The D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership is partnering with IM Education to offer programming to address the need for more civics education and a greater focus on civic virtue in America.

Rebuilding American Civics is a series of community classes that are free and open to the public. Classes are led by Sam Scinta, founder and president of IM Education, associate lecturer in political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and an adjunct instructor in the Servant Leadership program at Viterbo University. 

Both series are free of charge, but class size is limited, so please sign up early. 

To register or to get more information contact Kelli Jerve at kelli@inspiredmindsedu.org or Jill Miller at jmmiller@viterbo.edu.  

• Tuesday, Sept. 28: The role of the President in American Government: The President of the United States is often considered the most powerful politician in the nation. Is this by design, and what does the Constitution have to say about the powers of the executive branch? In this session, we will explore the Constitutional authority of the President and its evolution over time.

• Tuesday, Oct. 5: Open civics conversation: Is there something about American politics or current events that is of interest to you? Come with a topic to discuss, or just join the moderated conversation, for a look at current events and hot topics.

• Tuesday, Oct. 12: Why free speech matters: Free speech is perhaps the most powerful liberty protected by our Constitution. But why is it so important to have free speech in our society? And what are the limits to speech? In this session, we will explore the philosophical underpinnings of free speech, in particular the writings of John Stuart Mill from “On Liberty."

• Tuesday, Oct. 19: Our Declaration book discussion: This fall, the Viterbo community has chosen Our Declaration by Danielle Allen (who will also be appearing at Viterbo on Thursday, October 21) as its campus read. Join our conversation about this important and insightful book, as we explore the continued relevance of the Declaration of Independence to our contemporary world.