Molly Eldridge is the director of Development for the College of Arts and Sciences of Marquette, leading and developing their Civic Dialogues curriculum. One facet of that curriculum is the understanding that education is a key means to reversing the polarization of America, especially with the recent developments. John Frantz is supporting with class content and further outreach being the actual starter of the whole initiative of reversing polarization.
Americans are reporting a loss of confidence in government, news, and each other, which has led to an escalation of polarization in views. Marquette University and John Frantz are working together to create education solutions to teach our children and ourselves how to understand, adapt to and begin to reverse polarization in a bipartisan way.
Molly is leading the Civic Dialog Program at Marquette University in the college of arts and sciences. The new Dean of the College Dr. Bostic was the recipient of a Rotary Scholarship which allowed her to study abroad in France and has opened the door for the program. The program is designed to allow the exchange of ideas through civic dialogue, with the ability to share different points of view without to suppressing viewpoints.
The program is designed around having a speaker series, having a civic dialogue leader in residence, and high-impact student experiences. The outcomes include encouraging the community to have meaningful civil dialogue, and establishing Marquette's leadership position as a faith-based advocate.
The pilot program is looking for 2 years of funding to get the program off the ground. If successful, they will look for an endowment to keep the program running. If you're interested in additional information, contact Molly Eldridge at molly.eldridge@marquette.edu or (414) 288-4497.