The forum began with a welcome from Richard Fikes, chairman of the board of the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County, and opening words from Senator Greg Reed. Following an introduction of the Mathews Center and the AIF project cycle by Chris McCauley, the group shared what concerned them most about the dropout issue in their county and in the state.  Concerns relating to economic development resulting from an unskilled workforce, and the heavy burden consequently placed on taxpayers from social services, prisons, and a diminished tax base predominated.

When weighing the costs and benefits of approach one, “Emphasize Achievement,” forum participants expressed an unwillingness to trade an increased number of dropouts in order to further challenge high achievers. Many felt that creativity and innovation are pushed to the side when standardized achievement is “over emphasized.” Forum participants advocated emphasizing individual achievement and building upon the unique strengths of each child. One gentleman proposed that achievement can be individualized by fostering mutually supportive relationships among the parents, educators, and student.  Foreshadowing the stance of approach three, one man put forth that dropouts are a “symptom” of larger community issues and not just a “symptom” of the education system.

Segueing into approach two, “Emphasize Preventative and Corrective School Programs,” one participant remarked that for students to become productive members of society, more flexible education programs that take into account a student’s background, home life, and career aspirations are necessary. After discussing the difficulty of educating students who are concerned about their next meal, worried about caring for younger siblings, or whose parents do not encourage and value education, forum participants suggested mentoring programs to encourage students academically, professionally, and personally. Expanding and improving career and technical education galvanized the remainder of deliberation around approach two. Middle school career exploration programs, ninth-grade job shadowing opportunities, dual enrollment options, and alternative avenues to graduation – such as Twilight Schools – constituted several of the examples participants gave of what might be done.

Moving on to approach three, “Emphasize Community Responsibility,” the group expanded on its earlier ideas for involving community members in mentoring at-risk youth in Walker County. The Leader in Me program, modeled after Decatur’s program of the same name, is one community-based program many would like to see expanded.  One man commented on the willingness of the faith-based community to mentor young people and help them achieve academically: “They want to reach out.” Another suggested involving the business community in regularly providing work experience for students after they attend a half-day of school, thereby relieving some of the financial strain a number of at-risk students are under. One participant cautioned the community to ensure that it does not make at-risk students feel classified like “guinea pigs” when implementing programs.

Upon concluding the lively two-hour deliberation, forum participants filled out post-forum questionnaires and continued talking with each other as they prepared to depart. A big thank-you to all of the forum participants for thoughtfully engaging the issue, to the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County for organizing the event, and to Senator Greg Reed for sponsoring the forum!

- Cristin Foster (DMC Assistant Program Director)

The teachers participated in an abbreviated forum designed to acquaint them with deliberation, they listened to presentations related to implementing deliberative practices into the classroom, and they discussed the concepts and practices they were learning with each other and the presenters. The highly interactive workshop included a mock forum in which the teachers tested their moderating and recording skills with their peers. The Institute concluded with teachers relating ways that they could use deliberative practices and NIF in the Classroom tools in their respective schools.

The presenters emphasized the connections amongst teaching, learning, and democracy. Through the use of several anecdotes, presenters underscored that implementing deliberative democratic practices into the classroom can increase civic engagement and student ownership of learning.

The educators in attendance departed the Teachers’ Institute with a new set of tools to use in their classroom, and, hopefully, a renewed excitement for the role of citizen in decision making on public issues.

Teachers’ Institute presenters included Dr. Bob McKenzie, president of the Mathews Center; Peggy F. Sparks, director; Curtis Sparks III, coordinator; Jacqueline Jackson, Social Studies Program Specialist, Birmingham City Schools; Chris McCauley, executive director of the Mathews Center; and Dr. Dorothy E. Battle, University of Cincinnati. Dennis Bega, Deputy Director of Regional Operations and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education, Atlanta, GA, and Yvette Richardson, District IV Alabama State Board of Education brought greetings and attended the Institute.

A special thank you to all presenters and attendees!

- Cristin Foster (DMC Assistant Program Director)

The series began in September 2011 with the screening of “The Other Side of Immigration.” This documentary, based on over 700 interviews with struggling families in Mexico, was a great kick-off event. Given the current interest in this issue throughout the state, attendees had very strong opinions on what actions should be taken. Despite the heightened passion, students were able to have a respectful conversation with the realization that common ground exists.

Later that month, the interns screened a documentary entitled, “American Refugees: Homelessness in Four Movements,” which was developed and filmed by a UAB sociology professor. The film provides a fascinating look inside the world of Birmingham’s homeless community.

