The CLDE 2016 meeting will kick off, leading to three days of meaningful conversations, networking opportunities, and other engaging and empowering events. We, the student interns, are excited to welcome all of you to Indianapolis and start talking about civic and democratic engagement. To help your conference experience run smoother, we have put together a list of events throughout the conference that are particularly relevant and meaningful for students.

• Student Symposium Pre-Conference: By Students, about Students, for Students- this pre-conference seminar will include table discussions on a wide range of topics including students’ role at the CLDE meeting, fostering community partnerships, and increasing civic participation off campus. Registration is required, but the seminar is free!
• Organizing Breakfasts: Whether your campus is a member of ADP, TDC, or NASPA, there will be a breakfast session for you. During these sessions you can learn more about the work that ADP/TDC/NASPA has completed in the past few years and their goals and vision for the future. Be sure to join one of these conversations on the morning of June 2nd.
• CLDE Meeting Orientation: This orientation session will provide an introduction to the purpose of the annual CLDE meeting and the collective goals of ADP, NASPA, and TDC. This session is especially helpful for first-time attendees, as you will learn how to better navigate the conference.
• Opening Plenary: The first plenary session of the 2016 CLDE conference will be a twist on the traditional TED talks. Featuring three speakers, the CLDE CivEd talks will dive into the importance of civic engagement while offering perspectives on what a civically engaged and minded community looks like.
• Campus and Friends Showcase / Poster Session: The ‘Campus and Friends Showcase / Poster Sessions’ are not only a time to learn about projects across the nation, but also allows you to network with conference participants. There will be a number of exciting projects being showcased, and presenters will be around to answer questions and engage in dialogue. This is also a great opportunity for students to meetup and connect before the conference begins!
• Roadtrip National Film Screening: This year, CLDE will be showing a documentary following three young people’s experiences with homelessness. This documentary will not only be an interesting movie, but will also spark interesting conversation afterwards.
• Breakfast, Roundtable, and General Sessions: Besides the main events, there will be other small sessions in which you can learn about other universities and their ideas and projects regarding civic engagement, as well as engage in discussions on future options and plans. You can find below a list of a few of the interesting sessions we think are relevant to students!

1. “Can You Survive Poverty?”: The NDSU Poverty Simulation Programs Empowering Student Leaders through Campus & Community Relationships
2. Ask Big Questions: A Method for Reflection in Civic Engagement
3. Civic Engagement Leadership & Community Partners: Assessing difference between Leaders and the Community
4. King Day of… Learning?
5. Political Socialization and Campus Civil Society: Student Groups’ Essential Role in Civic and Political Engagement
6. Students Enhancing Democracy

• Friday Morning Plenary: Friday morning plenary session will be another interesting discussion which will focus on the conflict between religious freedom and LGBTQ rights. In the past few months, LGBTQ rights have been featured in numerous legal and policy debates across the country. This session will focus on how this conflict has played a role in Indiana, and will further discuss how students became engaged in this debate in Indiana.
• Democracy Plaza Tour: This new event to the CLDE meetings, the Democracy Plaza, is a location on IUPUI where campus community members can write, listen, and engage in conversations about political issues or ideas. This year, CLDE members will have the opportunity to walk around the Democracy Plaza and engage with existing questions, topics, and ideas, as well as contribute some of their own.
• Paws Pantry Donations: Food insecurity is a prevalent issue regardless of the college or community that we live in. To address this issue at #CLDE16 we’re proud to partner with IUPUI’s campus food pantry – Paw’s Pantry – by hosting a food drive throughout the meeting. You can bring non-perishable food and monetary donations to the registration desk for donation.
• Closing Plenary: The closing plenary will feature information from the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education’s (IDHE), a new research center at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University (Mass.). Its signature initiative, the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) which provides colleges and universities with data on their students’ registration and voting rates. With over 800 colleges and universities nationally in the study – including 214 ADP/TDC/NASPA Lead campuses – and a database of 7.5 million students, NSLVE researchers have completed an analysis of voting based on a broad range of institutional and individual characteristics.
• Student Reflection Session: Following the Democracy Plaza Tour, Join the student interns for a quick reflection session. During this time, the student interns will collect both written and verbal feedback regarding the conference: issues/challenges you encountered, positive feedback, areas of improvement, and any other general comments. Afterwards, we will try to do a fun student outing/meetup!
  
• Informal Student Meetups: Throughout the conference attendees will be given opportunity to meet with other students for lunch, dinner, or a walk around the city. On Thursday, during our lunch hour, the interns will be leading a conversation by a Mexican War statue on understanding and combating microaggressions. To learn more about these opportunities, download the app and keep checking for student updates!
• #CLDE16 Mentorship Program: We recognize the fact that the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) meetings have been known to attract some of the best thinkers and doers in civic engagement in higher education around, we’ve challenged our attendees to think globally and act locally on our belief in collective wisdom. As such we invite you to join others who are taking part in this program to meet in the Denver Room at the start of the 2016 CLDE Meeting Opening Reception on Thursday, June 2 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Denver Room.

There’s a lot going on at this conference, and there are sure to be many meaningful conversations and ideas. For more information on the program, check out the link below. Also, download the NASPA meeting app for updates and announcements throughout the conference or check out our student Facebook page.

Program Link: http://www.aascu.org/meetings/clde16/program.pdf
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/497573360435706/

See you soon,

Angelo Kapp |  [email protected] | Twitter: @AngeloKapp
Maryam Sarhan | [email protected] | Twitter: @MaryamSarhan1
Manisha Vepa | [email protected] | Twitter: @manisha_vepa
Monica Bustinza | [email protected] | Twitter: @monicabustinza