Youth leadership plays a fundamental role in America’s democratic system, and the 2019 National Civic Leadership Training Summit will empower young voters to become advocates for civic engagement. Coinciding with the 55th anniversary of the murders of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, the 2019 NCLTS is themed “Living the Legacy.” The conference will give Vote Everywhere Ambassadors and Campus Champions the chance to carry forth these heroes’ legacies through cultivating a more inclusive democracy.
This year’s summit will feature numerous speakers and sessions that address topics like institutionalizing voter registration, mobilizing volunteers, engaging faculty, maximizing digital civic tools, building intersectional movements, and bringing polling sites to campus. The curriculum will give young leaders the strategies and tools they need to become influential voices in today’s democracy. Furthermore, the summit will embolden these young leaders to live the legacy of civic martyrs like Andy, while also setting the foundation to form their own legacies.
145
Attendees
5
Days
2019 Schedule
Wed 6/19
Time
Session
Thur 6/20
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Session
Fri 6/21
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Session
Sat 6/22
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Session
Sun 6/23
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Session
Our National Civic Leadership Training Summit speakers come from all over the country and are made up of Vote Everywhere Ambassadors, Alumni, and Campus Champions, Puffin Democracy Fellows, AGF board members and staff, key partners, and civil rights activists.
Program and Campus Recruitment Manager, The Andrew Goodman Foundation
Nicole Costa is one of Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Vote Everywhere Program Managers. She graduated from the College of the Holy Cross where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Peace and Conflict Studies interdisciplinary concentration. As a highly active student leader, Nicole developed a passion for higher education and the power of student engagement on social justice issues. During her senior year, she focused her academics on the intersection of her studies and student leadership work, studying the impact of politico-economic norms on public higher education. Nicole previously worked in Student Services at Seton Hall University where she advised student leaders on campus community development.
Vote Everywhere Program Director, The Andrew Goodman Foundation
Karena Cronin is the Program Director of Vote Everywhere, The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s flagship youth and democracy initiative. In her role, she works closely with a national network of colleges and universities to amplify young voices in our democracy. Karena has extensive civic engagement experience, having worked domestically and internationally to enable diverse forms of engagement through research, convening, and program development. She spent the last 10 years in South Africa, working with local and international non-profit organizations such as CIVICUS and Charities Aid Foundation Southern Africa to strengthen youth civic service, corporate employee volunteering, and international volunteering in support of development and social change. Prior to her work in South Africa, Karena was a Council of Women World Leaders Fellow and the Associate Director of the Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She holds a B.A. cum laude (Political Science and Sociology) from Union College and a Master of International Affairs (Economic and Political Development) from Columbia University.
Communications and Development Manager, The Andrew Goodman Foundation
Emily Curran is the Communications and Development Manager of The Andrew Goodman Foundation. Emily holds a Ph.D. in History and Culture from Drew University, where she focused on twentieth-century American cultural history, culminating in a dissertation entitled, “Natural and Technological Wonders: Embracing Modernity at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.” She received her Bachelor’s degree in History and American Studies from Ramapo College, where she now teaches as an adjunct professor. Prior to joining AGF, she worked as the Visitor Services Coordinator at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, and she remains an active volunteer with the museum.
Program and Fellowship Manager, The Andrew Goodman Foundation
Taryn Dwyer is a Vote Everywhere Program Manager at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Siena College, in the Capital Region of New York. With multiple organizing, lobbying and advocacy opportunities in Albany, Taryn’s professional interest for student leadership and social justice flourished. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia University, where she currently co-lectures on topics of power, race, oppression, and privilege. Taryn has additional experience in clinical therapeutic practice, student leadership, and academic research, and has a strong passion for civic engagement and activism, particularly among students.
Kevin Hurtado is the Communications and Development Associate at Andrew Goodman Foundation. He graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelor's in International Studies and a minor in Human Rights and Genocide. During his time at Ramapo, Kevin worked at the college's Women's Center as a Program Coordinator, where he grew a passion for social justice. He was also selected to participate in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Summer Program, where he was placed in the Office of Congressman Charles Rangel. Previously, Kevin worked as an Executive Assistant and Officer Manager at Newark Charter School Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting educational equity in the city of Newark.
