At a time when civics engagement and civic education are more important than ever, the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University has partnered with the City of La Crosse Parks and Recreation Department to offer their popular series of Rebuilding American Civics classes once again, which are free and open to the public.  Facilitator, Sam Scinta designed this program to provide civics education and discussion for community members. 

Dates and Times

• Feb. 9, 23, and March 1 and March 8, 15, 22 
• 12:30 p.m. –2 p.m.

Location: Black River Beach Neighborhood Center, 1433 Rose Street, La Crosse

Recommended age group: Adults 18+

Cost: Classes are free and open to the public. 

Registration deadline

Register one day prior to a session by calling 608-789-8640 or 608-519-2088. Sessions are offered a la carte; feel free to attend one or more sessions.

• Minimum # of participants required to hold the class: 2

• Maximum # of participants: 30 

Curriculum

​​​​Session 1

• Feb. 9 – Politics and the Media
• Feb. 23 - Journalism from the Inside: Guest speaker-Ezra Wall from WI Public Radio     
• March 1 – Open session-bring your questions for discussion  

Session 2

• March 8 – Congress and its powers
• March 15 – Political parties and elections
• March 22 – An introduction to civil liberties and civil rights

Meet the Facilitator

Sam Scinta, Founder of IM Education
Adjunct Professor, Viterbo and UW La Crosse
Creator, Rebuilding American Civics

Sam Scinta is the publisher of Fulcrum Publishing, a leading independent book publisher. He received his JD from the University of Denver and worked as a public finance attorney, before joining Fulcrum as associate publisher; soon thereafter, he was named president and publisher. In 2015, Sam founded IM Education, Inc., a nonprofit focusing on education programming. He is a lecturer in the Servant Leadership Program at Viterbo University and the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He currently serves on several boards in the Western Wisconsin region.

What Participants Are Saying

“Every morning I watch the news, and after participating in these classes, I understand nuances and complexities that I had not even noticed before.”

"Instructor Sam Scinta’s ability to tie together current events and history is something you won’t want to miss!"