Presidential conventions happen once every four years College and university students from across the country will travel to Charlotte to participate in the Washington Center’s Democratic National Convention Academic Seminar from Aug. 25 to Sept. 7. Through an academic partnership with UNC Charlotte, 122 students and faculty members will listen to lectures from prominent political leaders and then volunteer on site at the convention.
“The national convention, an integral part of the U.S. political process, is a piece of preserved history,” said Mike Smith, president of the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. “The academic seminars teach students about the process, but not from the sidelines. Students learn from within, in the thick of it. And most importantly, we could not have offered the program without our gracious host UNC Charlotte and their faculty, staff and campus facilities. We thank UNC Charlotte for their continued partnership.”
Students participating in the convention seminar will spend the first week of the program learning the history of political campaigns, convention planning and procedures and the role of the media. The second half of the program will be spent at the convention, participating in field work assignments and attending convention receptions and rallies.
One example of the type of volunteer work the students will be assigned is working with the convention’s communication team. They will assist with the production of live news coverage at the major networks, write articles for newspapers like the Dallas Morning News and support the logistics of other delegation events and receptions.
“These students are going to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn in an environment which epitomizes the American democratic process,” said Chancellor Philip L. Dubois. “They will emerge with new skills and insights that will shape their development as citizens for the rest of their lives.”
The convention seminar is part of the 49er Democracy Experience. In collaboration with other colleges and universities in the region, national nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations and the Charlotte in 2012 Host Committee, UNC Charlotte created the initiative. The 49er Democracy Experience brings together expert faculty, civic-minded students and community partners to develop educational programming to enhance the public understanding of and participation in our nation’s democratic process.
A week prior to the seminar in Charlotte, students from across the country will also participate in the Republican National Convention Academic Seminar from Aug. 18-25, hosted at the Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Fla.
Since 1984, more than 2,500 students from greater than 300 academic institutions have attended the Washington Center’s two-week academic seminars at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. To date, the convention seminars remain the only national academic program of their kind and size.