Deliberative Citizenship Initiative

08/24/2026

Building the civic gym, one conversation at a time...

Swipe through to see what’s happening with the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative this fall! We’re bringing together students, faculty, staff, community members, and partners from 24 colleges and universities across the country to navigate big questions together.

07/24/2026

The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI) and Deliberative Citizenship Network (DCN) are delighted to welcome three new staff members - Anne-Marie Moehring, Bob Ritchie, and David Callaway - to our growing team. https://deliberativecitizenship.org/dci-posts/welcoming-new-staff-to-the-dci-and-dcn/

07/16/2026

Davidson students can now apply to become a 2026-27 DCI Student Fellow! These paid positions enable students to learn how to facilitate contentious conversations, serve as facilitators at DCI events, & host their own deliberations. Apply now on Wildcatsync! https://deliberativecitizenship.org/blogposts/apply-today-to-become-a-2026-27-dci-student-fellow/

07/13/2026

This spring Senior Fellow Garratt Rothberg ’27 hosted a speaker event & deliberation with CPE on media bias & misinformation. The event featured Tangle News founder Isaac Saul and an interactive cross-generational discussion about news habits & politics. https://deliberativecitizenship.org/events/event-recap-media-bias-misinformation-and-literacy/

07/10/2026

Senior Fellow Casey Scheiner ’28 discusses the DCI’s visit to a UNC Charlotte sociology class. He helped lead a dialogue on economic mobility, and the students' strong engagement underscores the widespread applicability of deliberation on college campuses. https://deliberativecitizenship.org/fellows/the-dci-visits-unc-charlotte/

07/09/2026

DCI Fellow Aditya Phogat ’29 questions if deliberation only works in the Davidson bubble. The successful workshop at Duke he helped co-lead suggests that deliberative citizenship thrives not on exceptional circumstances but on the will and means to engage. https://deliberativecitizenship.org/fellows/deliberation-beyond-davidson-breaking-out-of-the-bubble/

07/08/2026

DCI Fellow Bolling Lewis ’28 shares his experience co-leading a deliberation facilitation workshop at Duke. Despite class size differences, Duke students quickly adopted the practice, proving deliberative skills can successfully transfer to other campuses. https://deliberativecitizenship.org/fellows/teaching-deliberation-at-duke-university/

07/07/2026

DCI Fellow Mohamed Mostafa ’26 reflects on whether college is for personal success or public good. He explores how students discussed how to balance career stability with societal impact at the Values and Vocations Forum he helped organize this spring. https://deliberativecitizenship.org/fellows/deliberating-about-the-purpose-of-college-is-it-for-me-or-for-us/

05/26/2026

Earlier this spring, the DCI wrapped up its American Values Deliberative Forum Series with its final installment on Justice and the Rule of Law. Nearly 50 people joined a Watch Party at Davidson to view the panel being livestreamed from Duke University.

On March 24th, The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative wrapped up its American Values Deliberative Forum series with its final installment, Justice and the Rule of Law: The Case of Constitutional R…

05/15/2026

We've receive your ideas for next year's DCI topics, and now we want you to vote on the 15 possibilities we've compiled. Complete this short survey by 5/20, and we’ll use them to help us decide on what topics to cover in the coming academic year. https://davidsonedu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8cYFpysgou7VAOi