Published:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Courtney Davis
Assistant Director of Public Relations
Prince George’s Community College
daviscl@pgcc.edu

Prince George’s Community College to Take Part in Nation’s Largest Deliberative Democracy Event for Youth 

Students from more than 35 institutions set to discuss the nation’s most pressing issues

Political debate session with students

LARGO, Md. (April 15, 2021) – Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) announced today that it has joined more than 35 colleges and universities to participate in “Shaping Our Future,” a Deliberative Polling event, bringing together 1,500 young people from around the country for moderated discussions on the nation’s most pressing issues. The online event will be held May 1-2.

Hosted by Stanford University, Berggruen Institute, and Equal Citizens, “Shaping Our Future” will be the largest national deliberative event ever carried out among young people in the country. As the United States faces deepening political polarization, participants will come together for democratic deliberation rather than partisan debate.

Half of the 18- to 29-year-old participants will be randomly selected from the 37 partner institutions representing more than 20 states, including community colleges, public and private universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and historically black colleges and universities. The event will also involve 750 young people who are not enrolled in – or have not completed – a postsecondary program. 

“We are very excited to be one of 37 colleges and universities across the country selected to partner with the Shaping Our Future event,” said Andristine Robinson, campus liaison and director of governance and diversity at Prince George’s Community College. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to join other college students in civil dialogue and debate over important issues facing our country.”

Deliberative Polling is a technique developed by Stanford University professor James Fishkin as a way to deepen the public’s engagement with and understanding of public policy choices. Participants receive briefing materials in advance and complete a pre-survey on their initial views, then come together for small group deliberations and plenary sessions with balanced panels of experts before completing a post-survey to understand how their opinions changed.

The goal is not to reach consensus but to understand how a representative sample of a population would feel about various policy proposals if they had an opportunity to become informed about them. Research suggests that Deliberative Polling also impacts the participants – reducing partisanship, increasing understanding of alternative perspectives, and deepening engagement in the political process.

“Instead of limiting the dialogue to one class or campus, or relying on social media exchanges, this event will bring young people together from across the country, providing a unique opportunity for participants to hear perspectives across differences of politics, geography, socio-economic background, race and ethnicity, religion, and lived experience,” said Dr. Fishkin.

Over two days, participants will deliberate in small groups using a customized online platform developed by the Center for Deliberative Democracy at Stanford University. They will consider a range of proposals on issues, including climate change, electoral reform, national service programs, COVID-19 relief, and increasing the minimum wage.

“Young people often feel shut out of the public policy conversation, even though these issues directly impact them now and in the future,” said Luke Terra, associate director at Stanford’s Haas Center for Public Service. “Each of our partner campuses represents a unique community and context, and we are excited to bring these young people together to learn from one another about possible solutions to some of our most complex challenges.”

For more information, contact Courtney Davis, assistant director of public relations, at cldavis@pgcc.edu.

Participating colleges and universities include:

Amherst College

Brigham Young University

California State University San Marcos

Centre College

Christopher Newport University

College of Eastern Idaho

Corning Community College

Duke University

Emory & Henry College

Emory University

Florida State University

Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Johnson County Community College

Lake Tahoe Community College

Missouri State University

Northern Virginia Community College

Prince George’s Community College

San Jose City College

Slippery Rock University

Spelman College

Stanford University

SUNY Geneseo Center for Community

The City College of New York

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of Texas at Austin

The University of the South

Tufts University

Tulane University

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles 

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Michigan

University of Puget Sound

University of Wisconsin - Madison

University of Wisconsin - Parkside

Washburn University 

About Prince George’s Community College

Named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security (2015-2020), Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) provides high-quality education and training for the progressive and career-oriented residents of Prince George’s County. From new high school graduates and career seekers to more seasoned professionals and senior citizens looking to enhance their skillsets, PGCC is comprised of students who represent a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and goals. Serving nearly 35,000 individuals annually, the College is the first choice for higher education for residents of Prince George’s County. Collaborative partnerships, responsive degree and training programs, and a commitment to student success enables PGCC to address diverse education and workforce development demands.

For more information, visit the College website at www.pgcc.edu. Prince George’s Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104; (267-284-5000); www.msche.org. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

###