The David Mathews Center for Civic Life is pleased to announce our Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship Request for Proposals for the 2025-2026 academic year!

The Mathews Center is thrilled to announce that applications are now open for our 2025 - 2026 Innovators in Civic Education Fellowship!

This fellowship provides classroom and community-based educators with the resources and training they need to bring high-quality, civics-forward education to the classroom. Fellows will receive a $600 stipend for participating in the daylong workshop.

During the last weekend of January, the DMC was joined by nearly forty students and faculty in Montgomery to celebrate our 2025 Retreat for the Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship Program. 

The 2024-2025 JOIP includes seven programs from six different schools: University of Alabama, Auburn University, Troy University, University of South Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), University of Montevallo. Each program takes a unique approach to connecting students with their communities - whether through public forums, oral history projects, or hands-on initiatives. By collaborating with local partners, students apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, developing skills in deliberation, leadership, and civic engagement. Through these experiences, JOIP continues to foster meaningful connections between students and the communities they serve.

During its February 7, 2025, meeting, the DMC Board of Directors passed a resolution honoring the life and work of Dr. Joffre T. Whisenton, a longtime Board member whose term of service ended in January. 

As the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama, Dr. Whisenton helped pave the way for future generations. His work as an educator, administrator, community advocate, and special assistant for educational policy at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare alongside Dr. David Mathews continues to inspire. 

At its regular meeting on February 7, 2025, the DMC Board of Directors voted unanimously to accept the nominations of Jeffrey G. Rogers and Christienne Gibson to join the Board. Both new members bring with them prior knowledge of the DMC’s programs and initiatives and a commitment to its ongoing mission to improve the civic health of Alabama, one community at a time.

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life is excited to announce that Scotty E. Kirkland will serve as the organization’s new Executive Director.

A native Alabamian, Kirkland brings to the position nearly two decades of dedicated service in civic engagement and public history. Before joining the Mathews Center, he served as Exhibits, Publications, and Programs Coordinator at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, where he led the creation of the award-winning History/Now: Conversations on the Past + Present program series and several award-winning temporary exhibits. He has a Master of Arts in American History from the University of South Alabama and is a prolific writer on Alabama history.

This summer, the David Mathews Center piloted its Civic Champions Reading Program, engaging children of all ages in learning about good citizenship. Through fun activities, including reading What If Everybody Did That? and creating collages of their communities, students explored what it means to be active, responsible citizens. With the help of interns and library leaders, the program emphasized the importance of community and collaboration. Each participant received an activity book and a collection of books for the library that reinforce these lessons, encouraging them to continue practicing positive civic actions at home and beyond.

The Office of Civic Engagement at Troy University continuously creates immersive and captivating community experiences for all ages, including a fun summer experience for future civic leaders every year called Civic Heroes. 

The Civic Heroes Summer Camp is led by Troy Civic Engagement staff, Coordinator Lauren Cochran, Jean O’Connor-Snyder Interns, and, a new addition this summer, middle school Junior Counselors. 

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life is seeking its next Executive Director to lead the organization into its 20th year, and beyond!

The Executive Director manages and sustains DMC operations, staff, and programming to meet the DMC’s mission of strengthening civic life in all 67 Alabama counties.

To apply, submit a resume and cover letter to search committee member Cristin Brawner at cristinfbrawner@gmail.com by September 13, 2024.

On July 26th, the Walker County community gathered at Pinnacle Bank in Jasper to hear from the University of Alabama Jean O’Connor-Snyder Interns about their summer experiences. From securing funding for literacy and early childhood development programs to uplifting historic buildings and supporting healthcare and economic development efforts, the interns showcased how their time in Walker County was shaped by the generosity, collaboration, and openness of its people. Their stories celebrated the community and the meaningful impact of civic engagement.

The Mathews Center participated in Your Town Alabama’s annual workshop from April 3rd to 5th at Camp McDowell. Your Town Alabama is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to equip participants with advanced leadership skills, supported by information and planning tools, that can be used to shape the future of Alabama. The organization has impacted over 1000 Alabamians for 26 years through these annual workshops, and the DMC team is proud to have joined this year’s cohort.

On March 8, 2024, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) hosted its 2024 Annual Forum, which was followed by the Governor Albert Brewer Legacy Lunch. Overall, the PARCA forum, held in the Harbert Center in Birmingham, was an outstanding program that was extremely informative. This year's topic was "Housing Alabama's Workforce". The program began with presentations followed by a forum and concluded with the Governor’s Legacy Lunch.