New Maymester Program Allows Student-Athletes to Develop ‘Democracy Playbook’
Fourteen student-athletes will experience Washington, D.C., next week as part of a new Maymester program hosted by the Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship (IDJC).
The one-week program, Democracy Playbook: DC Media and Civics Immersion for Student-Athletes, will give students an up-close look at the inner workings of the nation’s capital and prompt them to explore how they can use their skills as athletes to bring visibility to important issues.
“Athletes are born leaders and team players,” says Margaret Talev, Kramer Director of IDJC. “This program will guide them as they take their talent, discipline and passion off the field to develop their civics muscles, with a playbook for how to navigate media, politics and policy.”
Students will arrive in Washington having chosen a policy or issue that matters to them, with the goal of learning to support and advocate for that issue. A series of instructional modules will cover topics like Representing Your Community, Media Literacy and Engagement, and Social Media, Traditional Media and Your Brand. Students will also participate in media/advocacy training sessions, and hear from various civic and business leaders based in D.C.
The week will also include tours the U.S. Capitol Building, the Department of State, the National Archives and ESPN studios, as well as social activities like the Race to the White House Scavenger Hunt, a Monuments by Moonlight Tour and a D.C. United game at Audi Field.
The new program helps expand study away opportunities for student-athletes, whose training and game schedules often prevent them from participating in traditional semester-long programs.