Communications Director, The Andrew Goodman Foundation
Justyna Krygowska is the Communications Director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation. In her role, she manages a variety of projects to ensure the Foundation’s brand and programs are reinforced with quality communications. Prior to joining AGF, Justyna worked at Rising Tide Capital where she helped revitalize underserved communities in New Jersey through microenterprise development. In her spare time, Justyna runs her own business, Ladybug Design Studios, serves on the board of directors for the Passaic County SPCA, and is a mentor for The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute at William Paterson University. Justyna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Design with a concentration in Communication Design and Design & Management from Parsons the New School for Design. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Arts and Letters from Drew University.
Program and Communications Manager, The Andrew Goodman Foundation
Margaret Sasser is Vote Everywhere's Program Development and Evaluation Manager. Prior to joining The Andrew Goodman Foundation, she worked at Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center that supports equitable school experiences for all students. As a Research Associate, she developed social justice professional development and curricular resources for K-12 educators. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama, where she obtained a Master's degree in American Studies, focusing on American popular music, and a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, concentrating on gender and race theory. Margaret is passionate about civil rights issues and helping students to become active and engaged members of their communities.
Incubating a New Generation of Leaders at the National Civic Leadership Training Summit
On the 50th anniversary of the Voting Right Act, The Andrew Goodman Foundation hosted its first National Civic Leadership Training Summit. Every year, we bring together Vote Everywhere Ambassadors from participating campuses for four days of intensive training. Through hands-on projects, lectures, and leadership development activities, Vote Everywhere Ambassadors learn the fundamentals of impact-oriented campus organizing and voter engagement. The Summit is offered exclusively to AGF Vote Everywhere Ambassadors, with preference given to Team Leaders. For more information, contact your school’s Program Manager.
Past Events
2015
Summit Recap
In order to prepare students to effectively engage their campus communities in social change work, AGF held their first Vote Everywhere National Civic Leadership Training Summit during the summer of 2015. Over the 3 day summit, the Ambassadors from 23 colleges and universities across the nation participated in panels and training sessions that strengthened their teambuilding and leadership skills to prepare them for the upcoming school year. Also in attendance was former advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Clarence B. Jones, who held a fireside chat to discuss MLK’s strategy and applying his messaging/tactics to 21st century movements. The annual summit arrived at a historic moment for the nation, and honored the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act by giving Ambassadors the tools and resources they needed in order to bring down barriers to voting.
2016
Summit Recap
Tackling the intersection between the Civil Rights Movement and the 2016 general election, the 35 Vote Everywhere Ambassadors in attendance were joined by Dr. Clarence B. Jones, Civil Rights pioneer and Martin Luther King’s lawyer, chief strategist, and speechwriter, to talk about the lessons learned from the movement. Over the 4 days, the Ambassadors participated in over 20 training sessions that dove deeper into subjects like eliminating voting barriers, organizing, media and branding, public policy, as well as leadership, and teambuilding. In addition, VE’s national partners, TurboVote and Campus Vote Project, offered information and guidance on voter registration processes and procedures. The trainings left students both excited and prepared to head to campus in the fall and implement what they had learned.
This year’s National Training Institute reminded me that in this struggle, our greatest weapon is furious compassion. We can challenge systems and create more equitable communities through compassion. Everything that we have achieved as a group, as VE Ambassadors, has been through our ability to harness our compassion to affect change.
Allen Coon, University of Mississippi ‘18
The National Training Institute was not only mere training sessions. It was rather a chance for students from 42 campuses and 19 states to connect and create a strong network that would act as a foundation for future expansion and positive change in society.
Amir Bostros, Montclair State University, ‘18
Attending the National Training Institute was an incredibly empowering and inspirational experience for me. Not only was I able to obtain in-depth knowledge about voting barriers on different campuses across the country and about how each of these barriers can be broken down, but I also learned this from my very own peers.
Victoria Grijalva Ochoa, Arizona State University
As someone from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, history is always on my mind when it comes to voter registration and mobilization. Our state is at the heart of the voting rights struggle–from Selma to Shelby County–and our work as Ambassadors is directly linked to a long tradition of brave activists, including Andrew Goodman, who believed in the power of the vote to remake the future.
