The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)’s American Democracy Project (ADP) is pleased to open the call for participation for the Civic Solutions: Problem-Solving Through the Up to Us Case Competition, a one-year initiative in partnership with Up to Us. This program aims to increase students’ understanding of the connections between fiscal policy and key issue areas by integrating creative problem-solving into spring 2023 classes via a national Up to Us competition. 

This program recognizes that every academic department at AASCU institutions can contribute to this work. The Up to Us case brief, slated for publication in late fall 2022, will encourage students to work in curricular spaces to evaluate policy issues, from climate change, to higher education accessibility through a fiscal lens. We encourage faculty from any discipline to apply for this program and can accommodate up to 50 faculty for this project. Preference will be given to members of AASCU to ensure we are including as many unique AASCU campuses in this initiative as possible. 

Throughout the spring semester, ADP and Up to Us will provide feedback and coaching on design-thinking solutions for classes. The cohort will have the opportunity to share struggles and successes and to submit a class solution to the national competition. In June, the cohort will convene in Boston at AASCU’s 2023 Civic Learning & Democratic Engagement Meeting (CLDE23). Up to Us will present the winners of the cohort competition during a plenary session, and students and faculty will be encouraged to present their solutions and designs to colleagues. During one CLDE23 session, Up to Us will highlight the top five student or student groups submitted through the program.

Please read the call for participation and apply by Oct. 28, 2022, 5 p.m. ET. Contact ADP Director Cathy Copeland with any questions. Please see the competition prize overview and competition timeline for more information.