The Civic Thread Project offers interactive workshops designed to strengthen civic literacy and deepen understanding of how democratic institutions work in practice.
These workshops invite participants to explore real civic questions together—through simulations, guided discussion, and collaborative problem-solving. Rather than lectures, the sessions are designed to be participatory, accessible, and engaging for people with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.
Workshops can be adapted for different audiences and settings, including libraries, schools, universities, community organizations, and civic groups.
Workshop Topics
Democracy by Design
Democracy by Design is a participatory, interactive civic education event that examines how local government shapes public life through zoning, permitting, administrative rules, and procedural design. While national politics dominates headlines, many of the most consequential decisions affecting rights, access, and participation occur at the city level. This workshop helps participants understand where authority resides, how local bodies exercise power, and where civic engagement can influence outcomes. Participants will engage in case studies examining the power and authority of local, state and federal authority after an introduction and overview of federalism, police powers, and zoning.
Imagining Democratic Renewal: If We Were the Delegates
Imagining Democratic Renewal is a participatory, in-person civic education event that invites community members to step into the role of delegates at a modern-day constitutional convention. The program begins with a brief, accessible presentation on the U.S. Constitution, its amendments, and the amendment process, providing shared historical and legal context. Participants are then organized into small groups and tasked with identifying, debating, and reaching consensus on their top five proposals for constitutional amendments and/or legislative reforms they believe would strengthen democracy and address contemporary challenges. The event concludes with a large-group discussion in which each group presents and ranks its proposals, followed by facilitated reflection on areas of agreement, tension, and shared values.
Democracy with Conditions
Democracy with Conditions is an interactive civic education event that invites participants to examine how democratic rights in the United States have historically been conditional, uneven, and reversible. The program begins with a participant-led brainstorming of the rights people assume they enjoy today, followed by a short framing presentation on where rights come from—constitutional text, amendments, legislation, court interpretation, and norms. Participants then engage in a guided, embodied exercise in which rights are limited or removed through historically grounded legal conditions such as literacy requirements, poll taxes, criminal convictions, and emergency powers. Rather than focusing on dramatic moments of loss, the experience highlights how exclusion often occurs quietly through routine law and procedure.
Additional workshops and custom programs can be developed to meet the needs of specific organizations or communities.
Format
Workshops typically run between 90–120 minutes, depending on the topic and audience.
Sessions can be offered:
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in person
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virtually
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as part of a conference or event
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as a series of sessions
Programs can also be tailored for educators, facilitators, and organizations interested in incorporating civic learning into their own programming.
Interested in Hosting a Workshop?
If your organization would like to host a Civic Thread workshop, please reach out through the contact form below or send a message through the contact page.
When you get in touch, it’s helpful to include:
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your organization or group
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the type of audience you have in mind
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whether you are interested in an in-person or virtual program
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possible timing or event details
I would be happy to discuss how a workshop could work for your community.