Past Event

12th Illinois Capitol Forum on America's Future

The Illinois Capitol Forum on America’s Future is a civic education initiative offering high school students opportunity to deliberate international policy issues and debate the course of U.S. foreign policy in a public arena. Now in its pilot year, the Illinois Capitol Forum focuses on citizen advocacy and human rights issues and on ways of extending students’ involvement in these issues beyond the social studies classroom.

Prior to today’s Forum, students from eight schools examined case studies concerning freedom of expression, right to health, international justice, rights of children and military intervention for human rights. These schools chose delegates to represent them at the Forum. 

The delegates will deliberate these case studies, meet with various guest experts, engage in a human rights simulation, and design a final outreach project to be completed by students in their classrooms.

Guest Experts

  • Richard Hughes, Associate Professor of History, Illinois State University
  • Maryam Judar, Community Lawyer, Citizen Advocacy Center
  • Greg Koos, Executive Director, McLean County Museum of History
  • Patrice Olsen, Associate Professor of History, Illinois State University
  • Kathren Sammis, Lecturer, School of Communication, Illinois State University

The Illinois Capitol Forum on America’s Future is presented in partnership with The Choices Program at Brown University, Illinois State University, and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

    

The Forum takes place in serveral rooms at ISU’s Bone Student Center. Forum participation is limited to those who were invited or pre-registered.

For more information, please call 312.422.5580.