Academy Initiative

Strengthening Democratic Engagement

If you have any questions about the Academy, please email Fordham’s DCP Administrative Director, Clementine Schillings at cschillings@fordham.edu.

Thank you for your interest in participating in We, the People: Strengthening Democratic Engagement to Address Local Civil Unrest. DCP, the National Civic League, Fordham Law, and Stanford Law School colleagues will host similarly situated leaders from the metropolitan area to design and implement strategies to address polarizing community dynamics. This event presents an opportunity to work with dispute systems design experts from across the country and collaborators from across the metropolitan area.

This program was piloted in 2019 with core leadership groups from Charlottesville (VA), Memphis (TN), Portland (OR),  Kenyon College, and the Divided Community Project at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in collaboration with the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution (collectively the "Academy Hosts").  The Divided Community Project at Fordham University Law School will host the next Academy on June 16, 17,18 in New York City.  

For those interested in participating in a west coast program, Stanford University Law School will host an Academy in the fall of 2024.

Please complete this application regarding your community's interest in attending the Academy.  Academy Hosts will evaluate applications based on 1) diversity, 2) commitment, and 3) need.  

The program’s goals are three-fold:

  1. Strengthen conflict resolution-related planning and capacity building.
  2. Support and strengthen the development of a local ‘core’ leadership convener group for four communities.
  3. Provide planning opportunities for each core leadership group.

 

What should you expect?  

Take a look at this video from former Charlottesville Police Chief RaShall Brackney describing her experience at an Academy program. 

What are potential Academy outcomes?

Take a look at these case studies published in December 2021: 

  1. Bloomington (IN), a 2020 Academy community
  2. Winston-Salem (NC), a 2021 Academy community

Will this take place in person?

Yes, we anticipate that all academy participants will attend the duration of the event in person.

What communities have participated in prior Academies?

Core leadership groups from the following communities:

  • Bloomington, Indiana
  • Case Western Reserve University
  • Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Charlottesville, Virginia
  • Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Kenyon College
  • Memphis, Tennesse
  • Menlo College
  • Midwest City, Oklahoma
  • The Ohio State University
  • Portland / Oregon
  • University of Central Oklahoma
  • University of Hawaii at Manoa
  • University of Idaho
  • University of Massachusetts at Amherst
  • University of Mississippi 
  • University of Oklahoma
  • Wake Forest University

How will participants prepare for the Academy?

In late-spring, DCP will send Academy participants a spiral-bound set of materials to review in advance of the Academy.  With the assistance of a DCP liaison, core leadership groups will be asked to 1) meet as a group in late spring 2023 to meet one another and begin identifying their expectations for the Academy; and 2) meet with their Academy liaison approximately one month prior to the Academy program to discuss Academy expectations and answer any questions about the initiative.

What should participants expect at the Academy?

Participants will work collectively to build collaborative skills.  Participants will share resources with other similarly situated leaders in their community (community organizer to organizer; city manager to city manager; county sheriff to deputy policy chief). Participants will engage in role plays and hand-on planning grounded in DCP resources.  Participants will work with DCP leaders, former Academy participants, Campus Leaders, a former state Attorney General, former Community Relations Service Conciliators, and DCP collaborators to develop action steps to implement in their communities.

What should we expect following the Academy?

Sustained engagement.  Core leadership groups will be expected to maintain a relationship with DCP to share resources, lessons learned, and give feedback to further develop the Academy initiative.  DCP anticipates maintaining and developing relationships with Academy communities.