American Democracy Project: Our Work
American Democracy Project (ADP)—a
network of 296 public colleges and universities serving 2.7 million students
across 48 states plus the District of Columbia—is committed to preparing students with the knowledge,
skills and experiences to be informed and engaged citizens. We have worked diligently to build
civic engagement as a lifelong practice and to instill civic agency in our
students and across our institutions
ADP’s work is a combination of
national multi-campus initiatives managed from the AASCU office in Washington,
D.C., and uniquely local activities developed and led by individual member
campuses. An advisory steering committee made up of presidents, provosts,
faculty and student affairs staff help further link the national leadership
with the campuses and provide a sounding board and brain trust for current and
new initiatives. Our Civic Fellows made up of faculty and subject experts from
multiple disciplines and universities help inform our approaches, identify new
civic engagement initiatives and provide support for faculty and staff
development efforts.
ADP’s work on member campuses,
through the national initiatives and at convenings, has reached into all areas
of academic and student life. ADP has a proven track record of success. For
example, our ability to bring together faculty from across disciplines and
institutions, design and implement curricula that results in increased CAT
(critical thinking) scores, and integrate deliberative dialogue speaks to the
efficacy of our work. The national initiatives—including Digital Polarization,
Voter Education and Engagement, Global Challenges, Political Ideology
Diagnostic, Science for Citizens, Stewardship of Public Lands and Measuring the
Campus Civic Climate—along with the hundreds of campus activities focused on
civic engagement, community service, speakers, deliberative dialogues and
citizen outreach, drive ADP’s ability to create opportunities for millions of
students across the country to develop the awareness, knowledge and skills
needed to become informed and engaged citizens.