In response to the university’s social distancing policy for COVID-19, the Annette Strauss Institute will not be open for walk-ins until further notice. However, staff will be available by email at strauss.institute@austin.utexas.edu.
Great Conversations 2021
Great Conversations is the Annette Strauss Institute sole fundraising event held annually to benefit our education and outreach programs.
State and community leaders. Policy-makers and policy-shapers. Engaging conversations on diverse issues and stimulating topics. A thought-provoking and informative evening, sharing ideas and viewpoints with others and supporting the Annette Strauss Institute’s civic engagement programs in Texas.
Please join the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at The University of Texas at Austin and Event Co-Chairs, Linda Moore and Dr. Stefanie Sanford on September 28th for Great Conversations 2021: What’s the Role of a Citizen in 2021? — Understanding Engaged Citizenship Amid Years of Division and Disruption.
Civic Corner
A Reflection on the Last Six Years
from Susan T. Nold
The Texas Legislature Recognizes “Speak Up Speak Out”
— What an honor.
Save the Date
September 24-25, 2021
Voting Summit
September 28, 2021
Great Conversations
October 24, 2021
Civic Texas (formerly Civic Saturday)
Educational Programs and Research
College Programs
College programs include New Politics Forum and TX Votes. New Politics Forum offers nonpartisan training, educational seminars, and conferences across the state. TX Votes is a student-led organization on the University of Texas at Austin's campus that practices Get Out The Vote activities.
K-12 Programs
Speak Up Speak Out is a K-12 civic education program, in which students identify a community problem and collaborate in a small group to solve that issue. TexElects is a competition for high school students, in which students create art projects that encourage their community to vote during election cycles. RUReady Texas is an extension of an undergraduate and high school student civic education project from Rutgers University.
Adult Civic Education
Young professionals may engage in public seminars and conferences to become better communicators and to facilitate public deliberative discussions.
Texas Civic Health Index
The Texas Civic Health Index provides a comprehensive, first-time look at civic and political engagement in Texas. It presents information about who engages in their communities, in politics, and how.
Texas Media & Society Survey
The Texas Media & Society Survey is a broad-ranging survey on the topics of journalism, the media, politics, civic engagement, discussion networks and communities.
Campaign Mapping Project
The Campaign Mapping Project is a multi-year effort to assemble political campaign materials produced during presidential elections between 1948 and 2012, as a guide to understand the direction of American politics.