Dana Sweeney, University of Alabama
2017
Summit Recap
In an effort to make democracy accessible for everyone, the 2017 National Civic Leadership Training Summit brought together Vote Everywhere Ambassadors under the theme of “Democracy Never Sleeps.” The 43 Ambassadors in attendance trained for the upcoming school year through panel sessions with topics that ranged from institutionalizing voter registration and managing teams to reporting data and media relations. The schedule also included team building activities, discussions, and a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary, “13th.” In addition, The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s partners from Nonprofit VOTE, League of Women Voters, The Puffin Foundation, Young Invincibles, and the SLSV Coalition conducted trainings on nonpartisanship, voter registration and GOTV, and strategic campus planning.
The NCLTS was one of the highlights of my college career. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet other inspiring and passionate college students from around the country. I was able to learn voter engagement strategies from my peers and brainstorm ways to best carry on the legacy of Andrew Goodman.
Olivia Anderson, Simpson College
Having been to all three summits I can say that this one was incredibly special. The program has grown so much but the heart has stayed consistent. We are all there for the right purpose.
Sarah Funes, University of California – Berkeley
The fire in me is reignited every year with the power of this summit thanks to the comprehensive training sessions and bonds made with such inspiring change-makers. My personal favorite part was exploring the balance between activism and art, and I can’t wait to take that lesson back with me to the University of Florida’s campus. It has been easy to get bogged down by the stress of school, work, research, money . . . but now, I can look back to this Summit and find motivation any time I need a boost. This is going to be an amazing year, I can guarantee it.
Megan Newsome, University of Florida
Being at the NCLTS was surreal. Meeting students that are working just as hard as me to make their institutions more voter friendly is nothing less than inspiring. Not only that, but David’s first hand account of Andrew Goodman gave me chills and motivated me to work harder on my campus.
Erik Jenkins, East Carolina University
2018
Summit Recap
July 9-14, 2018 | Ramapo College of New Jersey
In accordance with its tradition of upholding democratic freedoms and promoting civic engagement, the 2018 National Civic Leadership Training Summit reached new heights in cultivating youth leadership. Themed “Defending Our Democracy,” the 2018 NCLTS saw 100 attendees during the six-day summit, making it the largest conference to date. As the first conference to take place at one of Vote Everywhere’s partner campuses, Ramapo College of New Jersey, the summit embodied the growing influence campuses have in cultivating change. Throughout the course of the summit, speakers discussed how to navigate today’s increasingly complicated and decisive political environment, while preserving democratic ideals. The summit’s sessions specifically addressed topics like alliance building, voter accessibility, GOTV and voter registration initiatives, nonpartisanship, and campus action planning. At the summit’s end, five Vote Everywhere alumni were honored at the Hidden Hero Awards Ceremony, all of whom epitomized what it means to defend our democracy.
Before attending this year’s NCLTS, I was beginning to lose hope in the work that we do. It was hard for me to see how any form of activism could make any difference in a world where ignorance prevails. After attending the NCLTS, I was re-energized, my eyes were open to not only the power of activism but the power of the individual. I learned that each and every person in this country can do something to make a change. I am grateful for the opportunity to attend this year’s summit and look forward to the next one!
Jonathan Townes, Towson University
My first summit was an unexpected delight. Though I was anxious about the trip, I met friends here who challenged, understood, and encouraged me. I imagined leaving the retreat feeling more stressed about what was to come, but it was quite the opposite. I felt rejuvenated and inspired to action! I am genuinely thankful for the experience I had that week. Who knew voting camp could be so fun?
Clara Wilson, University of Louisville
The National Civic Leadership Training Summit was filled with learning, friendship, inspiration, and empowerment. To be surrounded by such a diverse group of people who share my passion for civic engagement was truly amazing. I am so grateful to be a part of The Andrew Goodman Foundation and look forward to taking my experiences from the NCLTS back to my campus.
Makenzie Mercer, Miami University
Being a new Ambassador with the foundation, the 2018 NCLTS was a new experience for me. I did not know what to expect. My time at the summit exposed me to so many amazing and passionate people, to engaging dialogues through various speakers, and to great tools to take back to campus with me. When I left the summit I really couldn’t believe how good of a time I had and how much it inspired me to get to work.
Michael Golden, Cornell University
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