Post-election gathering
Making Critical Connections!
This year, our theme is Critical Connections – a celebration of the incredible community of student vote advocates– and friends – that we have here in the SLSV Coalition. The past year – really, the past few years – have been exhausting, overwhelming, and lonely for many of us. With over 400 partners in the SLSV Coalition and in the broader #StudentVote movement, we hope to remind each other that we’re not in this alone. Together, we can fight for a future that we deserve – a future where ALL students have the access and knowledge needed to be able to make their voices heard at the ballot box.
The annual Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition Post-Election Gathering (PEG) brings together nonprofit organizations, campus staff, administrators, faculty, and students to build connections and friendships across the student democracy space, share lessons learned, provide training and resources, and create a shared momentum and energy towards our collective goals.
What happens at the Post-Election Gathering?
By attending the 2022 Post-Election Gathering, you’ll have the opportunity to come together with nonprofit coalition partners, college administrators, student leaders, and more to explore which strategies were effective in 2022, which strategies worked best to keep campuses engaged between major elections, what challenges arose throughout the year, and how we can become even more effective in the future.
You’ll also have opportunities to participate in trainings on resources and innovative strategies to ask every student to participate in the democratic process, and receive support to ensure your civic engagement programming and efforts center diversity, equity and inclusion in an intentional and effective way.
It’s a virtual experience!
The SLSV Coalition serves campus communities nationwide, and in order to ensure all of our partners can fully participate in the Post-Election Gathering, it will continue to be a virtual experience in 2022!
The Post-Election Gathering is a space that simulates the connections, interactivity, and excitement that is generated at annual conferences, but in a way that is accessible to anyone in the #StudentVote movement no matter where they live!
Is there a registration cost?
The cost to attend the 2022 Post-Election Gathering is $85 for nonprofits, election official offices and campus professionals, and $20 for students.
Campuses or organizations that want to register 5 to 10 people at one time will receive a discounted $350 flat rate. Groups who want to register more than 10 people can also receive a discounted rate upon request.
If you have questions about the 2022 Post-Election Gathering or would like to request a group registration, email bianca@slsvcoalition.org.
AGENDA
Tuesday, December 6th
Plenary Sessions
Critical connections are what make the #StudentVote movement go. We’ll begin each day with a brief session to help set the tone for a rewarding and fun experience at this year’s Post Election Gathering. Join us for a specialized activity (with a different theme each day) that will prepare you to dive into the trainings and panels that lie ahead. We have some exciting things planned, so you don't want to miss it!
More information to come.
Breakout Sessions
3:15-4pm ET
This past year, an SLSV Resources & Support Subcommittee working group led by LeadMN launched an online, self-paced academy called the “Ask Every Student Academy” that any student can enroll in to learn the fundamentals of student organizing and voter engagement. In this session, participants will learn more about this resource from the SLSV partners who co-designed it. Participants will also take part in small group breakouts to discuss this question that sparked the project: How do we train, who do we train, and how do we make sure training is sustainable?
Speakers:
- Arielle Mizrahi - Florida State Coordinator, Campus Vote Project
- Alicia Valette - New England Regional President, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Community College of Rhode Island
- Caroline Smith - Interim Director of Programs, Andrew Goodman Foundation
STEM disciplines are as relevant as ever to our democracy - and vice versa - but that's not always readily apparent to students or faculty. This session will help participants find the guidance and resources they need to shape civic identities among STEM students, in the classroom and beyond.
Speakers:
- Melissa Varga - Science Network Community & Partnerships Manager at the Union of Concerned Scientists
- Bridget Trogden - Associate Dean for Engagement and General Education and Professor at Clemson University
- Emma Godel - MPA Student and Graduate Assistant at American University
4:15-5pm ET
Diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations on college campuses and around civic engagement often exclude disabled students. Removing barriers to access should be embedded in the design and implementation of action plans on all college campuses. In this session, we’ll discuss how current practices exclude audiences by design and introduce techniques to identify barriers. We’ll walk through the Strengthening American Democracy Guide 3.0 to show how accessibility fits into the guiding principles and action planning process. Participants will leave the workshop prepared to implement more inclusive processes and practices on campus or within their organization.
