Name
From action, hope: Cultivating civic agency through immersion learning in our American democracy
Date & Time
Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Location Name
Comiskey
Session Type
Knowledge-to-Action Workshop
Description

Aligned with the American Democracy Project's mission to foster informed, engaged citizenship, this session introduces the Field Immersion Framework (FIF), an experiential model for developing students' civic agency and democratic engagement. Building on Harry Boyte's (2008) vision of "collective capacity to act on common challenges across differences," the FIF moves students and faculty through four stages: Foregrounding, Immersion, Reflection, and Civic Agency. Through community partnerships, experiential learning, and guided reflection, students connect transformative learning principles to practice while addressing real civic issues. Presenters will outline the framework's foundations, share adaptable applications across disciplines, and provide practical tools to help participants integrate the FIF into their own teaching to deepen civic learning and engagement.