A new minor in civic life

SNF Agora's new, interdisciplinary minor in civic life prepares students to become change agents, as they bridge differences and find common ground. Students of all kinds-whether they are simply curious about what it means to live in a democracy, or they're ready to change the world-can acquire the skills they need to become engaged global citizens in a new offering from Johns Hopkins University: a minor in civic life. Created and run by the university's Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute , the new minor is open to all undergraduate students, regardless of their major. It builds on SNF Agora's scholarship and expertise in using civic engagement and dialogue to bolster democracy around the globe. The minor also supports a universitywide effort to cultivate civic-minded students who "flourish as informed, skilled, and effective members of their society and of the world," a recommendation of JHU's Second Commission on Undergraduate Education. For Bryce Corrigan and his colleagues who developed the minor, the new offering is timely. "Polarization is intense right now, and students are worried about how we can protect our democracy and prevent differences from tearing us apart." Bryce Corrigan "Polarization is intense right now, and students are worried about how we can protect our democracy and prevent differences from tearing us apart," says Corrigan, who serves as the director of undergraduate studies for the minor in civic life and a senior statistician and lecturer at SNF Agora.