How Education Shapes Our Shared Future

Building the Foundation of Civil Society

Join us for a FREE lunchtime Better Conversations at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum about our schools and the imperative to reject violence in our public life. Come together with your community and a panel of education leaders for this very important conversation.

• Rhonda Baker, Director of Education of the Greater OKC Chamber, former classroom teacher and Oklahoma State Representative
• Dr. Jamie C. Polk, Superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools
• Sarah Park, Executive Director of Teach for America Greater Tulsa and Oklahoma City
• Cecilia Robinson-Woods, Ed.D, Superintendent of Millwood Public Schools
• Dr. Rick Cobb, Superintendent of Mid-Del Schools

In response to the violence that shook the nation on April 19, 1995, a mission statement was crafted to guide the creation of the Memorial and Museum and its priorities. In that mission statement, we were charged to “instill an understanding of the senselessness of violence, especially as a means of affecting government change”. The opposite of violence is participation in our civil society and peaceful, democratic institutions.

Preparing our students to be engaged citizens has always been a primary function of our education system. However, this imperative has been, at times, overshadowed by discussions about test scores, outside pressures and distractions. Some would say that our democracy is suffering. Let’s cut through the noise and focus on what schools are doing to build the foundation of civic society.

• What is the state of civic education in our classrooms?
• What are the barriers our students are facing as they enter the voting pool?
• How can we support our schools and increase civic literacy for a brighter shared future?

Register to reserve your seat and a complimentary boxed lunch, available at 11:30am when the doors open. The program will run from 12:00pm – 1:00pm.

Made possible by the Kirkpatrick Foundation.