About the 2025-2026 TMA Civic Education Sessions
The purpose of Transform Mid-Atlantic’s (TMA) Civic Education Sessions is to connect first generation and limited-income students (and any other student who wants to participate!) affiliated with colleges and universities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region to engage in dialogue and co-learning about a variety of topics related to the public purposes of higher education. Through these sessions, participants will develop a deeper understanding of civic and community engagement, their agency as leaders and community members, as well as practical knowledge and skills that can be applied to their campus and community experiences across a variety of topics and issues.Ultimately, the sessions seek to empower participants to identify how their academic and co-curricular interests, passions, and skills can responsibly be used to contribute toward more just and democratic communities. Students who complete 6 of the 8 sessions will receive a digital Civic Engagement badge and certificate. Fall 2025 sessions include:

Civic Engagement 101 | Tuesday, September 30, 6:00-7:00PM | Dr. Shawntay Stocks & Anthony Wagner, Transform Mid-Atlantic

Civic Engagement 201: Centering Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion and Reflection in Civic Engagement | Wednesday, October 22, 6:00-7:00PM | Nairuti Shastry, Director of Policy & Research, Center for Economic Democracy (registration page coming soon)

Civic Engagement in Action | Tuesday November 18, 6:00-7:00PM | Professor Tamara Gibbs-Franklin, Associate Professor, College of Southern Maryland (registration page coming soon)

The Sustainable Path: How Personal Wellness Shapes Global Citizenship | Wednesday, December 10, 6:00-7:00PM | Professor Martine Foreman, Associate Professor, Carroll Community College (registration page coming soon)

About Session I: Civic Engagement 101
Most colleges and universities in the United States offer programs, courses, and other opportunities for students to develop or deepen their civic engagement skills. Yet, civic engagement is what some might call an “elastic” word or idea that includes a broad spectrum of understandings, actions, and goals. What does it mean? It depends on who you ask and your own understandings and experiences! During this workshop, specially developed for first-generation and limited-income students across our region’s colleges and universities, we will unpack “civic engagement” and co-create vocabulary, connections, and strategies that students can use to confidently jump headfirst into opportunities to become responsibly engaged leaders and community members prepared to ignite their own civic agency and co-create needed change in their communities.

Learning Objectives
By participating in this session, students will:

• Deepen understanding of various terms and ideas related to civic engagement
• Understand how one’s identity, history, and experiences inform civic agency and action
• Network and develop connections with a diverse group of civically curious students, staff, and community partners affiliated with colleges and universities across the Mid-Atlantic region

Ticket Options:

• TMA Member Individual Session Ticket: Free!
• Non-Member Individual Session Ticket: $10 per student, per session.
• Non-Member Full Series Team Ticket: $250 per campus, covers up to 10 students for all 8 sessions.

Non-member campuses that purchase the Team Ticket and submit the Team Information Form (link provided after payment) can send up to 10 students to all 8 sessions at no extra cost. Each student must still register for individual sessions but will not be charged at checkout.

Session 1 Guest Speakers / Facilitators

• Dr. Shawntay Stocks, Associate Director, Transform Mid-Atlantic
• Anthony Wagner V, Director of TMACF and Special Projects, Transform Mid-Atlantic

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AS A STUDENT FROM A TMA MEMBER CAMPUS
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AS A STUDENT FROM A NON-MEMBER CAMPUS