When you cast your ballot during the midterm elections, how will you decide whom to vote for? How will you decide what makes an effective elected official? Elections provide an opportunity for voters to select the leaders who will shape how our municipalities, counties, states and nation are governed. Making informed decisions about who we vote for has a direct impact on our daily lives and the lives of our fellow citizens. This dialogue will provide an opportunity to explore the issues that matter most to you and to consider how you might select candidates who best represent your values and needs.

Sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Political Engagement Work Group and Elon Votes!

September’s conversation, taking place on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. in Moseley 217, will focus on generative artificial intelligence. Participants will think about the presence of artificial intelligence in their lives and how it impacts building genuine relationships with others.

On Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. in Moseley 217, members of the Elon community will come together to discuss the current state of collegiate athletics. Participants will discuss issues like Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), the transfer portal and the rise of gambling.

The last dialogue of the semester on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. in Moseley 217 will be a chance for members of the Elon community to debrief the 2026 midterm elections and think about what comes next. Please visit this webpage for information about other dialogue events on campus.

All events are sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life

February’s conversation, taking place on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. in Moseley 217, will focus on the American Dream. As America’s 250th Anniversary approaches, this will provide space for participants to answer questions like, “What does the American Dream mean to you? Is it still possible? What challenges or obstacles stand in the way of achieving this ideal?”

On Wednesday, March 4 at 6 p.m. in Sankey 308, the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Adi Wiezel in the Department of Psychology, and the Environmental Defense Fund are hosting a climate change depolarization workshop. This workshop will focus on fostering constructive and civil discourse on climate change. Participants will explore climate change impacts in North Carolina as well as potential solutions. Pre-registration is required through the

The last event of the series is a conversation on affordable housing and the cost of living, which takes place on Tuesday, April 14 at 6 p.m. in Moseley 217. Recent surveys and studies show that the state of the economy is the top issue on the mind of voters in the United States. Come to this event to share your perspective and listen to the opinions of others.

These events are sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life.

2026 marks America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This dialogue is one of many that will take place across the country this year, and is designed to bring people together to reflect on the past and discuss what kind of future we want to create for generations to come. Many Americans believe that the time is right for conversations that connect people who might not usually interact, conversations that will encourage fresh, innovative thinking and actions to emerge. Join this dialogue to help script the next 250 years of the United States.

Sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Political Engagement Work Group.

The Active Citizen Series is designed to cultivate the next generation of informed leaders who will help strengthen communities and shape our democracy. This series allows students to gain a deeper understanding of how government works and to develop the necessary skills to engage in civil discourse across political divides.

Sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Elon Votes! and the Political Engagement Work Group

Jeff Smythe was recently appointed by North Carolina Governor Josh Stein as the Secretary of Public Safety. He has 35 years of experience in law enforcement and is the former police chief for the Burlington (NC) Police Department and Show Low (AZ) Police Department. Ian Baltutis has over 17 years of experience in government and business and served as mayor of the City of Burlington for three terms (2015-2021). He is the owner of Persnickety Books and a 2008 graduate of �þ���.

The Active Citizen series is designed to cultivate the next generation of informed leaders who will help strengthen communities and shape our democracy. This series allows students to gain a deeper understanding of how government works and to develop the necessary skills to engage in civil discourse across political divides.

Sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Political Engagement Work Group, Elon Votes!, and Elon News Network.

Noveck is a leading expert of using artificial intelligence to reimagine participatory democracy and strengthen governance. She is a professor at Northeastern University, where she directs the Burnes Center for Social Change and its partner project, The Governance Lab. Noveck previously served as the first Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Barack Obama, where she founded the White House Open Government Initiative, which created policies and platforms for making the federal government more transparent, participatory, and collaborative.

Noveck also served as Senior Advisor for Open Government to British Prime Minister David Cameron and as a member of the Digital Council that advised German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She is the author of “Solving Public Problems: How to Fix Our Government and Change Our World,” and her new book “Reboot: The Race to Save Democracy with AI” will appear with Yale University Press.

This event is sponsored by the Imagining the Digital Future Center and Council on Civic Engagement

The Active Citizen Series is designed to cultivate the next generation of informed leaders who will help strengthen communities and shape our democracy. This series allows students to gain a deeper understanding of how government works and to develop the necessary skills to engage in civil discourse across political divides.

This event is sponsored by the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Elon Votes!, the Council on Civic Engagement and the Elon Political Engagement Work Group.

We know that we’ve been experiencing a high level of polarization in the United States, but what does that actually mean? In this interactive session, participants will learn to distinguish between two different kinds of political polarization and investigate the science behind some of the causes and potential interventions for reducing political polarization.

The Active Citizen Series is designed to cultivate the next generation of informed leaders who will help strengthen communities and shape our democracy. This series allows students to gain a deeper understanding of how government works and to develop the necessary skills to engage in civil discourse across political divides.

This event is sponsored by the Council on Civic Engagement, Elon Political Engagement Work Group and Kernodle Center for Civic Life

This event will give participants the opportunity to choose between two dialogue topics. The first is ‘American Creed’, which will explore what core values Americans fundamentally agree on. American political leaders of all kinds throughout history have pointed out that American identity revolves around a set of ideals – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described America’s creed as an unfulfilled “promissory note” based on the idea that everyone deserves freedom, fairness, and equal opportunity to pursue happiness and advancement. People of good will often fundamentally agree, yet we struggle to find ways to effectively work together.

The second option, titled ‘Money and Values,’ will explore the choices in how we earn, spend and invest our money impacts individuals, communities, the environment and the world. Some people say that how we use our money shows what we truly value. This conversation seeks to reflect on our financial choices so we may find ways to act in greater harmony with our values.

Deliberative Dialogue is sponsored by the Council on Civic Engagement, Elon Political Engagement Work Group and Kernodle Center for Civic Life.