Public Agenda helps communities and the nation
solve tough problems through:
Research that illuminates people's views & values;
Engagement that gets people talking, learning from each other and working together on solutions; and
Communications that spreads the word and builds momentum for change.
By doing so, we seek to contribute to a democracy in which problem-solving triumphs over gridlock and inertia, and where public policy reflects the deliberations and values of the citizenry.
Public Agenda is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. You can find out more about us in our What We Do and Frequently Asked Questions pages.
This post was written for the 20 community colleges participating in Completion by Design, a five-year Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation initiative that aims to significantly increase completion rates for low-income students under 26. As a “National Assistance partner” for Completion by Design, Public Agenda provides direct assistance to the colleges to help them build capacity for solutions-oriented dialogue among faculty, staff and administration. Here, Public Agenda's Alison Kadlec discusses best practices for authentic internal stakeholder engagement. While the post is geared toward Completion by Design planning teams, the principles are useful for any authentic engagement process.
***Far too often, throughout our work in the education field, we've seen even the most earnest and promising ideas from experts and reformers for improving schools and ramping up student learning met with confusion, anxiety or even anger from teachers, parents, students or community members.
Commissioned by the Ford Foundation, this paper defines public engagement and outlines the successful strategies for involving citizens: how to get beyond the "usual suspects, how to ensure civil but candid discussions, and how to develop action plans. Includes five case histories of communities from Maine to California.
2011 Public Agenda
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