The Civic Literacy Initiative of Kentucky (CLIK), formalized under a 2004 joint resolution by the Kentucky General Assembly, operates under the direction of Secretary of State Trey Grayson. The intiative is a non-partisan multi-year effort to increase civic literacy and engagement in the Commonwealth.
In 2004, the first Kentucky Summit on Civic Literacy convened at Northern Kentucky University. With over 170 participants from across the Commonwealth, the summit served to bring together students, elected officials, community leaders, educators, and others to discuss the issue of civic engagement. The Summit was an overwhelming success, due largely to the participation and cooperation of individuals from all three branches of government.
The 2004 Summit was followed by 11 regional summits, held at strategic locations across the Commonwealth, focused on gathering a wide array of opinions to allow for the creation of a statewide plan to enhance civic literacy. The results were combined with those of the 2004 summit to create Rediscovery Democracy:A Report on the Kentucky Summit on Civic Literacy, a report published by the Office of the Secretary of State and provided to the general public.
In early 2006, the CLIK joined a 13 state consortium called the Southern Coalition for Civic Education. The first Southern Coalition Conference, chaired by Secretary Grayson, was held in Louisville, Kentucky later that year. The conference's goals of collaboration and information sharing were so successful that the participating members agreed to reconvene in September 2007 for a second Conference.
In late 2006, the CLIK compiled and presented Rediscovering Democracy: An Agenda for Action based upon the lessons and information gathered in the first two years of the initiative. This Agenda is Kentucky’s guide to addressing the decline of civic participation in our society. Its numerous recommendations focus on four areas vital to enhancing civic literacy, and also serve as the blueprint for fulfilling the mandate set out by the 2004 Joint Resolution.
More recently, the CLIK has been focused on the creation and support of the Kentucky Teacher Network for Excellence in Civic Education. The network was created to provide civic educators across the Commonwealth with a collaborative environment where the expansion of civic knowledge and effective teaching methods are paramount. Current CLIK activities also include the oversight of statewide mock elections for interested under-age citizens, a slogan and essay contest run through the Office of the Secretary of State, and the planning and execution of the 2007 Southern Coalition Conference.