Other Activities and Events

In addition to the Seminar for Civic Education and the Summer Institute, the Ralph Munro Institute sponsors other events aimed at facilitating conversations on topics related to civic engagement and current events. These include:

Fall 2016

Presidential Debate Watch, September 26:  The Institute co-sponsored an event with the Political Science Department and the PSA student club to watch the first Presidential Debate between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Summer 2016

"Healing Must Start With Action", an opinion piece in the Seattle Times by Munro Institute Director Vernon Johnson that appeared on July 17, 2016.

2017 and 2018 Summer Program on Civil Rights in Washington from the 1960s to Present 

An intensive 1-week summer course on the Civil Rights Movement in Washington state was offered in August 2017 and again in August 2018.  The program featured field trips to the Lummi Nation, the berry fields of Skagit County employing migrant farmworkers, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, and the Northwest African American Museum. In both years we were able to offer $1,000 scholarships to certified teachers and master’s in teaching students. In 2018, we had nine students: seven undergraduates, one MIT student, and one teacher (she was from Maryland!).

The Power of Civic Engagement

April 9, 2016

The Ralph Munro Institute recently hosted The Power of Civic Engagement, a series of panels addressing topics such as sustainability, political representation and change, racial justice, global citizenship and more.  The event featured keynote speaker, Pramila Jayapal, Senator (37th District) and Founder of One America.  Local filmmaker Julia Clifford also screened her documentary "Children of the Civil Rights,” a retelling of Oklahoma City’s sit-in movement in the 1950s. 

The Power of Civic Engagement flyer is available for download, as well as a copy of the conference schedule.  Please also refer to the Bellingham Herald announcement.

Examining Race, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship Post-Ferguson: Where Do We Go From Here?

March 4, 2015

The WWU Ralph Munro Institute for Civic Education held a panel discussion and plenary session, Examining Race, Civic Engagement, and Citizenship Post-Ferguson: Where Do We Go From Here? at the City Council Chambers in Bellingham on March 4, 2015.  Panelists included: Craig Sims (Seattle City Attorney's Office), Veronica Galvan (King County Superior Court), Tali Hairston (The John M. Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Community Development and Leadership Training), Veronica Velez (WWU Education and Social Justice), Flo Simon (Bellingham Police Department) and James Bible (James Bible Law Group and former Seattle NAACP President). Watch the discussion.