“Americans go to the polls for the 2022 mid-term elections with voters sharply polarized and pessimistic about the future of U.S. democracy, according to recent surveys. Yet at a time where civil and respectful political discourse may seem to be at an all-time low, the College of Arts and Sciences’ Political and Civic Engagement (PACE) program on the IU Bloomington campus is actively preparing undergraduates for engagement in public life, even when it comes to some of the most contentious issues. 

“‘PACE is very active campus-wide,’ said Lisa-Marie Napoli, Ph.D., PACE’s director. ‘We work on academic and co-curricular programming that can help students gain skills and knowledge that help them be effective citizens.’ Any IU Bloomington undergraduate, whatever their major, can participate in PACE, which offers a 22 credit hour undergraduate certificate program along with real-world projects and hands-on learning, from nonpartisan voter registration, to encouraging civil dialogue on campus and beyond, to learning facilitation and advocacy skills.”