Speakers:
- Dr. Allison Rank - Associate Professor of American Politics, SUNY Oswego
- Rebecca Mushtare - Professor of Interaction Design and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, SUNY Oswego
When it comes to increasing student voter and democratic engagement, partnerships are everything. In this training, participants will learn the fundamentals about building a campus voting coalition and participate in an interactive activity to identify and map outreach for intentional, equitable, and inclusive partnerships. Nonprofit partners can use this activity to support campuses they work with, and campus partners can bring it back to their teams to build and grow stronger coalitions.
Speakers:
- Dr. Leah Murray - Director, Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service at Weber State University
- Samantha Giffen - Assistant Director, Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politcis at Salem State University
Social Event
More information to come.
Wednesday, December 7th
Plenary Sessions
Critical connections are what make the #StudentVote movement go. We’ll begin each day with a brief session to help set the tone for a rewarding and fun experience at this year’s Post Election Gathering. Join us for a specialized activity (with a different theme each day) that will prepare you to dive into the trainings and panels that lie ahead. We have some exciting things planned, so you don't want to miss it!
More information to come.
Breakout Sessions
3:15-4pm ET
As a Coalition we’re dedicated to making sure every student has the access and knowledge to be able to cast their vote, but participating in democracy doesn’t stop there. In this session we will hear from experts across multiple fields as they dive deep into the different ways we can have an impact on our community (or democracy) and make our voices heard beyond the ballot box.
In 2022, Ask Every Student Codesigner Cohort collaborated to develop the most cutting-edge and campus-centered resources out there for reaching 100% student voter participation. In this session, participants will learn from three Ask Every Student Codesiners about how they developed, implemented, and iterated upon innovative strategies that literally ask every student to participate in our democracy, beginning with voter registration if eligible. Participants will participate in breakout sessions led by a Codesigner to take a deeper dive into the ways that they can make asking every student a reality on their own campus and the campuses they work with.
Speakers:
- Dr. Crystal Harris - Faculty, Governors State University
- Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin - Faculty and Columbia Votes! Founder, Columbia College Chicago
- Dr. Elizabeth Parmelee - Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies, Metropolitan State University of Denver
4:15-5pm ET
Research shows that students will register and vote if you teach them how and doing so in the classroom is a great way to meet students where they are. But how do you get faculty from across disciplines to devote a portion of their limited class time with students to encourage them to register and vote? In this session, you will learn how to implement strategies for gaining faculty buy-in from Ask Every Student Codesigners from a diverse array of campuses.
Speakers:
- Josh Young - Director, Miami Dade College Institute for Civic Engagement & Democracy
- Monica Clarke - Service Learning Coordinator & Adjunct English Faculty, Alabama A&M University
- Dr. Diane McMahon - Professor of Sociology, Allegany College of Maryland
In this session, we will learn from Coalition partners about different ways to meaningfully incorporate a “diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) lens” into nonpartisan student voter engagement initiatives. This session will focus particularly on including individuals not eligible to vote in the United States, supporting transgender student voters, and developing mutually beneficial partnerships with BIPOC-led student organizations. The session will also include time for participants to anonymously share the questions and concerns they have around incorporating DEIJ into their work, which will create the foundation for a resource to be developed in 2023 that addresses these issues through best practices.
- Alexis Crosby, Campus Vote Project
- Raymond Partolan, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
- Selene Gomez, VoteRiders
Social Event
More information to come.
Thursday, December 8th
Plenary Sessions
Critical connections are what make the #StudentVote movement go. We’ll begin each day with a brief session to help set the tone for a rewarding and fun experience at this year’s Post Election Gathering. Join us for a specialized activity (with a different theme each day) that will prepare you to dive into the trainings and panels that lie ahead. We have some exciting things planned, so you don't want to miss it!
The #StudentVote movement has seen extraordinary growth thanks to countless partners across the country who have been working tirelessly to make voting easy and accessible for students - and we want to continue that growth into 2023 and beyond. This session is for all stakeholders in the #StudentVote movement to help us define our priorities over the next year.
We're ending our time together by honoring Coalition partners across the country who exemplify one or more of our SLSV Coalition Guiding Principles. Come join us to celebrate the Superstar organizations being recognized for their hard work this year!
SPEAKERS
Dr. Nasser H. Paydar
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education at the U.S Department of Education
Dr. Nasser H. Paydar joins the U.S Department of Education as Assistant Secretary in the Office of Post-Secondary Education after most recently serving as chancellor emeritus of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and executive vice president of Indiana University (IU). An IU faculty member for more than 36 years, he has held various administrative and executive leadership positions at the university.
