Civic Cafe

Civic Café is a weekly discussion series hosted every Tuesday at Stix House from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Students are invited to share a meal together and learn about civic topics from a community or campus expert. Each night will either be a Skill Building session, Democracy Dinner, or Civic Storytelling event. Graduate and undergraduate students of every discipline are invited to attend. Learn, eat, and meet other civically-minded individuals.

Would you or your department like to partner with us? Email our Associate Director for Civic Engagement, Alannah Glickman at aglickman@wustl.edu.

Upcoming Events

While not required, RSVP’s assist our team in ordering enough food. Please consider filling out the form on the event page to reserve your spot if you are planning to attend.

Program Goals

  • Introduce students to an informal opportunity to be civically engaged or begin conversations on civic issues.
  • Expand and build campus groups’ and departments’ civic outreach to students. 
  • Give the WashU community a reoccurring access point to Gephardt programming.

Event History

Fall 2022

  • Oct. 18, 2022. Civic Skill Building: Navigating the Media Landscape and Identifying Disinformation. In partnership with University Libraries. Featuring Melissa Vetter, Director of the Brown School Library.
  • Oct. 25, 2022. Civic Skill Building: Getting the Political System we Want. Featuring Dr. Alannah Glickman of the Gephardt Institute.
  • Nov. 1, 2022. Civic Skill Building: Music and Social Change: Creating Transformation through the Lens of Jazz. In partnership with the Department of Music. Featuring Dr. Rami Stucky, Musicology Lecturer.
  • Nov. 8, 2022. Election Results Watch Party. In partnership with Campus Life.
  • Nov. 15, 2022. Democracy Dinner: Results of the Midterm Election. In partnership with the Department of Political Science and the Brown School.
  • Nov. 29, 2022. Democracy Dinner: Federal Holidays and the National Story. In partnership with the Brown School. Featuring Dr. Vetta Sanders Thompson, Associate Dean fro E.D.I.
  • Dec. 6, 2022. Civic Journey Spotlight: David Dwight IV, Executive Director and Lead Strategist of Forward Through Ferguson.

Spring 2023

  • Jan. 24, 2023. Civic Skill Building: Getting Civically Engaged in the St. Louis Community. In partnership with Sam Babb, Associate Director for Community Engagement, and Sarah Nash, Community Engagement Manager.
  • Jan. 31, 2023. Civic Journey Spotlight: Wesley Bell, Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County, Missouri.
  • Feb. 6, 2023. Democracy Dinner: The Current State of U.S. Racial Politics. In partnership with Dr. Matthew Hayes, Associate Professor of Political Science.
  • Feb. 14, 2023. Getting to Know St. Louis City Government. In partnership with Pat Kelly of the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis.
  • Feb. 28, 2023. Civic Skill Building Workshop: Building the Movement. In partnership with T-Dubb-O of HandsUp United.
  • March 7, 2023. Civil Disobedience: What would you do for something you care about? In partnership with Dr. Gregory Magarian, Washington University Professor of Law.
  • March 21, 2023. Democracy Dinner: Censorship, Book Bans, and Democracy. In partnership with Mimi Calter, Vice Provost and University Librarian.
  • March 28, 2023. Skill-Building Workshop: Understanding School Boards. In partnership with Dr. Karen Hall, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Saint Louis University.