Activities

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Jefferson Center

Exploring the Future of Wind Development in Redwood County
Residents of Redwood County love living there – between the strong sense of community, the state’s largest municipal park, and the rich farmland, there’s a solid community identity and sense of place. Recently, something else has started occurring that’s bringing people together: the energy transition. Places like Redwood County in southwestern Minnesota are on track… […]
Annie Pottorff
Happy National Voter Registration Day!
Today is National Voter Registration Day! This November, people across the country will be casting their ballots for city council, school board members, mayors, and in a few states, governors and legislators. While it’s not the 2020 presidential election just yet, this day is still super important: it’s a chance to stretch your civic muscles,… […]
Annie Pottorff
Why We Support Community-Driven Journalism
It’s been almost two years since the Jefferson Center announced the launch of the Your Voice Ohio media collaborative. During that time, over 215 reporters have joined the initiative, representing over 50 newsrooms. With our support, they’ve written dozens of solutions-oriented stories, informed by community meetings with 1300+ “everyday” people across the state. But this… […]
Annie Pottorff
Americans are ready for more meaningful democracy
Last week, the nonpartisan research and public engagement organization Public Agenda released new findings about what Americans thought about the state of democracy. The results weren’t exactly surprising: 39% say America’s democracy is “in crisis” and 42% say it’s facing serious challenges. But on a more hopeful note, most believed that ordinary individuals can make… […]
Annie Pottorff
SRCCON 2019: Journalism of Empowerment
By Katherine Sims and Camille Morse Nicholson At the Jefferson Center, we believe that individuals are capable of coming up with creative solutions to today’s toughest challenges if they’re given adequate information, resources, and time. With the spreading of fake news to the shuttering of local outlets across the country, the need for unbiased, transparent,… […]
Annie Pottorff
Rural Energy Dialogues: Rural America’s Role in the Energy Revolution
In small towns across America, people are grappling with what the national shift towards renewable energy will look like locally. Some see wind and solar projects as an exciting gateway to road improvements, income for landowners, jobs, lower property taxes, and expanded community services. Others view these projects as a disruption to the landscape they… […]
Annie Pottorff
Your Voice Ohio: From Community Engagement to Local Partnerships
This story was written by Doug Oplinger, former managing editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, who now leads our Your Voice Ohio media collaborative. As journalists across the state help design and participate in Your Voice Ohio community meetings with the public, they’re redefining engagement from engaging with the community to being with the people. Group conversations go deeper than traditional… […]
Annie Pottorff
Intro to Facilitation, Deliberation, and Participation
Facilitation, deliberation, and participation are all key to the success of a Citizens Jury, and more civic engagement approaches. But too often, these words can be used by practitioners or experts without much explanation. In the final blog of our FAQ series, we explore what they actually look like in action. For more on the… […]
Annie Pottorff
How do you run a Citizens Jury?
In our last post, we explored the basics of a Citizens Jury, including who’s involved and how we evaluate success. But what about actually getting a Citizens Jury up and running? How do we remain objective? What are the costs? In the second blog in our FAQ series, we explore how we run successful Citizens… […]
Annie Pottorff
What exactly is a Citizens Jury, anyway?
We talk a lot about Citizens Juries at the Jefferson Center. After all, they were invented by our founder, Ned Crosby, in 1971. We believe they can help restore trust in democracy around the world. And they give everyday people the knowledge, resources, and time they need to create powerful solutions to our biggest challenges.… […]
Annie Pottorff

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