In October 2011, the David Mathews Center Jean O’Connor-Snyder interns partnered with the International Studies Department/student organization to screen “No Man’s Land.” Dr. Renato Corbetta, a political science professor at UAB, recommended this award-winning film. It explores the role of the United Nations in peacekeeping efforts during the Bosnian War of the early-mid 90s. Although about a specific event, the film led the group to discuss a number of aspects about the United Nations, including its effectiveness at resolving conflicts and improving economic development.

From October 24-28, the UAB Global and Community Leadership Honors Program held a number of events dedicated to raising awareness about illiteracy in Alabama. The David Mathews Center interns decided to partner with the GCL program to screen “Inside Out” as an event for their illiteracy week. The film, developed by the Birmingham-based Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, provides students with an inside look at the effects of dropping out of school. Following the screening, attendees shared stories about friends and family who had dropped out and what consequences they had faced.

In November 2011, the interns partnered with the Student Alliance Against Poverty to screen “Critical Condition.” The documentary examines our nation’s growing healthcare crisis. It follows four families who are struggling with medical problems and lack the financial resources to afford health insurance. Because of the current debate about recent healthcare legislation, the attendees were very passionate and willing to share their opinions on the issue.

The “Film and Deliberation Series” has had amazing success at bringing students together to deliberate on today’s pressing public issues. In the upcoming spring semester, the interns hope to expand the series into the Birmingham community, holding several screenings at locations around the metropolitan area.

Screening locations and times can be found on the Mathews Center calendar.

- Jordan Bailey (UAB Jean O’Connor-Snyder Undergraduate Research Intern)

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life will host a workshop focusing on the dropout issue in Alabama high schools entitled, “Our Community, Our Future: The Role of Citizens in Solving the High School Dropout Situation”. The workshop will be held Tuesday, March 6 from 10:00am – 1:30pm at the Taylor Center on the campus of Auburn University Montgomery.  Dr. Shelley Stewart, President and CEO of 02ideas and founder of the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, will present the luncheon keynote address.

The Center will release a comprehensive report based on deliberative forums convened in 28 Alabama counties derived from interaction with 900 citizens. The report will also unveil decisive action steps under development by various communities uniquely designed to eliminate the drop out issue in their community’s high schools.

Seating is limited to 100 and reservations are required by March 2, 2012. Complimentary lunch will be provided to all attendees. The Taylor Center is located on the AUM campus at 7031 Senators Drive, Montgomery.

RSVP here!

A Conversation on Alabama’s Civic Health featuring Dr. Robert Putnam

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Putnam, Malkin Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University will deliver the keynote address for the unveiling of the Alabama Civic Health Index (ACHI), Thursday, April 19th at the Joseph M. Farley Alabama Power Auditorium located at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, from 6:00PM – 7:30PM.

The ACHI focuses on civic indicators – such as rate of volunteerism and voter registration – that reflect the current civic health of the state.   Dr. Putnam, regarded by the London Times as “the most influential academic in the world today,” addresses a number of these civic indicators on a national scale in his book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.

The presentation of the ACHI and the keynote address will be preceded by a reception from 5:00pm – 6:00pm in the main lobby of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, 624 Washington Avenue, Montgomery.  The event is free but space is limited.  Please confirm your attendance by April 12, 2012.

RSVP here!

The Mathews Center adapted a framework developed by the Kettering Foundation entitled “A Community’s Challenge: What Kind of Community Do We Want to Live In?” to guide deliberation in each of the forums.  The three approaches in the issue map focus on economic development, public safety and security, and services available in the community.

The conversations in each community reflected the unique needs and dreams of each town, city, and county, but they also produced a number of common threads that seemed important to strengthening the fabric of each community regardless of size or geographic location.

The theme that recurred most often throughout the forums was that of retaining young people. All six counties voiced concerns about the need for “more jobs for the new generation” and the lack of preparedness for existing jobs that many of the counties’ high school graduates exhibited.  Highlighted throughout each forum was a desire for a greater emphasis on workforce development, and the implementation and expansion of career and technical programs. Each community had ideas about working with education, industry, and others to maximize their community’s economic potential.

Another key, according to forum participants, to retaining young people involved bringing more recreational outlets to the county. The needs in each county and community varied, but several communities wanted to see Boys and Girls Clubs brought to their community or expanded, others needed help to improve or build cultural arts and community centers, some wanted movie theaters and bowling alleys, and those with existing community recreational programs expressed the need for more volunteers.

Though heavily emphasized, economic prosperity concerns were not limited to their affect on young people. One gentleman in Evergreen remarked that economic prosperity is the “life and breath” of a community and as such must be strengthened and cultivated. Many others regretted the decisions of a number of their fellow citizens to shop in larger cities rather than supporting local small businesses and improving the community’s tax base.

