KU's Dole Institute joins national effort to promote youth participation in politics

LAWRENCE -- The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas is participating in a new national effort, led by Harvard University's Institute of Politics, to encourage participation and engagement in politics by America's college students, a traditionally underrepresented group in the national political discourse and on Election Day.

The Harvard IOP is convening an initial strategic planning meeting Friday in Boston with representatives of 11 partner institutions of higher education. Representing KU will be Student Body President Andy Knopp, Manhattan senior; Jennifer Donnally, Lawrence junior; and Barbara Ballard, associate vice provost for student success at KU.

The group, which will be called the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement, will draw from its collective knowledge and experience to exchange information and ideas about how to spur greater interest and involvement in politics by young people.

"Engaging young people in politics is essential for the future of our democracy and an important role for every educational institution in the nation," said IOP Director Dan Glickman, former U.S. secretary of agriculture and Kansas congressman. "Our national campaign will facilitate an open exchange of ideas and information as we all join together to seek effective ways to encourage young people to participate in the political process."

In addition to taking action to spur student political involvement on their respective campuses, the group will also work together this academic year to:

-- Issue specific recommendations for government, media, campaigns and educational institutions to promote political and civic engagement

-- Produce a "playbook" that offers political campaigns advice on effective engagement of young voters

-- Compile "best practices" for promoting political and civic engagement

-- Collect and make available key research

-- Create new training opportunities for organizations and individuals seeking to promote youth engagement and participation

Other institutions participating in this national effort are American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies (Washington, D.C.); California State University at Monterey Bay's The Panetta Institute (Monterey Bay, Calif.); Clark Atlanta University's Joseph Lowery Institute (Atlanta, Ga.); Elon University's Institute for Politics and Public Affairs (Elon, N.C.); Grinnell College (Grinnell, Iowa); Ohio State University's John Glenn Institute (Columbus, Ohio); Rutgers University's Eagleton Institute for Politics (New Brunswick, N.J.); Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics (Manchester, N.H.); Tufts University's College of Citizenship and Public Service (Medford, Mass.); and the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics (Salt Lake City, Utah). Additional institutions are expected to join the consortium later.

The Dole Institute, established at KU in 1997 to honor the former Kansas senator and KU alumnus, is designed to foster new thinking on major policy issues and encourage student participation and citizen involvement in public service. The facility houses the world's largest congressional archive as well as meeting spaces. Among its many distinctive architectural features is a 12-foot replica of the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C., accompanied by a multi-screen video "tour" of the legislative process, narrated by Dole.

Programs scheduled for the institute this fall include hosting a forum on the U.S. Patriot Act on Oct. 25 and sponsoring the Presidential Lecture Series, featuring Robert Caro on Nov. 2, Roger Wilkins on Nov. 9 and David Gergen on Nov. 16. The Dole Institute is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Admission is free. For more information, call (785) 864-4900 or visit www.doleinstitute.org.

Harvard's Institute of Politics, located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, was established in 1966 with an endowment from the John F. Kennedy Library Corporation to inspire undergraduate students to enter careers in politics and public service and to promote greater understanding and cooperation between the academic community and the political world. More information is available at www.iop.harvard.edu/.