Grant Summary
$25,000 over 12 months to University of New Hampshire (UNH) to design and pilot a first-year experience for incoming students that combines a civics literacy curriculum with a “civil discourse lab”. The course will be designed to teach students about the U.S. government, the separation of powers, and constitutional law. Students will also study historical antecedents undergirding liberal democracies, e.g., the origins of democracy in ancient Greece and the development of democratic ideas during the European Enlightenment. For the “lab” component, students will participate in community engagement activities and field trips to community organizations, town hall meetings, and to the New Hampshire State House. The course will fulfill a requirement in UNH’s general education program and reach students across UNH’s colleges and majors.