Happy Constitution Day!

September 17th is Constitution Day!  Take some time to read the Constitution here.You can also access founding documents and learn more about how each provision was created and changed over time. There is also a great theaterical production, FOURTEEN, that sheds light on the Reconstruction era and the ratification of the 14th Amendment through dramatic interpretation of original texts, performers use the words of the 39th Congress as they debate the propsed 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

Civic Engagement while Social Distancing

All in-person programming has been cancelled until the Spring 2021 semester for the LSC-M Center for Civic Engagement. However, that doesn't mean that civic engagement by Mavericks has to be put on hold. We will be focusing on providing opportunities that can be done at home and/or on your own. Check this site regularly to stay up-to-date on LSC-M CCE happenings!

Jump to: About LSC-M CCE | Motivote | LSC Voter Challenge | 2020 Census | Voter Registration | November Election Information | Opportunities to Get Involved in Protecting Democracy | Maverick Storytelling Series |  If Not You, Then Who? A Civic Engagement Podcast | Deliberative Dialogues

Motivote

The November 2020 election is coming up, and this is your 1 stop shop for getting involved! Not only can Motivote help you with this, but you can also earn prizes for your engagement in the election!  This program is brought to you by the Lone Star College’s Centers for Civic Engagement at Kingwood, Montgomery, & University Park.

Everyone is encouraged to participate: Students, Staff, Faculty, & Community Members! This user-friendly program is simple and easy and will make the election more exciting for everyone.

• Step One: Register for Motivote
• Step Two: Choose your groups
• Step Three: Engage in the election & earn points for yourself and your groups
• Step Four: Reap the benefits: Prizes from earning points & pride in the fact that you fully engaged in this election season!

Action Step - Participate in a Deliberative Dialogue

Participate in either a LSC sponsored Deliberative Dialogue or one facilitated by the National Issues Forum. Deliberative dialogues are a program established by the National Issues Forums (NIF), which is a nonpartisan, nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It is rooted in the simple notion that people need to come together to reason and talk—to deliberate about common problems. These forums offer citizens the opportunity to join together to deliberate, to make choices with others about ways to approach difficult issues and to work toward creating reasoned public judgment. The forums provide a way for people of diverse views and experiences to seek a shared understanding of the problem and to search for common ground for action.

Click here to find a Deliberative Dialogue hosted by the National Issues Forum.

A schedule of LSC specific Deliberative Dialogues coming soon!

Action Step: Participate in Local Politics

Local elections are just as important as the Presidential election. Take advantage of opportunities such as volunteering for a local campaign, attending a virtual local political event, or even watching a local candidate debate. You can repeat this action as many times as you want. To complete this action you must do one of the following for a state/city/county election: watch a local debate, volunteer for a local campaign, or attend a virtual political event for a local campaign.

A list of ways to participate in local politics coming soon!

LSC Voter Challenge

Open to all Lone Star College students

The youth vote is powerful—yet 18-to-29-year-olds consistently have the lowest voter turnout. Ready to make a difference?

With access to TurboVote, Lone Star College is running a video challenge for the 2020 general election. Videos can be professional quality or amateur creations. What matters most is that you are creative and craft a compelling case that would convince an apathetic or skeptical student to vote. The LSC Voter Challenge selection committee will be made up of students, faculty, and marketing experts. Five finalists will be selected to be “aired” on social media the week of September 25th. One video will be selected as the winning entry to be prominently displayed the following Monday. The winner will receive a $300 scholarship.

For more information and to submit your video, click here!

2020 Census

The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data. The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts. It's also in the Constitution: Article 1, Section 2, mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790.

Make sure that you and your family/household count. If you haven't already mailed back your paper census forms, visit the 2020 Census Website. You have until October 31, 2020 to make sure you and your family/household are counted!

Voter Registration

Registering to Vote while Social Distancing

Voting is the right you use to protect all of your other rights.  Please be a voter.

For anyone needing to register, here are the options to obtain an application:

1. Go to TurboVote's LSC specific website to be walked through the registration process; or
2. Call the local elections office to have an application mailed to you (936) 539-7843; or
3. Go to the Secretary of State website.  Fill out the application online and then PRINT IT and MAIL IT. You cannot register online in Texas.

Once you complete the application, mail the application back to: (The Elections Office is closed to foot traffic.)

• For Montgomery County: Elections Administrator | P.O. Box 2646 |  Conroe, TX 77305-2646
• For Harris County: Ann Harris Bennett | Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar | P.O. Box 3527 | Houston, TX 77253-3527
• For Walker County: To the Walker County Voter Registrar | 1301 Sam Houston Avenue Suite 114 | Huntsville, TX 77340
• For Liberty County: Liberty County Elections Administrator | 1923 Sam Houston Street | Liberty, TX 77575

November Election Information

• Anyone who is a U.S. Citizen and will be AT LEAST 18 years old or older by November 3, 2020, can register by October 5, 2020 and vote in the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election.
• Any registered voter, who will be out of the county, in which they are registered to vote, during all of the early voting dates and on election day, can apply for a Ballot by Mail.  Application for a Ballot by Mail All APPLICATIONS for Ballot by Mail must be received by end of day July 2nd. Completed mailed ballots then must be received at the Elections office by 7 PM on Election Day. As the law currently reads, anyone who is over 65 years of age, disabled or sick can also apply for Ballot by Mail.
• Look up Poll Locations
• Bring it to the Booth

Opportunities to Get Involved in Protecting Democracy

There are many ways to get involved in elections outside of voting.

