Upcoming Event in Thornton, CO Will Explore American Values and Identity

September 8, 2016

The Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program, along with other partners, will host a discussion in Thornton, CO with local thought leaders.

Contact: Carrie Hopper
The Aspen Institute
202.721.2337 | Caroline.Hopper@aspeninstitute.org

Thornton, CO, September 8, 2016 – The Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program, Anythink Libraries, and Rocky Mountain PBS will host a public dialogue featuring local thought-leaders to explore perspectives of American values and identity. Rocky Mountain PBS’s John Ferrugia will moderate the conversation among community members, including local elected officials, artists, authors, and religious and cultural leaders.

The event will take place at Anythink Wright Farms in Thornton, Colo., on September 22, 2016, 6-8 pm.

“In this time of growing polarization, this is a great opportunity to talk about what brings us together as Americans,” John Ferrugia said.

The event is part of the “What Every American Should Know Library Series,” a public dialogue series by the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program in partnership with libraries around the country. The series aims to bring critical local perspectives on American values and identity into the national dialogue.

“What Every American Should Know” was created to explore how Americans can cultivate a sense of shared destiny and common civic purpose in this age of increasing diversity and widening inequality. The Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program is inviting the American public and cultural leaders to build a crowd-sourced national list of facts and references every American should know in order to be civically and culturally literate. Individuals can submit top 10 lists of what they think every American should know at www.WhatEveryAmericanShouldKnow.org. All submissions are combined into an aggregated national list.

“Now more than ever, a diversifying U.S. needs a shared base of knowledge,” says executive director of the Citizenship and American Identity Program, Eric Liu. “But a 21st century sense of civic and cultural literacy must be as intentionally inclusive as possible.”

“Never has it been more important to define the responsibilities and joys of an American citizen. It is an honor to participate in the What Every American Should Know Series with the Aspen Institute and Rocky Mountain PBS,” says Anythink Director Pam Sandlian Smith. “This gives Anythink an opportunity to open the door to a rich and diverse conversation in our community.”

Journalists are welcome to attend this event. To register, please contact Carrie Hopper at Caroline.Hopper@aspeninstitute.org.

This event is sponsored by the Anythink Foundation, supporting innovation and creativity in Adams County by raising private funds for special projects and programs at Anythink like this one.

The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

Anythink: Anythink is a new style of library – a place of unlimited imagination, where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning. Rangeview Library District serves the residents of Adams County with seven Anythink libraries and Anythink in Motion – the district’s mobile library – and is one of the recipients of the 2010 National Medal of Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, go to anythinklibraries.org.

Rocky Mountain PBS: Each week, nearly 900,000 people throughout Colorado turn to Rocky Mountain PBS to discover inspiring local, national and international programming; find diverse viewpoints; score front-row seats to world-class performances and experience lifelong learning opportunities. Rocky Mountain PBS celebrates its 60th anniversary on the air this year. The network began in Denver in 1956 as Colorado’s first public television station. It is now Colorado’s only statewide television network, with stations in Denver (KRMA), Pueblo/Colorado Springs (KTSC), Steamboat Springs (KRMZ), Grand Junction (KRMJ) and Durango (KRMU). To learn more, visit rmpbs.org.

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