Civil Discourse and Civics Education Symposium

About the Symposium

The lack of foundational civic understanding - particularly of America's founding principles and constitutional processes - undermines our constitutional democracy by leaving young people ill-prepared to exercise informed citizenship. The need for intensive civic education is especially acute in underserved rural and urban communities, where access to high-quality history and civics instruction is often limited. For example, schools in geographically isolated rural regions and under-resourced urban districts have fewer opportunities for professional development in civics, fewer specialized civics courses, and often contend with curricular gaps. This disparity contributes to civic learning deficits that disproportionately affect low-income and minority students, exacerbating civic empowerment gaps.

West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) and Texas Southern University (TSU) are uniquely positioned to address these needs. WTAMU serves the Texas Panhandle, a largely rural region marked by geographic isolation and demographic shifts that challenge civic learning infrastructure. TSU, located in Houston's historic Third Ward, is one of the nation's largest historically black universities, serving a diverse urban population. Both institutions recognize that strengthening civic education in their communities is critical to bridging regional, racial, and socioeconomic divides in civic knowledge.

The Hill Institute at WTAMU, in conjunction with the American Civic Tradition at 250 grant funded through the Department of Education, are excited to host the Civil Discourse and Civics Education Symposium. This symposium will headline some of our state’s most innovative civics and education officials. The Semiquincentennial presents a timely opportunity to address America’s civic education crisis. Those involved in this effort understand that without intervention, the next generation will lack the historical understanding and civic skills necessary to sustain our republic.

All are welcome to join our students for the opportunity to interact with our keynote speakers on such topics as:

1. Civil Discourse and Civics Education
2. The Impact of Core Curriculum on Civil Discourse and Civics Education
3. Civil Discourse and the Impact of the Future of Higher Education in Texas
4. The Importance of Civics in a Contemporary Society
5. Civics and Higher Education
6. The Intersection of Civil Discourse and the Study of Civics: The Impact on a Republican Form of Government

Don’t miss this free event, including a free lunch and dinner provided by the Hill Institute at WTAMU. Discussion of the topics of Civics and Civil Discourse have never been more crucial and we honor our country’s great founding by beginning and encouraging these discussions here at WTAMU.