and Hendersonville (Sept. 23). Forum participants will learn how Western N.C. compares to the rest of the state in civic education and engagement. Such regional comparisons include findings that youth in Western N.C. are the most likely to report high levels of confidence in nonprofit groups, but are least likely to report high levels of confidence in the federal government. Also of interest is that young people in Western N.C. are the most likely in the state to report having worked in their community to solve a problem.
Small group discussions will focus on statewide and regional results from the North Carolina Civic Education Consortium's Civic Index 2003, the first-ever statewide assessment of youth and adult civic education and engagement. Participants will brainstorm community-specific strategies to improve civic engagement. Additional information on the forums, including directions to the site, can be found at the Consortium's website, www.civics.org.
Participants in the forum will receive a resource guide detailing existing programs that may be helpful in improving civic engagement in their community — programs such as Kids Voting Buncombe
County. For the past three years, Kids Voting Buncombe County has been dedicated to ensuring that youth in Buncombe County know that being a good citizen is more than just waving a flag or reciting a pledge. Susan Fisher, Executive Director, states that, Kids Voting is "preparing [our youth] to be leaders, voters, good citizens and good neighbors." The timing of the Western North Carolina Community Forums coincides with national Kids Voting Week, which is Sept. 21–27, and will highlight the program’s dedication to encouraging community involvement and leadership among youth, while encouraging them to become educated, active and involved citizens. For more information on Kids Voting Buncombe County, visit www.bcboe.org/kidsvoting.Five other forums will take place throughout the state later this fall. Because the Civic Education Consortium will not be able to reach all of North Carolina's municipalities through the forums, the Consortium will publish a Community Forum Tool Kit, which is a how-to guide for communities to host their own community forums. These tool kits will be available in winter 2003.
The Western North Carolina Community Forums have been funded through a generous grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The forums were planned by a dedicated group of local organizers and the North Carolina Civic Education Consortium, a statewide partnership housed at the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The forums have been endorsed by the following groups: Asheville-Buncombe County League of Women Voters, Asheville-Buncombe County Youth Council, Asheville Citizen-Times, Buncombe County Parks and Recreation Services, Children First, Community Foundation of Henderson County, Girl Scouts of Western North Carolina Pisgah Council, Junior League of Asheville, Kids Voting Buncombe County, Kids Voting Haywood County, Kids Voting North Carolina, Western Carolina University, University of North Carolina-Asheville, and Youth Leadership Asheville.
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Details on Western North Carolina Community Forums
All residents of Western North Carolina are encouraged to attend the forum nearest them. Forums will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m.; light hors d'oeuvres will be served.
• Cullowhee, Ramsey Activity Center, WCU Campus
RSVP: Phyllis Bolick, Western Carolina University, 800-621-0008 or 828-227-7492, bolick@email.wcu.edu• Hendersonville, Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College
RSVP: Devon Shealy, Community Foundation of Henderson County, 828-697-6224, dshealy@cfhendersoncounty.org• Asheville, Reuter Center, Center for Creative Retirement
RSVP: Stacy Anderson, 828-252-4913, stacya@ioa.com
Contact: Leslie Anderson, Special Consultant to the Consortium, 828-252-4913, lesliea@ioa.com Kelley O’Brien, Civic Index Project Director, Civic Education Consortium, 919-960-4226, obrien@iogmail.iog.unc.edu; Susan Fisher, Executive Director, Kids Voting Buncombe County, 828-250-4231, kids.voting@buncombecounty.org