Since the creation of the Greater Sylacauga Resiliency Network in 2020, the Sylacauga community has come together to make a difference and strengthen civic engagement. One of the major goals of the Network is collaborating with other organizations and assessing common needs. Read More »
Tag Archives: civic engagement
Sharing What Works for the Good of All: the Greater Sylacauga Resiliency Network
Civic Dispatch: Outliers’ Perspectives on Home and Hometown
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Patrick Dutton reflects on how two Walker County natives found new opportunities to better serve their hometown.
Public Libraries in Alabama: Gateways to the Community
Throughout nearly two decades of serving civic life in Alabama, the David Mathews Center has worked closely with our state’s local libraries. Our programming has focused on engaging young people to be active citizens, and equipping communities to host deliberative forums as they seek to work better together; our partnerships with public libraries have helped us promote these objectives one community at a time. Read More »
Civic Dispatch: Collinsville High faces COVID-19 challenges
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Addison Peacock reflects on how the pandemic affected education in Collinsville and how schools found ways to adapt despite the chaos.
According to newly appointed Collinsville High School principal, Bradley Crawford, the year 2020 will be remembered by his students as “one for the history books.”
He is referring to the world-changing event on the minds of students and educators all across the nation since March: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Civic Dispatch: Elba mayor reflects on a decade in office
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Harrison Carter interviews Elba Mayor Mickey Murdoch on the ups and downs he has faced in his decade of service.
Mickey Murdock came home to Elba after four years in the military hoping to build a successful life. A long-time resident, Murdock grew to love the community as he raised his family.
What he never imagined was becoming a politician.
Civic Dispatch: Walker County organizations forge ahead with opioid crisis programming
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Laynie Snyder emphasizes the work being done by Walker County organizations to address the opioid crisis and how they have adapted during the pandemic. Read More »
Civic Dispatch: Chatom teen speaks out, takes action
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Thomas Chapman highlights a young leader making a difference in the Chatom community.
Chatom resident Sean Atchison is a teen who works hard for the change he wants to see happen. The recent graduate of Washington County High School, where he served as student body president, is an advocate for his community.
Civic Dispatch: Anatomy of Rural Renewal
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Vaughn reflects on rural progress in his thought piece from Jasper, Alabama.
“We’ve got to keep a high level of community interest involvement. We can’t let our people get to where we’re complacent” Brent McCarver says as he leans forward over his desk, making slight hand gestures. Born in Athens, Alabama, but living in Jasper, McCarver lived in and around Athens and Russellville in North Alabama until his mid-twenties. He went to college in the area, but had never been to Jasper until he was 25 and working on a political campaign.
Civic Dispatch: Preserving a Legacy
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Katie Tindol reflects on Carl A. Elliot’s legacy in her thought piece from Jasper, Alabama.
Carl A. Elliott served eight consecutive terms in Congress and was the first-ever recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. A long-time Jasper resident, Elliott was an extraordinary individual who lived a long, productive and life centered around public service to Alabama and its citizens. Civic service was not only a defining priority in his life, but a value that Elliott inspired many to value themselves. Consequently, Elliott’s legacy lives on in many who call Jasper home fifty years after he left Congress. But this summer, when efforts to preserve Elliott’s Jasper home and the museum it houses struggled to come together, I began to look into what it might take to bring this idea to fruition.
Civic Dispatch: Branch Out
Jean O’Connor-Snyder intern Rolanda Tina Turner reflects on life skills education in her thought piece from Walker County.
Let’s be honest: Older generations are often astonished by how little today’s generation knows. Consider cars. Young Boomers spent endless afternoons tooling around with tie rods and carburetors. But today’s youth spend more time perfecting trip playlists than looking under the hood – assuming they can even find the latch.
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