League, Cantigny team up for civic awareness series
The League of Women Voters of Wheaton and Cantigny Park are presenting a series of programs this fall that focus on themes of civic awareness to help inform and encourage engagement in democracy.
Programs will be held at the Cantigny Visitor Center, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, on the third Thursday of the month in September, October and November.
All programs begin at 7 p.m., except for September's, which begins with a reception at 6:15 p.m. of wine and light appetizers. Wheaton League of Women Voter members will receive two drink tickets for the reception, and a cash bar also will be available.
Both the program cost and parking are free, and programs are open to the public.
Dessert and discussion will follow each program to help attendees brainstorm how they can put into action the ideas from each speaker.
The Civic Awareness Series will have three events:
• Sept. 21: News Literacy - Fake or Not?
Peter Adams from the News Literacy Project will speak about the evolution of various forms of misinformation and the tools available to combat it. Learn how news literacy can help us gain trust in the media and know what to believe.
• Oct. 19: Why We Need People to Run for Office
Melissa Mouritsen Zmuda, associate professor of political science at the College of DuPage and an author, will speak about the importance of running for local elections and making a difference in your own community. Gain insights into the process and learn more about why local government is so important.
• Nov. 16: Money in Politics: How Much is Too Much?
Sarah Brune, executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, will present practical tools for keeping up with the fast-paced world of political money in Illinois and provide an extended question and answer session about what's to come in 2018.
Barb Laimins and Mary Tworek-Tupper, co-presidents of the League of Women Voters of Wheaton, both stress that this series touches on one of the major goals of the league: to help encourage voter engagement and involvement.
"We hope this series of seminars will equip our community with the skills and information to become active participants in democracy, and the tools they need to make informed decisions," Laimins said.
Registration is limited to 100 attendees per event. Guests can register online at wheatonlwvil.org.
If you go
What; League of Women Voters of Wheaton Civic Awareness Series
When: 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, News Literacy - Fake or Not?; 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, Why We Need People to Run for Office; 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, Money in Politics: How Much is Too Much?
Where: Cantigny Park Visitors Center, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton
Cost: Free
Register: wheatonlwvil.org