Deliberation Nation is a week-long series of over 50 deliberative discussions hosted by the students of Rhetoric and Civic Life, a first-year, year-long honors rhetoric and communication course. As part of their course requirements, students work in groups to devise and frame a deliberative discussion that addresses issues important to the community in which they live and learn. They learn the differences between debate, conversation, and deliberative discussion. They also discover the importance (and difficulty!) of framing issues fairly to promote understanding and to help participants to reflect meaningfully on community values and the choices they face.

The result of this learning? A week of more than 50 deliberations on topics that span spectrums of social, political, educational, and ethical significance. And YOU are invited. Check out the list of days, times, and titles and join with your friends, neighbors, and community leaders for a rich exploration of the values that drive our decision making on the urgent topics of our day.

Deliberation Nation is sponsored by Penn State’s Center for Democratic Deliberation.

For more information, contact Jessica O’Hara at jessicaohara@psu.edu.