2006 Southern Coalition Conference

The three day Southern Conference on Civic Literacy and Engagement, held in Louisville in April of 2006 and chaired by Secretary Grayson, served as an extension of the initial meeting, allowing civic education leaders from the 13 southern states to come together and continue the discussion and projects that began at the Conference. The Southern Conference set out with the mission of “collaborating and sharing resources and ideas among coalition states related to civic education and engagement.” The goal was to develop a strategic plan aligned with the mission of the Congressional Conferences by helping “government, community, and education leaders incorporate civic knowledge, skills and attitudes into policies, programs, and pedagogy that support effective civic education and engagement from early childhood through adulthood.”

The Conference was an overwhelming success, with each of the 13 states agreeing to reconvene in 2007 for a second summit.