|
NEWS SERVICES |
NEWS
| For immediate use |
Sept. 15, 2003 – No. 472 |
Hendersonville Community Forum to reveal how Western North Carolina compares to rest of the state in civic education and engagement
HENDERSONVILLE -- On Sept. 23, residents of Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties have the opportunity to shape the future of citizenship in North Carolina by participating in a Western North Carolina Community Forum in Hendersonville. The forum will be held from 5:30–8:30 p.m. at the Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College, 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 Asheville (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.
The forums will focus on 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. Forum participants will learn about statewide and regional results of the Civic Index and existing youth civic engagement programs in their area and then 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.
An elected official and a teacher, J Alan Peoples has a unique perspective on the importance of the issues that will be discussed at the upcoming forum. As a teacher at Polk County High School, Peoples sees civics as a critical subject because "students should learn what's going on in politics because they are going to be the people who will be leading. If young people know more about politics now, they make better decisions when it is their time to lead."
As Mayor of Tryon, Peoples has a vested interest in encouraging civic engagement among our young people — his future constituents — stating that, "I want to see people, primarily youth, get involved because I don't like looking at an empty room when I am chairing a meeting; I prefer to have citizens that are involved in the process." Citizens in Tryon have opportunities to voice their opinions, he adds.
Under his watch, the city has instituted time for citizen comment at the beginning and end of Council meetings. "Citizens have two chances at our meetings to voice their opinions, " Peoples says, "we want them to take advantage of these opportunities."
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.
- 30 -
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.
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, J Alan Peoples, Mayor of Tryon, 828-859-6654