About SphereSphere: Teaching Civic Culture Together ~ Cato's Sphere Education Initiative works with grades 5-12 educators and administrators to provide them with the knowledge, experience, resources, and professional development opportunities to bring difficult conversations on the most pressing issues to the classroom and equip our country's students to engage in civil dialogue. By bringing facts and reason to the conversation, and through emphasizing viewpoint diversity, Sphere works to rekindle the foundation of civic culture in America.Sphere Education InitiativeSEI_c4a697f0-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea00Cato InstituteThe Sphere Education Initiative is housed at the Cato Institute but is not a part of any of the policy efforts of any of those departments. We are a separate educational project, with strictly nonpartisan and nonideological aims.Professional Development OrganizationsSphere works with the premier professional development organizations covering civics, history, economics, and media literacy. All the groups we work with provide exceptional, unbiased, and nonpartisan professional development opportunities for all educators.Educators5-12 educators and administratorsSphere DonorsAs a 501(c)3 nonprofit, all funding for Sphere Education Initiatives comes from a wide variety of individual donors and family foundations. Across the board, these are people gravely concerned about the lack of civil discourse in society and the importance of education in America.The foundation of civic culture is rekindled in America_c4a698cc-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea00To bring difficult conversations on the most pressing issues to the classroom and equip our country's students to engage in civil dialogue_c4a69962-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea00NonpartisanshipImpartialityNonideologicalCivilityDialogueSummitDiscuss key public policy issues and host professional development workshops_c4a69a20-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea00The Sphere Summit is a full scholarship summer program for grades 5–12 educators and administrators. ^^ The Sphere Summit features presentations by leading policymakers, scholars, and academics, who discuss key public policy issues facing our nation today. The Summit also features professional development workshops conducted by leaders in civic education. ^^ The Sphere Summit aims to restore a spirit of civil, constructive, and respectful discourse and engagement and to return facts, analysis, and research to primacy as the vehicles for discussion and debate.Civic CultureExplore and address the current state of public discourse, partisanship, and tribalism in America._c4a69aac-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea001FoundationsDiscuss shared values essential to a restoration of civic culture._c4a69b2e-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea002ApplicationsDemonstrate and share tools and approaches for the classroom on current public policy issues from diverse viewpoints._c4a69bba-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea003Other topics will include the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.Philosophies & PerspectivesExamine political philosophies and understand diverse perspectives_c4a69c3c-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea004Understanding Each Other ~ Examine political philosophies -- progressive, libertarian, and conservative -- and engage with leading scholars and educators on how to communicate effectively with, and understand the viewpoints of, audiences with diverse perspectives. Adherents of the various political philosophies will explain the ways in which those philosophies are often misunderstood.PoliciesAnalyze key policy issues from diverse perspectives_c4a69cbe-b638-11ee-8f02-7a41fb82ea005Policy Discussions ~ Analyze key policy issues from diverse perspectives with an emphasis on shared values and common objectives, guided by scholars from leading public policy organizations and academic institutions.2024-01-18https://www.cato.org/sphere/about-sphereOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net