School leaders and educators, the election is coming and we are readying our communities for what could be a very emotionally charged election cycle.
You want to do what is right, and approach the election as it should be - as an opportunity to learn and experience democracy, voting, and leadership in our current context. After all, isn’t the primary purpose of education to become an informed citizen of a democracy?
This moment is both more urgent and more complex than ever before. We may be tempted to back away because it feels so hard.
It is hard because we live in a politically polarized moment, where talking about current issues and candidates reveals something about our values and identity that may make us feel judged, vulnerable, or unsafe.
It is hard because students and adults may say things that are insensitive, hurtful, biased and racist and we don’t always know how to respond and repair the harm.
It is hard because we are asking administrators, teachers, and students to do some of the hardest work imaginable at a time when they are exhausted by endless uncertainty and ambiguity.
Join Carla Silver, Executive Director of Leadership+Design and Lisa Kay Solomon, Designer in Residence at the Stanford d.School and author of Moments of Impact: How to Design Strategic Conversations that Accelerate Change as they facilitate a conversation for school leaders and educators about how to restore civil discourse to the election season. Both Lisa and Carla have spent much of their careers using design as a framework and a tool for solving messy and ambiguous problems and for supporting leaders and organizations to craft paths forward.
This year, Lisa has launched Vote by Design, a non-partisan learning experience designed to promote civic engagement and agency among all voters. The digital curriculum allows educators, civic organizers, and community leaders to help new voters find clarity on what leadership qualities are most important to them in a U.S. President -- and why.
Carla has led L+D on the Design for Election Week Program, a seven week deep dive into all things election - from debates, to the electoral college, to voter suppression to issues of interest - with the goals to build empathy, stoke civic engagement and celebrate the democratic republic.
Come and learn about both programs and, more importantly, build the confidence you need to ensure your school community can be ready for the next 60 days, for November 3 and for the days following the election.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-discovery-series-design-for-election-week-tickets-118527746681