Spring civic engagement series goes virtual; next session April 1 via WebEx

With the arrival of COVID-19 and a nation’s citizens self-quarantining, the democratic process may have slowed but it has hardly come to a halt. Many elections are delayed until June, which means there’s time to figure out your voting plan – and fill out the 2020 Census.

Civic Engagement and Leadership Development (CELD) is hosting its Spring Civic Series to help you figure out how to vote in Indiana while keeping your health in mind and how to properly fill out the U.S. Census form.

Purdue faculty, students, staff and community members interested in the Spring Civic Series can join the conversation by visiting https://purdue.webex.com/meet/romero28 at the time of the session – no RSVP required. Participants are encouraged to create their own reaction emojis to post, such as a thumbs up or the fire emoji, while participating.

“We recognize that these are uncertain times but we are hoping that we are able to provide a grounding energy by coming together (virtually) and focusing on things you can do,” says Melissa Gruver, associate director of CELD. “We hope that you are able to join us and feel free to enjoy your lunch while we connect with one another on the call for active citizenship, which is vital now more than ever.”

The series kicked off last week with “Being a Good Citizen While Quarantined,” co-sponsored by ITaP. The session included details of how to take the duties of citizenship online by giving tips to protect your own and others’ sensitive information, such as account login information, passwords, financial data and more. 

Details for the rest of the series:

Counting on Community: Census 2020

12 p.m. to 1 p.m., April 1 at https://purdue.webex.com/meet/romero28

Census data, collected every 10 years, determines your representation in Congress and determines how funds are spent in your community on things like roads, schools and hospitals. Bryce Patz from the City of West Lafayette will discuss how to complete the census and answer any questions.

Apps & Ballots: Cooking Up Voter Education

12 p.m. to 1 p.m., April 10 at https://purdue.webex.com/meet/romero28

Join CELD for an appetizing cooking demo with Frankie & Jesus who will use items that can be commonly found at the ACE Campus Food Pantry. While they make some of their favorite appetizers, we will go over what to expect on your ballot for the Indiana primary election.