The Kettering Foundation Selects the Malin Burnham San Diego Center for Civic Engagement for New Learning Exchange

Along with the San Diego Center for Civic Engagement, the San Diego collaborative includes the California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM); League of Women Voters (LWV); Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU); Restoring Respect at the University of San Diego (USD) and San Diego Community College District (SDCCD); San Diego City College (SDCC); and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

The Kettering Foundation’s New Centers for Public Life, an invite-only, joint learning exchange between a variety of civic entrepreneurs around the country, seeks to develop a fresh understanding of and activate the role of citizens as actors in democracy.

According to BongHwan “BH” Kim, Vice President and Executive Director, The Malin Burnham San Diego Center for Civic Engagement, the San Diego contingent strives to develop a regional hub model that strengthens civic engagement in the San Diego region and can be replicated across partner organizations.

“We’re extremely honored to receive this invitation,” said Kim. “This is the largest contingent from any region that was invited by the Kettering Foundation and we are very excited to have the participation of so many academic partners committed to advancing the central role of citizens and residents in public life throughout the region”.

The San Diego collaborative will work together to 1) educate students about deliberative democracy practices using a modified version of a Colorado State University curriculum developed by Dr. Martin Carcasson; 2) connect students with real community concerns to practice their learning and see the effects of deliberative democracy practices; 3) build and support the relationships between students-turned-civic facilitators and community groups, so communities view these facilitators as a local resource to help move civic deliberation and decision-making forward; and 4) duplicate this model around the region so multiple communities learn and use deliberative democracy practices to improve and strengthen their communities.

The Kettering Foundation, a research organization, uses cooperative research methods with national and international organizations that try to encourage a more democratic, public life; seek to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with the public engagement of pressing local or national issues; and aim to encourage public deliberation as one means of addressing these challenges.

About The San Diego Foundation
Founded in 1975, The San Diego Foundation’s purpose is to promote and increase effective and responsible charitable giving. The Foundation manages more than $641 million in assets, almost half of which reside in permanent endowment funds that extend the impact of today’s gifts to future generations. Since its inception, The Foundation has granted more than $852 million to the San Diego region’s nonprofit community. For additional information, please visit The San Diego Foundation at sdfoundation.org.

About the Malin Burnham San Diego Center for Civic Engagement
The Malin Burnham San Diego Center for Civic Engagement ensures broad, dynamic community participation and ownership of shared solutions by incubating ideas, leading social change and championing Our Greater San Diego Vision to improve the quality of life for the San Diego region. For additional information, visit www.sdcenterforcivicengagement.org.

Contact
Vince Heald, Beck Ellman Heald, 858-453-9600, vheald@behmedia.com
Heather Back, The San Diego Foundation, 619-235-2300, Heather@sdfoundation.org