Problems with communication, both internal and external, arose in every county. Forum participants bemoaned the duplication of services, the lack of communication between various groups and organizations, and the underutilization of existing programs and resources. The difficulty of getting the information to all citizens, including those without regular internet access, often came up. Others felt that their community needed to do a better job of advertising its assets to those outside the community in order to attract more business and tourism.

Transportation to programs and services for the rural underprivileged arose as a major reason for the underutilization of some programs, services, and opportunities. The six counties are mostly rural and geographically large.

Citizens in each forum, not only commented on ways to improve their community, but they also highlighted things about their community they valued. The comparative safety and security of living in a small community where neighbors know one another was often highlighted as a deterrent to crime. Others discussed the friendliness of their community, the abundant natural beauty and resources that each county possesses, and the events, festivals, and parades they organize to benefit their community.

The comments, concerns, and suggestions of all forum participants were recorded in digital and audio formats during the forums. These recordings, along with post-forum questionnaire responses, will be compiled in a report, which will be sent to the Community Foundation of South Alabama in February 2012.

It was a pleasure working with so many different communities and we look forward to hearing of their future successes! Thank you again to our community partners and everyone who participated in this forum series!

For a complete list of forum conveners please visit our Strengthening Communities blog/press release here!

Also, several photos from the forums can be viewed on our Flickr page!

- Cristin Foster (DMC Assistant Program Director)

The day began with an introduction by Cristin Foster, assistant program director for the Mathews Center and workshop facilitator. The participants then introduced themselves and shared what they hoped to gain from the workshop. The group seemed to feel that developing their moderating skills would aid them in their professional and community obligations.

Following introductions, the group jumped into an abbreviated forum using Dropouts: What Should We Do? to guide their deliberation.  The lively and congenial discussion around the three approaches brought out many of the tensions and tradeoffs in the issue guide and led to a few common themes. The group really gravitated toward approach three, “Emphasize Community Responsibility.” The participants raised an interesting question during their discussion of approach three: should the community take on the role of “filling in the gaps” that the school and home cannot fill, or does a symbiotic relationship emphasizing project-based learning need to be developed between the school and community?

After seeing first hand the challenging and rewarding work of deliberation in a forum setting, the group took a short break to refuel. After reconvening, the participants reviewed the Moderator Development Handbook. The group talked through the nuts and bolts of moderating, handling difficult participants, and tips for effective recording. The “Asking Good Questions” section was discussed in depth and the participants practiced writing questions that would help tease out values, tensions, and tradeoffs. The group broke for lunch before tackling the final details of the Handbook.

During the final portion of the agenda, the participants got to test their newly developed skills in a mock forum where they took turns moderating, recording, and giving constructive feedback to each other. Several participants took on roles to test their colleagues’ abilities to remain neutral, while keeping the discussion on track. Although primarily for practice, the mock forum brought out some serious themes that some of the participants continued talking about after the exercise ended.

Thank you to the Orange Beach Public Library for hosting; to all of the participants for actively engaging the material; and to Dr. Bob McKenzie, president of the Mathews Center, for recording and contributing to the discussion. It was a pleasure to work with this group and I look forward to hearing how they are able to implement the skills they developed during the Moderator workshop!

- Cristin Foster (DMC Assistant Program Director)

Everyone is invited to participate in a series of public forums on strengthening communities in South Alabama. The forum series is being presented by The Community Foundation of South Alabama and the United Way of Central Alabama. The David Mathews Center for Civic Life will be facilitating the meetings.

The morning began with an introduction of the Mathews Center by Chris McCauley, executive director of the Mathews Center and the facilitator of the workshop. The group then introduced themselves and shared what they were hoping to gain from the workshop.

After introductions, participants jumped into an abbreviated dropout forum, using Dropouts: What Should We Do? to guide their deliberation.  The congenial group enthusiastically discussed all three approaches, raising many of the tensions between the approaches along the way, finding common ground, and seeing first-hand the process of deliberation. Upon completing the short forum, participants reflected on the forum format.

After a short break, Chris McCauley led the group through an interactive examination of the Mathews Center’s Moderator Development Handbook. The Handbook includes sections on the role of deliberation, techniques for effective moderating, tips for recording forums, and how to deal with challenging forum participants.

Before addressing the nuts and bolts of how to moderate, the group took a break to grab boxed lunches. After covering the numerous facets of moderating, the group got into the most engaging portion of the day—a mock forum on the dropout issue led by the participants themselves!

During the mock forum, participants got to take turns moderating, recording, and providing feedback. The group had fun playing various roles to provide challenges for their colleagues. Even though the mock forum was intended to practice moderating, and not to actually come to a common ground for action, productive ideas and suggestions emerged.

The highly engaging workshop concluded after the mock forum as the group reflected on their experiences during the day. We are very thankful for all of the enthusiastic participants and look forward to hearing how they are able to use the strategies they learned at the workshop!

