Events

UPCOMING EVENTS

CAC's educational events are always free and open to the public. Your donations ensure that we keep educating and advocating for democracy. Please donate today!

National Week of Conversation: What Can We Do to Create Civil Discourse?

APRIL 25, 2018

The Citizen Advocacy Center is joining with a number of national organizations-- The National Center for Civil Discourse, Listen First, and Bridge Alliance-- as part of a nationwide movement to improve our ability to talk to each other.
Join us and be a part of this movement to create civil discourse.

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The DuPage Human Race & CAC

APRIL 28, 2018

WE RUN FOR DEMOCRACY. WE RUN FOR FREEDOM. WE RUN FOR JUSTICE.

CAC will participate in the Human Race, which is sponsored by Giving DuPage. The race is a 5K run or a 2-mile walk. A great family-friendly event.

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PAST EVENTS

Candidate Boot Camp - Local Government Candidacy for Beginners

APRIL 14, 2018

Are you interested in running for local office and want to know more about it? Here's your chance to ask those in the in-the-know! Hear presentations from eight local public officials, get information about getting on the ballot, and more!

Sunshine Week Celebration: Cocktails & Conversation

MARCH 15, 2018

Gather for a lively conversation with like-minded people, who care about open, transparent, and effective government.

The Independence of the Federal Judiciary

FEBRUARY 17, 2018

CAC and Courts Matter Illinois Outreach Coordinator Victoria Tejeda-Gervais will discuss what you can do to ensure that judges appointed to lifetime positions on the federal courts will uphold our constitutional values. Leave with a toolkit to take action on the issues that matter to you.

Engage in Public Participation: Skills for Active Citizenship Discussion Series:

Discussion #1: Use Your Voice: Freedom of Speech

NOVEMBER 18, 2017

A discussion series on rights and skills for citizen engagement.

The First Amendment is first because it enshrines individual rights that the Founders believed fundamental to our form of government. A discussion of the the history, boundaries, and uses of free speech.

Discussion #2: Watch Your Government: The Open Meetings Act (OMA)

DECEMBER 2, 2017

Illinois law enshrines the right of the public to observe public meetings of elected bodies of government. With few exceptions, when local elected officials meet to discuss public business, you have the right to know about the meeting and what will be discussed, watch and listen to the meeting, and even speak during a designated period for public comment. This discussion will explore the limited exceptions to the Open Meetings Act, your rights under the law, and how you can use the law to be a better government watchdog.

Discussion #3: Watch Your Government: The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

JANUARY 6, 2018

Illinois law enshrines the right of the public to obtain information about government affairs, acts, and policies. The law highlights the citizenry’s “duties of discussing public issues fully and freely, making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure that it is being conducted in the public interest.” This session will discuss your rights under FOIA, when the government can deny a records request, and how you use FOIA to fulfill your duties as a citizen.

Discussion #4: Build an Issue Advocacy Campaign

JANUARY 27, 2018

In our previous sessions, we discussed the First Amendment Freedom of Speech, the Open Meetings Act, and the Freedom of Information Act. Now, we will explore how to use these and other tools available to the public to create an effective issue advocacy campaign. Join us to learn about organizing your community, learning about your government, arguing your case, and influencing your elected officials. Participants need not have attended previous sessions.

Holiday Cheer Party Starring: 2017 Citizen Initiative Awardees

DECEMBER 6, 2017

It's time to celebrate civic engagement! Each year CAC gives out Citizen Initiative Awards to recognize local community activists who are catalysts for democratic participation and have used civic, legal, and community organizing tools to advocate for a self-identified issue of public concern.

The Return of Civics to Illinois High Schools

OCTOBER 3, 2017

An event hosted by the League of Women Voters Roselle/Bloomingdale and co-sponsored by the Citizen Advocacy Center.

Why was reform needed? How will the civics state standards be implemented in DuPage County? When and how will the Lake Park community be impacted? What can YOU do to promote civic education in our community?

Democracy Night/Summer Intern Night

JULY 26, 2017

Join us for an evening in honor of our summer interns as they talk about what they have learned through their work at CAC. The interns' project topics include: State Lobbyist Registration Acts, First Amendment issues, the "Rule of Three" for Referendum Ballot Access, "Misuse of Title" as a possible prohibited political activity, the usual gamut of Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act issues, and more.