US Association of Former Members of Congress and iCohere Launch Nationwide Webinar to Inspire Students to Participate in Public Service and Increase Civic Literacy

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This month, the US Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) will launch a new nationwide online effort through its Congress to Campus Program, to reengage young people in the political process, and encourage a new generation of students to enhance their civic literacy.

In partnership with iCohere, a global provider of cloud-based learning management and professional development solutions, FMC will host three Congress to Campus webinars that connect bipartisan panels of up to six Former Members of Congress with students for 90-minute interactive broadcasts. The webinars will originate from Washington, DC beginning on September 29, where Former Members will be part of a panel moderated by Professor Leonard Steinhorn of American University. Students from across the country can listen and provide questions to the panelists. The webinars will focus on three topics: September 29 on the economy and budget; October 21 on foreign policy, military engagements, and national security; and November 19 on the mid-term elections. According to Pete Weichlein, CEO of FMC, this will be the largest and most significant webinar in the non-profit organization's history.

"This Congress to Campus program will concentrate on community colleges, using modern technology to connect with students across the nation thanks to iCohere and their Serving Others Program," Weichlein said. "These young professionals need to be included in the dialog about our government, and we are hoping that our webinars will help dispel the negativity that so many young people feel toward our political system."

Weichlein said that he expects thousands of college students will participate, and believes that by interacting with former Members of Congress, who themselves volunteer their time with FMC to promote service, civility and bipartisanship, they will, too, become more involved in government and politics.

According to a nationwide survey of 1,416 adults, conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, Americans have difficulty answering basic questions about how their government works. The survey revealed that a little more than a third of respondents could name all three branches of the U.S. government; just over a quarter of Americans know it takes a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate to override a presidential veto; and one in five Americans incorrectly thinks that a 5-4 Supreme Court decision is sent back to Congress for reconsideration.

According to FMC's president, Barbara Kennelly (D-CT), civic literacy is an attainable goal, and public service doesn't have to be a negative pursuit. "One of our major goals as an organization is to promote public service as well as bipartisanship and civility among our nation's political leaders. As Former Members who remember what it was like to work with our colleagues from the other side of the aisle, we are very concerned that we are losing the next generation of political leaders. That's why it is critical for us to do programs like this, and try to engage young people in a very personal and direct way. We know we can't change the pessimism overnight, but we also know that it just takes one person to inspire another to do great things."

"Our company was founded to provide mission-driven organizations with an efficient way to reach out nationally and globally. With its educational and unifying goals, this USFMC initiative is a perfect match for our 'Serving Those Who Serve Others' awards program," said Pascal Kaplan, CEO of iCohere. "Instead of spending a day of travel to visit a single campus or two, these bi-partisan panels will interact with students and instructors across the country with ease and in a very cost-effective manner. We're delighted to be supporting this program and the much-needed inspiration it provides its audiences regarding the true value of public service."

The panelists taking part in the first webinar include: former Members Phil English (R-PA); Barbara Kennelly (D-CT); Bob Walker (R-PA); and John LaFalce (D-NY). Through iCohere's ability to deliver secure and well produced webinars, students will be able to interact with the panelists and have those sessions archived for future viewing. To participate in the FMC Congress to Campus Webinar series, visit www.usafmc.org where applications can be downloaded, as well as the free computer application.

ABOUT FMC: The mission of FMC is to promote public service and strengthen democracy through many domestic and international programs. FMC seeks to improve the public's understanding of the role of Congress as a unique institution, as well as the crucial importance of representative democracy as a system of government. Former Members of Congress participate in many diverse national and global pro-bono projects, such as election monitoring abroad, outreach to high school and university students to encourage public service, as well as supporting programs that provide services to severely wounded veterans upon their return from Iraq and Afghanistan. 

ABOUT ICOHERE: Since 2001, iCohere, www.icohere.com, has been bringing full-service technology solutions to small, medium and large associations, non-profits, and government agencies. Our cloud-based Unified Learning Management System supports all varieties of courses, hybrid and all-virtual conferences, online communities, webinars and other professional development programs. Our Unified Learning System is paired with one-on-one training, live support, and production services to ensure the solution members require.

SOURCE U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress