OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — Civic education is at the forefront of a new initiative at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
The college launched its Center for American Civics to strengthen civic engagement both on campus and in the community.
“This has been years in the making and I think at this time it’s especially relevant,” President James Cousins said. “The need for honest productive civil discourse is pressing. And it’s incumbent upon small liberal arts colleges like ours to bring that conversation forward in a meaningful way.”
The newly launched center will serve as a space for the students to engage with American Civics. Professor Daniele Celano, the center’s director, aims to give those in the program the necessary tools on how to engage in political conversation.
“I think today we sometimes substitute Googling with research or reading with really understanding or analyzing,” Celano said. “We’re all living in the same world. I think as political tensions get really high, really volatile, there can be this tendency to feel like we’re just talking at each other rather than talking to each other.”
Meahel Heard-Pitra is a KWC senior who says he would have loved a program like this going into college. He believes political discourse on social media often comes from misinformation.
“I feel like as a society it’s so important for us to prioritize taking steps forward,” Heard-Pitra said. “One day somebody my age is going to be President or a Governor or a Senator and we want those people to have grass roots learning the right thing.”
Professor Celano says the program will also expand beyond the college and will serve as a resource for K-12 students.
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