Bob Graham Center For Public Service - Civic Engagement Programs

Civic Engagement Programs

The Knight Foundation Grant

In December 2010, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded a three-year, three-million dollar grant to the Bob Graham Center to support its pioneering approach to prepare University of Florida (UF) students to be informed, skilled and engaged citizens. There are five distinct categories of activities (products) in the three-year Knight Grant. They are:

• Knight Effective Citizenship Fellows - the intent is to assemble a group of visiting scholars to collaborate with scholars at UF and other universities, as well as experts and advocates for participatory citizenship from other sectors;

• Develop an interactive online citizenship course to be tested at UF and brought to national audiences;

• Build and implement an electronic “Civil Debate Wall” to provide a forum for students and citizens in Gainesville to engage in civil and public discussion on current issues;

• Utilize and study new social media tools to understand how these technologies can develop informed, skilled, and engaged citizens; and

• Evaluate experiential programs and study civic participation behavior of students and alumni

The Bob Graham Center Civic Library

The Civic Library highlights grass-root efforts by citizens and organizations advocating on behalf of policy or political change at any level of government. The case studies developed for the Civic Library draw upon journalistic and academic accounts and interviews with key participants. They describe the actual experiences of individual citizens or groups who have sought to influence the actions and decisions of governments in Florida and elsewhere. Issues on the local, state, national and international stage are examined by graduate students and professors from all disciplines.

Bob Graham Center case studies are available for use by teachers at the secondary and higher education levels and individuals or organizations who are interested in the topics discussed in the cases.

The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship

The Florida Joint Center for Citizenship is a partnership between the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government at the University of Central Florida and the Bob Graham Center. Established in 2007 by formal agreement between the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida, the Joint Center develops initiatives intended to strengthen civics education and improve the condition of Florida's civic health.