Hannah Bristol
Senior Advisor at The White House Office of Public Engagement
Raelyn Roberson
Field Coordinator of Stopping Cyber Suppression at Common Cause
Raelyn Roberson is the Field Coordinator of Stopping Cyber Suppression at Common Cause. She and her team work to fight back against the spread of online election disinformation and hold social media platforms accountable for their role in the spread of election lies. Raelyn provides trainings that encourage anyone and everyone to stop cyber suppression! During monitoring shifts, she leads volunteers in recognizing, searching for, and reporting bad actors who threaten democracy by spreading election lies.
Alicia Valette
New England Regional President - Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Community College of Rhode Island
Alicia Vallette is a student at the Community College of Rhode Island, where she is working towards two degrees in geoscience and the liberal arts. Alicia is passionate about civic engagement, servant leadership, and advocacy. As a Roosevelt Network Forge Fellow, Alicia explores public policy solutions to address systemic inequity. She serves as the New England Regional President of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and as Campus Vote Project’s first Community College Representative on the Student Advisory Board. Alicia also serves on the SLSV Coalition’s Advisory Board. She currently works as an Organizer with Public Citizen’s Democracy Campaign.
Arielle Mizrahi
Florida State Coordinator - Campus Vote Project
Arielle is the Florida State Coordinator with the Campus Vote Project (CVP) based in Orlando, Florida. In her role, she works with colleges and universities, administrators, faculty, election officials, and student leaders to implement voting reforms on campus that empower students to register and turnout to vote. She got her start in campus and community organizing with the Student PIRGs in 2014. During her time with the PIRGs, she recruited and trained 1,000+ students and developed local and statewide coalitions to increase voter turnout, make higher education more affordable and tackle climate change. Arielle graduated from Rutgers University - New Brunswick in 2017 with a degree in Sociology.
Dr. Allison Rank
Associate Professor of American Politics - SUNY Oswego
Allison Rank is an associate professor of American Politics at SUNY Oswego. Her research agenda focuses on the role of youth in politics, civic engagement, and pop culture & politics. Her work has appeared in New Political Science, Journal of Political Science Education, the eJournal of Public Affairs, and the Journal of General Education among others. In addition to teaching traditional political science courses, she serves as the campaign manager for the campus-wide voter mobilization program Vote Oswego. She is the recipient of the John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders (American Democracy Project, June 2019) as well as the Stand Out Faculty Award (ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, November 2019).
Caroline Smith
Interim Director of Programs - Andrew Goodman Foundation
Caroline Smith is the Interim Director of Programs at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. Caroline is from Maplewood, NJ, and received her BA in Sociology and a certificate in Community Action/Public Policy at Connecticut College ('18). After graduation, she began her organizing career with the Student PIRGs at Rutgers University-Newark and then jumped into national electoral work on Senator Cory Booker's presidential campaign for the 2020 primary cycle. In her third year with AGF, Caroline is excited to continue working with young organizers across the country to institutionalize civic and voter engagement.
Dr. Crystal Harris
Faculty - Governors State University
Crystal Harris is a social scientist on the faculty of Governors State University in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. Her mission is to influence the world through teaching, research and advocacy. Her background in stress and mental health led her to design courses that discuss social issues through civic engagement. After joining SLSV co-designer cohort for Ask Every Student, she is currently engaged in research and advocacy to measure the impact of student voting initiatives. These initiatives are embedded inside the classroom verses co-curricular activities; additionally, her team is interested in the long-term impact of these experiences on student attitudes and behaviors around voting.
Dr. Diane McMahon
Professor of Sociology - Allegany College of Maryland
Dr. Diane McMahon is a sociology professor at a small, rural, community college that promotes democratic engagement and civic learning for every student. She is also the Faculty Director of Allegany College of Maryland's Community Partnership Center. Allegany College of Maryland received Carnegie Community Engagement Classification status in 2020.
Dr. Elizabeth Parmelee
Vice President of Undergraduate Studies - Metropolitan State University of Denver
Elizabeth Parmelee is the Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver, charged with advancing civic engagement and the university’s anchor mission as well as overseeing academic programs that reach beyond the disciplines such as the Honors Program, International Studies and the Writing Center. She has been at the University for 15 years, having assumed her current role in May 2018 after ten years leading the Center for Individualized Learning where she worked with students developing unique cross-disciplinary degree programs.