- Cristin Foster (DMC Assistant Program Director)

After introducing themselves and relating what concerned them most about the dropout issue in Montevallo, participants talked through approach one, “Emphasize Achievement.”  The group immediately condemned the approach as “elitist” and too narrow to effectively address the dropout issue. One lady then commented that achievement is not wrong, but that it must be tailored to each student’s needs and goals. The rest of the group concurred and suggested that creative options – such as opportunities to develop musical talents – allow students to achieve in non-academic areas, resulting in an increased interest in school. Many of the participants brought up the difficulties of implementing individually-tailored academic programs when teachers and administrators are primarily concerned with “teaching to the test.” This theme came up throughout the forum as one of the major hindrances to achieving successful, productive lives for every student..

The group transitioned into approach two, “Emphasize Preventative and Corrective School Programs,” by talking about programs the city has in place that address the dropout issue. The programs represented in the room, such as Upward Bound, a local daycare, and the Boys and Girls Club, all related their experiences with students from unique backgrounds or at-risk of dropping out. The students’ home lives and family situations were discussed in depth, and their impact on performance in school was acknowledged. Early childhood education and career tech opportunities for students were also emphasized as important aspects to keeping students in school. One woman’s assertion that reading for pleasure is the highest indicator for how students will perform on standardized tests grabbed the attention of the group. Forum participants then discussed various reading programs available in the city already and ways to increase their effectiveness. They also discussed the possibility of creating a reading program that would utilize reading mentors from the community to meet with one student every week to encourage them to read and achieve.

Approach three, “Emphasize Community Responsibility,” got the group thinking through ways it could develop and capitalize on underutilized resources within the community. Pre-existing cooperative programs between the University of Montevallo and the schools in Montevallo were highlighted as excellent programs that ought to be continued and expanded. Several participants mentioned the library and the Boys and Girls Club as examples of involvement by the community with the students of Montevallo. Several attendees highlighted the need for transportation for students whose parents will not/cannot bring them to after-school activities. The importance of involving more parents also arose. Some of the organizations involved with helping students in Montevallo require parental involvement for acceptance into certain programs.

The forum came to a close with participants still sharing ideas, stories, and contact information with each other while they filled out post-forum questionnaires. Many thanks to the library and everyone who came out for this portion of the statewide conversation on the dropout issue!

- Cristin Foster (DMC Assistant Program Director)

Over lunch, the group introduced themselves and shared what concerned them about the dropout issue in Huntsville before delving into approach one, “Emphasize Achievement.” The forum participants felt that approach one does not adequately address the dropout situation in Alabama, that it hinders creative expression, and that it often leads to the stratification of students.  Many forum participants put forth that setting individual goals for students might prove a more effective approach.  Others suggested further emphasis on career tech programs. One woman related that Huntsville businesses have begun to encourage their employees to go into the schools to mentor and tutor students. She said that the schools “need more people that care,” and not necessarily more money.

Transitioning into approach two, “Emphasize Preventative and Corrective School Programs,” the group began to think through the home life of students and how it affects their performance in school. One young lady suggested that it is the people in school that shape one’s achievement, but others chimed in to say that it is difficult for students to meet their potential in school when they come from difficult home situations. One person stated that, “students achieve when teachers care beyond the classroom.” The need for more mentors and encouragement of parental involvement arose as well. One man brought up a free tutoring program that currently exists for all seven elementary schools. He cited this program as an example of an underutilized service that focuses on preventing dropouts. The importance of career readiness took up much of the rest of the discussion of approach two. One participant brought up that two-year institutions in the Huntsville area incorporate programs in cooperation with local industries and jobs within those sectors.

Discussion around approach three, “Emphasize Community Responsibility,” further developed the themes raised in approaches one and two about the need for mentoring and the role that the community plays in helping the schools implement preventative and corrective programs. One man brought up the importance of tutoring and mentoring programs sponsored by churches, sororities, and fraternities. Another participant pointed out the incredible level of education possessed by a large number of Huntsville citizens. The participant pondered the possibility of connecting the well-educated Huntsville residents with students that are struggling to achieve. Others related the importance of letting parents and community members into the schools to volunteer, despite possible apprehension on the part of the schools. The barriers that sometimes separate the community and the school are slowly being broken down in Huntsville, according to one participant. The major issue, according to forum attendants, lies in a lack of clear communication between the community, schools, businesses, and parents. One man suggested that the media could be more helpful in accurately reporting on the performance of the schools.

The forum came to a close as participants suggested ways to open communication within the community. The group also discussed creative options for their schools, such as the project-based approach used by a school in Talladega County. Thank you to everyone who attended this latest segment in the statewide conversation on the dropout issue!

- Cristin Foster (DMC Assistant Program Director)