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About UsAmericanValuesAre.com was designed to promote civic education and civic engagement. Civic education leads to responsible citizenship. Responsible citizens are the core foundation of our democratic system. Our guides are designed to facilitate dialogue about what it means to be a citizen, and to energize more Americans to be engaged in shaping and interacting with their own government. We also hope to be able to inform and educate people on how to engage in the dialogue that leads to common ground and minimizes partisan debate that divides and demoralizes us. We hope to encourage individuals to exchange ideas, thoughts, and concerns in a safe and comfortable environment, and by so doing build new relationships. Relationships that build on a shared sense of community are a true value for any democracy. About Our People:S.J.ReadAmericanValuesAre.com is a project of American Values Are, LLC, a company based in Columbia, Missouri, and created to promote non-partisan dialogue between citizens. S.J. Read is the president of American Values Are, LLC, an attorney, student of history, and concerned citizen. She received her BA, cum laude, from Yale University in 1978, and her Juris Doctor with the Order of the Coif from the University of Wisconsin in 1981. She also received training from the Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago, and attended the MIT-Harvard Public Disputes Program. Ms. Read is also the president of The Communications Center, Inc. and provides communications training and coaching for individuals and organizations, consulting services, and facilitation services through the center.David CollierDavid Collier is the Director of Research & Development of American Values Are, LLC. He originally joined AMVA as an intern and research assistant, and he was the main researcher and author for the Accountability, Tolerance, Free Speech, and Mendacity guides. He also helped with the early stages of development for the guides and the website and has accompanied Sarah at presentations and conferences. David has recently graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has begun graduate work there in Classical Studies. He is currently living in Italy on a fellowship. His research interests include Roman literature, culture, and history, but outside of class he is an avid follower of local, national, and international politics. He hopes to see citizens break through the "sound-bytes" fed to them by the mainstream media and to think about the important--and complex--civic issues that face them. He thinks civic education through dialogue is central in providing citizens the confidence to do just that. Janelle DayJanelle designed the layout and graphics for the American Values guides. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in May 2007 with a BA in Arts Education. She is a student who votes. She believes that art is a key medium for helping students involve themselves and engage with the world around them.
David Overfelt
David Overfelt is an intern and research assistant for American ValuesAre, LLC. He is currently working on developing new guides and updating the website.Dave is a graduate student of sociology at the University of Missouri and his research is focused on participatory urban development processes. In this, understanding how to make development more equitable through dialogue is a centerpiece of his work. |
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