Cultivating Civic Conversations: About the State of Our Democracy—Spring 2022 

By Katherine Murphy, LWV of Kittitas County 

Registration is open for the next round of Cultivating Civic Conversations (CCC),“About the State of Our Democracy,” scheduled for Sundays, April 10 through June 12, 2022, at 3 p.m. This free, 10-week seminar offers participants an opportunity to step back and use a “beginner’s mind” when discussing civic education and engagement. If we want to encourage our friends, co-workers, and family to participate in our democracy, then sometimes we need a fresh approach—one that makes fewer assumptions about what “everyone knows” about our history and government. 

The seminar uses the LWVWA’s elementary civics textbook, The State We’re In: Washington, as the anchoring framework. This book is available online for free or in paperback; ordering information is included in the registration materials. The course creator and facilitator, Katherine Murphy, adds content from diverse sources to expand each week’s discussion. 

Prior to each week’s meeting, participants read, listen to, or watch assignments from the textbook, podcasts, or videos. Each assignment includes up to 25 pages of text to read, a podcast to listen to (there is usually a transcript),and reflection questions to consider. The assignments typically take about two hours. The Zoom sessions are one hour and include additional content as well as discussion.  

We use the Sutra Spaces discussion platform to manage and keep all the group materials in one place. To view a full schedule and to register for this seminar, visit the CCC website. 

Participants in the previous CCC sessions have said: 

• "This excellent class opened my mind and my heart to new ways of learning and thinking about our country's history and acting to address injustice." 

• "I am astounded at how much I learned and the resolve I now have to make a positive difference." 

• “It’s been an eye-opening journey into our history—a history I was never fully taught long ago in school.” 

Katherine Murphy (LWV of Kittitas County) and Wende Sanderson (LWV of Skagit County) developed the Cultivating Civic Conversations (CCC) program to meet the need expressed by community and League members who want “to learn how everything works in government.” Since that is a tall order, we decided to use a seminar format and tackle one theme at a time because we believe that it is easier to learn, grow, and thrive within a community of learners. Research shows that long-term civic engagement is built on personal one-on-one connections and we focus on this approach. 

CCC programs offer a structure that helps us reflect on the question, "How do we learn how to have transformative conversations about what it means to be human and, as humans, to constructively participate in our civic affairs?" We hope that the next CCC workshop, “About the State of Our Democracy” will help you to: 

• Discover new voices, historical context, viewpoints, and resources. 

• Reflect upon and reframe your place in your community. 

• Encourage and expand your capacity for civic engagement. 

• Nurture humor, insight, joy, and perspective. 

If you have questions or want to be added to our mailing list for future sessions, email Katherine.