2026 APSA Theme Panel: Preparing Students for Civic Engagement: Innovations in Democratic Education

Preparing Students for Civic Engagement: Innovations in Democratic Education

Friday, September 4, 10:00 am to 11:30 am
2026 APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition — Boston, MA |  Register here
Co-sponsored by Division 58: Civic Engagement
Virtual | Created Panel

Participants:

• (Chair) Richard M. Battistoni, Providence College

Session Description:
With the current threats to democracy created by erosion of representative institutions, weakening of participatory norms, rise in affective polarization, and rampant misinformation, there is an urgent imperative for impactful civic education. Educators have been developing and implementing classroom interventions and extracurricular programs to combat these trends by preparing students to embrace democratic norms and practices, participate in politics, and become involved in their communities. This panel explores innovative approaches to civic education and extracurricular activities that prepare students for real-world civic engagement.

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