Josh Young
Director - Miami Dade College Institute for Civic Engagement & Democracy
Josh Young is the director of Miami Dade College’s Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy where he oversees a host of civic learning and democratic engagement programming. Josh has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Virginia and master’s degrees in social work and public administration from Florida State University where he was named “Social Work Student of the Year.” Josh served two tours with the United States Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa and Paraguay, South America and has helped lead civic engagement programming at MDC since 1994.
Dr. Leah Murray
Director - Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service at Weber State University
Leah Murray is the Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy at Weber State University. Murray currently serves as the Director of the Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service and in that role chairs the WSU Political Engagement Coalition. She was recognized as the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Endowed Professor for 2017 - 2020. Murray earned a BA in political science from Syracuse University and a PhD in political science at the University at Albany. Her primary research interests are in American politics, specifically youth political engagement. Her recent publications include pieces that focus on campus climates for political learning. She teaches courses on all aspects of American politics.
Monica Clarke
Service Learning Coordinator & Adjunct English Faculty - Alabama A&M University
Monica Clarke is a professor of English Composition and Freshman Orientation; Service and Learning Communities Coordinator, Volunteer, and Community Service Coordinator; Chair of The Alabama A&M Civic Engagement Team and Bonner Program Director. She has graciously served at Alabama A&M University (AAMU) for thirteen years. Ms. Clarke has served more than thirty years in education, her career in teaching has ranged from Elementary school, Middle School, High school, Community College to University Levels. Ms. Clarke holds a Masters of Education Degree from The University of Southern Mississippi, a Masters of Arts in English Degree from Alabama A&M University, a Certificate of Spanish Education from Cemanahuac Spanish School in Cuernavaca, Morelos Mexico; and a Bachelors of Arts degree in English Education from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Rebecca Mushtare
Professor of Interaction Design and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies - SUNY Oswego
Rebecca Mushtare is a Professor of Interaction Design and the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at SUNY Oswego. Her primary research area is accessibility. She co-founded the Workgroup on Accessibility Practices and Faculty Accessibility Fellow program at SUNY Oswego and regularly provides training and workshops on accessibility within SUNY and beyond. She also consistently works on community engagement projects including serving as the creative director for the Recollection Project and the Vote Oswego Project.
Samantha Giffen
Assistant Director - Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politcis at Salem State University
Samantha Giffen is a student affairs professional with a mission to empower students with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to be change-makers in their communities. After achieving her M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs in May, Samantha now works as the Assistant Director for the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics at Salem State University. In this role she leads all of Salem State's political programming including their Vikings Vote initiative, hosting political speakers and dialogues, supporting students with career interests in politics, and awarding scholarships to students doing internships in public service. Samantha was recently recognized by NASPA with the Rising Star for Commitment to Civic Engagement Award and currently serves on the SLSV Coalition Advisory Board.
Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin
Faculty and Columbia Votes! Founder - Columbia College Chicago
Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin is a professor of journalism at Columbia College Chicago and the creator of Columbia Votes! She also created and teaches a course called "Defending Democracy," which focuses on the history of voter suppression and the fight for voting rights in the United States, and engages students in creating strategies for increasing access to voting among marginalized communities.
Bridget Trogden
Associate Dean for Engagement and General Education and Professor - Clemson University
Dr. Bridget Trogden is a chemist with the appointment of Professor in the Department of Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University. She also serves as an Associate Dean in the Division of Undergraduate Studies.
Melissa Varga
Science Network Community & Partnerships Manager - Union of Concerned Scientists
Melissa manages the online community and partnerships development for the Union of Concerned Scientists Science Network. She specializes in engaging scientists and science organizations in efforts that support long-term movement building and culture change towards embracing advocacy as a critical component of science’s role in society. She is the lead organizer for Science Rising, a nationwide nonpartisan movement fighting for science, justice, and equity in our democracy.
Emma Godel
MPA Student and Graduate Assistant - American University
Emma Godel (she/her) is a graduate student at American University in Washington, DC where she studies public administration. Before to Washington, she graduated from Allegheny College with a bachelor's degree in political science, where she worked to assemble a get-out-the-vote campus team, led a nonpartisan voting campaign, and made valuable connections with Campus Vote Project and the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition. She also currently interns with Vote Early Day
