American Democracy Project
State colleges and universities prepare tomorrow’s leaders. AASCU helps them graduate informed citizens actively engaged in our democracy.
Contact us.
Where We’re Focused
For over 20 years, AASCU’s nonpartisan American Democracy Project has helped nearly 300 state colleges and universities prepare informed, active citizens who engage different viewpoints and perspectives to drive collective progress.
Building Cultivate empathy, respect, and deeper understanding across differences.
& Inquiry Support students’ critical thinking and civic awareness.
& Culture Foster environments where democratic values shape student learning.
of Place Deepen your institution’s role as a community anchor.
Way to Get Involved
Join the Network
Gain access to resources alongside a committed community.
Programs
Take action to develop informed and active citizens.
Research & Events
Find timely insights from the AASCU community.
Partners & Awards
Share insights and celebrate your peers’ contributions.
Policy & Advocacy
Advance policy priorities critical to student civic engagement.
Join the Network
Who should participate?
AASCU members who uphold democratic values and know it takes commitment – and community – to graduate students who do the same.
How will you benefit?
- Supportive and inclusive community
- Professional development opportunities for all levels of leadership including national and regional meetings
- National programs, institutes, and projects
- Critical and relevant resources and webinars
- Awards and visibility for your campus initiatives
Who do we ask of you?
- Identify someone to serve as ADP coordinator for your campus
- Participate in regular assessment of ADP impact
- Share your insights, challenges, and bold ideas
Current Programs
The structure, tools, and community AASCU members need to advance their commitment to quality civic education.
Support assessment, research, and programmatic efforts that further ADP’s mission.
A series of voter education and engagement workshops for member campuses.
We invite all AASCU members to commit publicly to the American Democracy Project.
Explore issues of civic engagement and public lands at Glacier National Park.
Events
Jul. 15-17, 2025
Indianapolis, IN
Conference
Register today.
Featured News & Resources
Impact
Civic-minded institutions. Democracy-ready leaders.
70% student voting rate
The youth voter rate has been steadily increasing and most college voting rates are hovering at 50%. ADP campuses generally average much higher, with some campuses seeing 70+% turnout.
300+ campuses
Our community extends throughout the U.S. and abroad; we believe in a global commitment to strengthening democracy.
“ADP provides a national network of colleagues who want to explore, understand, and invest in democratic education. It’s a network that people participate in because they believe in the work. I appreciate the á la carte quality, where we are encouraged to find what interests us and what works in our contexts. Contrast this with groups that mandate initiatives, or demand reporting. ADP is a support, not an imposition.”
“ADP offers faculty and administrators who are committed to democratic engagement the opportunity to grow together. The countless initiatives we have tackled over the years have provided a forward-thinking foundation for student engagement across the country. The connections I have made through my involvement in ADP are invaluable; we are truly a family of scholars!”
“ADP not only offers great resources for anyone in the field of civic learning and democratic engagement but also creates many intentional opportunities to connect meaningfully with faculty, practitioners, and students with a vested interest in the civic health of the United States and the world. I developed many powerful and lasting intra and cross-campus collaborations as a result of my participation in the ADP network.”
“ADP provides a national network of colleagues who want to explore, understand, and invest in democratic education. It’s a network that people participate in because they believe in the work. I appreciate the á la carte quality, where we are encouraged to find what interests us and what works in our contexts. Contrast this with groups that mandate initiatives, or demand reporting. ADP is a support, not an imposition.”
“ADP offers faculty and administrators who are committed to democratic engagement the opportunity to grow together. The countless initiatives we have tackled over the years have provided a forward-thinking foundation for student engagement across the country. The connections I have made through my involvement in ADP are invaluable; we are truly a family of scholars!”
“ADP not only offers great resources for anyone in the field of civic learning and democratic engagement but also creates many intentional opportunities to connect meaningfully with faculty, practitioners, and students with a vested interest in the civic health of the United States and the world. I developed many powerful and lasting intra and cross-campus collaborations as a result of my participation in the ADP network.”
“ADP provides a national network of colleagues who want to explore, understand, and invest in democratic education. It’s a network that people participate in because they believe in the work. I appreciate the á la carte quality, where we are encouraged to find what interests us and what works in our contexts. Contrast this with groups that mandate initiatives, or demand reporting. ADP is a support, not an imposition.”
Partners & Awards
Coalition and Program Partners
Organizations who provide resources and expertise critical to making ADP possible.
Become an ADP partner.
ADP Steering Committee
A group of talented and thoughtful individuals who guide the design and development of ADP programs and practices.
Get involved.
Civic Engagement Awards
Awards presented annually at the ADP Summit recognizing leadership in civic engagement on AASCU member campuses.
Learn more.
Policy Agenda
AASCU’s commitment to civic engagement extends to the policy arena, where we champion the federal and state policies that expand civic learning and empower campuses to prepare students for informed, active participation in our democracy.
Protection and Promotion of Free Speech
- Promote free exchange of ideas to the maximum extent possible in a manner that is consistent with constitutional principles.
- Support efforts that address and prevent hate speech and other forms of harassment on campus.
- Sponsor and support activities that educate the campus community about the value and central importance of academic freedom and open discourse.
- Ensure, promote, and protect broad intellectual engagement.
- Oppose micromanagement of constitutional campus operations through new “free speech” laws.
- Support and promote difficult dialogues and civil debate.
Promoting Civic Engagement Is a Critical Educational Responsibility of Public Colleges and Universities
- Highlight the role of education in restoring and promoting civil discourse, which is essential to the health of our democracy.
- Sponsor and support civic learning and engagement initiatives.
- Support programs that provide public service opportunities and learning for students and graduates.
- Support programs that build student civic and information literacy in online spaces through broad, cross-institutional projects that enable students to fact-check, annotate, and provide context for emergent news stories promulgated by social media.
- Educate students to critically analyze information and act as informed citizens.
- Encourage regional public universities to facilitate their students’ participation in the election process to the maximum extent possible.
- Oppose state legislative interventions that unnecessarily and inappropriately limit college students’ voting ability.
Campus Diversity
- Defend the independence of university admissions, financial aid, and faculty appointment policies.
- Support all minority-serving institutions.
- Promote policies that maximize an inclusive campus environment for all students, faculty, and staff.
- Support and promote policies that assist underserved students in fully participating in and continuing their postsecondary education.
- Promote access to high-quality certificates and full-fledged academic credentials for all students seeking higher education.
- “Ban the box” on admissions applications and engage in any preventative due diligence and threat assessment based on past criminal convictions only after an academic judgment about applicants has been made.
If preparing engaged citizens is a priority at your institution, contact us to learn how the American Democracy Project can help.
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