From the Gainesville Sun
By Nathan Crabbe
Staff writer
Staff writer
A new grant will allow the Bob Graham Center for Public Service to use technology to encourage civic engagement.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced Tuesday that it was awarding the $3 million grant to the University of Florida center. It will be used for efforts that include an electronic "great civil debate wall," an online course on citizenship and a fellowship program.
Graham Center Director Ann Henderson said the efforts aim to address a lack of civic engagement, illustrated by such measures as low voter turnout rates.
"We need to be more deliberate in the education of our citizens," she said.
The civil debate wall is among the high-tech ways being used in an attempt to turn the tide. Henderson said the electronic installation will be constructed in Pugh Hall, home of the Graham Center, and will feature public policy questions. An example would be gauging support of offshore oil drilling.
People will be able to vote on the issue and be presented with a photo and the comments of someone with an opposing position. The wall is meant to show people that those with opposing views are normal and have well-reasoned opinions.
"The idea here is we're trying to practice debating in a civil way," Henderson said.
She said the plan is starting with a low-tech version in January, before building the electronic wall and eventually expanding to installations throughout the campus and city.
The wall is being designed by Jake Barton, founder and principal of a design firm that developed the StoryCorps project and is working on the Sept. 11 memorial.
The grant also will support Knight Effective Citizenship Fellows — visiting scholars and journalists who will spend a semester doing research, conducting public programs and teaching classes.
The center also plans to develop an interactive online course called "Rethinking Citizenship."
The efforts reflect a decades-long interest of Graham.
The former Florida governor and U.S. senator is the author of "America, the Owner's Manual," which gives a road map on how individuals can influence the political system.
In Florida, civic engagement is a particularly pressing issue. The National Conference on Citizenship ranks the state 34th nationally in voter turnout, 48th in public meeting attendance and 49th in volunteering.
Henderson said many people who vote are on either extreme of the political spectrum, leading to gridlock. The center's efforts are an attempt to get the rest of the population involved, she said.
"We think that if you don't get the middle — which is most of us — voting, then you're not going to move forward," she said.
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