Volunteer Deputy Registrar Program

Volunteer Deputy Registrars are entrusted with the responsibility of officially registering voters in the State of Texas. Appointments are made on a county-by-county basis only, not statewide. The acceptance of duties of a volunteer deputy registrar places you in a position of trust and responsibility to the citizens you will register to vote. For more information visit:

• Montgomery County Volunteer Deputy Registrar Program
• Harris County Volunteer Deputy Registrar Program
• Liberty County Volunteer Deputy Registrar Program
• Walker County Volunteer Deputy Registrar Program

Become a Poll Worker

If you have ever voted in person, you probably already know that a majority of folks who work at the polling places are retired and are at higher risk for experiencing severe complications from COVID-19. If you are someone who is not at high risk, think about applying to become a poll worker.

• Requirements to work as a Poll Worker: In Texas, at a minimum, to be eligible for appointment as a pollworker/election clerk a person must be a U.S citizen and a qualified voter of the territory of the election.
• Apply to be a Poll Worker in Montgomery County
• Apply to be a Poll Worker in Harris County
• Apply to be a Poll Worker in Walker County
• Apply to be a Poll Worker in Liberty County

LSC-M Participates in:

         

Mavericks Storytelling Series

Storytelling is a great tool for learning & Mavericks have stories to tell.  The Mavericks Storytelling Series is a collaboration between the LSC-M Human Library Committee, the LSC-M Center for Civic Engagement, and the If Not You… civic engagement podcast. The goal of this program is to provide community building and learning opportunities for the campus community. Collected stories will be curated for use as part of the Digital LSC-M Human Library and potentially as the focus of an episode of the If Not You… Civic Engagement Podcast.

Mavericks Storytelling Series - RACE

We are currently looking for students, staff, & faculty to share their stories related to RACE in the U.S. Stories can be submitted as a written document, video, or audio file. These stories may be used as part of the Digital LSC-M Human Library program (currently in development) and/or on an episode of the If Not You.... civic engagement podcast. Submit your story here.

If Not You...A Civic Engagement Podcast

Episodes of this podcast cover a wide range of topics related to civic engagement.  The first 5 episodes involve an introduction to specific civic engagement subjects and interviews with different folks who are living civic engagement in very different ways.

Below are links to listen to each episode in addition to a breakdown of the episode’s topics, a list of referred to concepts with definitions and sources, and some links related to the episode’s content.

In addition, if you are faculty and would like to have access to some D2L resources, including suggested readings, listening/ comprehension quizzes, and suggested assignments that can be used in any discipline related to each episode, e-mail Michele.Richey@lonestar.edu for access to the D2L community group.

Episode 1 – The Importance of Storytelling with Mike Krall (21mn 53s)

Episode Overview

• Opening: What is Civic Engagement?
• Interview: Mike Krall, Special Assistant to the President at Lone Star College-Montgomery
• Closing: Connecting Interview, Idea of Storytelling, and Civic Engagement

Episode 2 – Education and its Role in Civic Engagement with Michelle Palmer (22mn 22s)

Episode Overview

• Opening: Education & Civic Responsibility
• Interview: Michelle Palmer, Geography Teacher at Avalos P-Tech High School
• Closing: Connecting Interview, Civic Engagement, and Media Literacy

Episode 3 – You Don’t Have to be Super Human to get Engaged with Diane Wishart (19mn 6s)

Episode Overview

• Opening: Why Should I Care (Personal Responsibility)?
• Interview: Diane Wishart, President of the Monticello Civic League in Norfolk, Virginia
• Closing: Connecting Interview, Personal Responsibility, and Self Care

Episode 4 – Think Globally / Act Locally with Judy Reed Wells (16mn 59s)

Episode Overview

• Opening: Critical Thinking and Why it is Essential to Democracy
• Interview: Judy Reed-Wells, Substitute Teacher for Carnegie Vanguard High School
• Closing: Connecting Interview, Critical Thinking, and Social Problems

Episode 5 – You are not Alone with Melissa Nolan (19mn 28s)

Episode Overview

• Opening: How to Discuss Wicked Issues (Civil Discourse)
• Interview: Melissa Nolan, Head Producer for Houston’s This Is My Brave
• Closing: Connecting Interview, Civic Discourse, and Deliberative Dialogues

About the Lone Star College - Center for Civic Engagement

The Center for Civic Engagement at Lone Star College- Montgomery facilitates nonpartisan learning opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members to encourage them to become more engaged citizens.  Our goal is to aid in the development of critical thinking, personal responsibility, and civil discourse skills in participants so that they develop a sense of urgency about issues and talk and act more in their communities, be it their classroom, campus, local, state, national, or global communities.

• Critical Thinking - We will provide learning opportunities for individuals to develop a better understanding of community issues and a more critical examination of all the explanations as to why the issue exists and what can be done to address it.

• Personal Responsibility - We will identify and create opportunities for individuals to become actively involved in addressing issues that exist within their communities.

• Civil Discourse - We will empower individuals to promote interests or causes important to their community while still being able to hear and understand multiple perspectives and engage in productive conversations.

For more information about the LSC-Montgomery CCE, contact Michele Richey.