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<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#800000" SIZE=4 FACE="Arial">Civics for Adults</FONT></B></P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#800000" SIZE=4 FACE="Arial">Workshops to Enhance Civic Knowledge and Inspire Political Engagement</FONT></B></P>
<P ALIGN=CENTER><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">An Occupy Portland – “Our School” Workshop Series</FONT></P>
<P> <FONT FACE="Arial">Participatory democracy is an illusion if people aren’t involved. Understanding how government works, and meaningful civic engagement is necessary, especially in these times of powerful anti-democratic interests. We can’t just give up. If anything, we have to work harder. And, be smarter. And, work together. That’s what we’ll do in these workshops. These workshops are free.</FONT></P>
<P><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Facilitator: Donna L Cohen, M.Ed. M.L.I.S. dcohen@dcoheninfo.com</FONT></B>
<BR><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Tuesday nights, 6:30-8:30, June 19, 2012 – July 31, 2012 [except for July 3]</FONT></B>
<BR><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Concordia University, George R. White Library</FONT></B><I><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> [NE 29th and NE Rosa Parks Way]</FONT></I><I><B></B></I><B></B><B> <FONT FACE="Arial">Community Room</FONT></B> <FONT FACE="Arial">[</FONT><I><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Ground floor, east end of the library, 29<SUP>th</SUP> St side.]</FONT></I></P>
<P><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Come to any or all – space holds 20; regulars and people who arrive early will get preference</FONT></B>
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<P> <FONT FACE="Arial">Every class will include: Topical discussions; analysis of a news article or similar; resources; Some classes will include: Guest speaker(s); debates [informal]; games; research [including surveys]; primary source materials [historical and current]; designing a civic action; designing a media item.</FONT><I><FONT FACE="Arial"> Guest speaker topics may be on different days depending on the guest’s schedule!</FONT></I></P>
<P><B><I><FONT FACE="Arial">June 19 - Workshop One Overview, Civic Literacy, Critical Thinking</FONT></I></B>
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<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Civics Literacy. 27% of citizens in a Newsweek poll couldn’t name the Vice-President. How is our nation’s civic literacy?</FONT></I></P>
<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Civic Dialog. How to dialog </FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Information Literacy and Critical Thinking. How does one evaluate information for authenticity, accuracy and usefulness? How do we encourage critical thinking? How to evaluate poll data. Taught by an information professional.</FONT></I></P>
<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Access to Government Information, and Quality Government Information Resources. How to find information, and strategies for keeping up to date.</FONT></I></P>
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<P><B><I><FONT FACE="Arial">June 26 - Workshop Two Government Basics / Citizen Rights</FONT></I></B>
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<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Quick chronology of the essential founding dates/events. </FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Looking at foundational documents.</FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">What were some of the main disagreements at the founding? Did they get resolved? </FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Bills of Rights. There are actually many.</FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Possible guest speaker – legislator or local gov official. </FONT></I>
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<P><I><B><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">July 3 – No workshop </FONT></B></I>
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<P><B><I><FONT FACE="Arial">July 10 - Workshop Three Voting / Budgets and Taxes</FONT></I></B>
<UL><UL>
<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Voting. Voting rights – history and current state of affairs. Voting processes. Elected vs appointed government officials. </FONT></I></P>
<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Government revenue and spending. Budgets and Taxes. </FONT><B> <FONT FACE="Arial">Guest</FONT></B><FONT FACE="Arial"> from Tax Fairness Oregon.</FONT></I>
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<P><I><B><FONT FACE="Arial">July 17 - Workshop Four Influencing Governments / Social Change</FONT></B></I><FONT FACE="Arial"> </FONT>
<UL><UL>
<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Influence of money on government</FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">How to Influence Government – from within</FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">How to Influence Government – from without</FONT></I>
<BR><I><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Guest</FONT></B><FONT FACE="Arial">: Senator Chip Shields</FONT></I>
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<P><B><I><FONT FACE="Arial">July 24 - Workshop Five 2012 Election</FONT></I></B>
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<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Tracking election and campaign finance information</FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Candidate and campaign information; how to find, how to analyze</FONT></I>
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<P><B><I><FONT FACE="Arial">July 31 - Workshop Six Now What?</FONT></I></B>
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<P><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Take some action around an issue? Which? How?</FONT></I>
<BR><I><FONT FACE="Arial">Continue education efforts, be part of it?</FONT></I>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Donna L Cohen, MLIS, MEd</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">D L Cohen Information Services</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Portland, Oregon</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">503-737-1425</FONT>
<BR><A HREF="mailto:dcohen@dcoheninfo.com"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">dcohen@dcoheninfo.com</FONT></U></A>
<BR><A HREF="http://www.dcoheninfo.com"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">www.dcoheninfo.com</FONT></U></A>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial"> </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial">Information is power....if you can find it!</FONT>
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