The Prairie Landscape

Capitol Forum on America's Future

Key Dates

  • Friday, October 24, 2008 Initial Capitol Forum workshop, Illinois State Library, Springfield
  • Monday, February 2, 2009 Pre-Forum Planning Meeting, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica
  • Thurs-Fri, March 12-13, 2009 10th Illinois Capitol Forum on America’s Future, Springfield (tentative date)

The Illinois Capitol Forum on America's Future is a year-long civic education initiative of the Choices Program at Brown University that raises international awareness and promotes educated civic exchange among high school students statewide.

It is designed to give students of History, Government, World Affairs, International Relations, Economics and American Studies a voice in public consideration of current international issues, and to help them develop a foundation for long-term civic engagement.

Illinois is one of a number of states affiliated with the Choices Program. Choices materials, which participating teachers receive free, complement the social studies curriculum and meet the state's standards for social studies education.

Students study, analyze and deliberate with their peers topics such as immigration, conflict, foreign trade, nuclear proliferation and environment both in their classrooms and during the Capitol Forum in Springfield each March. There, representatives from schools across the state engage in extended dialogue with each other and with policy makers in an exceptionally public arena – the House Chamber.

Immediately following the Forum, teachers and student representatives lead classmates in a review of the issues and in completion of the Student Ballot on America's Future. Results are compiled and sent to Illinois high schools, area media and state officials.

To see how Capitol Forum works - from classrom to Forum back to classroom - look at this short video from the 2005 event. (Requires Windows Media Player)

The Illinois Capitol Forum on America's Future is funded in part by the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation.