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October 09 - 14, 2018 CAN STUDY US Chicago, Illinois, USA 2 CAN STUDY US // US Midterm Election Tour, 2018 CAN STUDY US ORGANIZERS Karim Bardeesy John Beebe Distinguished Visiting Professor / Special Senior Advisor, Democratic Engagement, Adviser to the President, Ryerson University Faculty of Arts, Ryerson University [email protected] [email protected] 416-556-1490 416-979-5000 Ext. 3454 SUPPORTERS Mohammad Al Zaibak CANADIAN ARAB INSTITUTE | INSTITUT CANADO-ARABE Address Ryerson University 350 Victoria St, Toronto Ontario M5B 2K3 CAN STUDY US // US Midterm Election Tour, 2018 3 CAN STUDY US CONTENTS Programming 04 Why Chicago? 05 Organizers 06 Veteran Change-Makers 08 Youth Leaders 10 Community Partners 16 Media Team 20 Behind The Scenes 21 Programming4 CAN STUDY US // US Midterm Election Tour, 2018 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12 Arrive in Chicago Robert Rivkin, Deputy Mayor, City of Chicago University of Chicago Institute of Politics Speaker PLACEMENTS with the Women’s March; Logan Series: Al Cardenas and Ana Navarro, moderated by Square Neighborhood Association David Axelrod WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13 Consul General John Cruikshank PLACEMENTS with the Women’s March; Logan Square Neighborhood Association Meetings hosted by the Mikva Challenge • Mischa Fisher, Chief Economic Policy Advisor to Governor Rauner SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14 • Neil Steinberg, news columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times (working lunch) Church service in the South Side • Chris Kennedy, businessman and Democratic politician PLACEMENT with University of Chicago Institute for • Mikva Challenge Workshop led by Meghan Golden Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship stein, Senior Program Director, and Ken Porter, Teacher Based Programming Manager Return to Toronto PLACEMENTS: Shadow Mikva canvassers and volunteers THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11 Workshop on “How Technology is Transforming Politics and Government” with Ben Rowswell, Co-Founder and President of Betterplace; Amy Deora, Director of Public Sector Analytics, Civic Analytics; and Martin Cuellar, tech lead for Indivisible Chicago Meetings hosted by the McCormick Foundation • Working lunch with Jean Westrick, Director of Civic Engagement and Partnerships, Chicago Community Trust • Workshop led by Crystal Coats, Director of Civic and Campus Engagement, University of Chicago Institute of Politics • Meeting with Pat Brady, former Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, and Eric Elk, former Chief of Staff for Mark Kirk in Congress and U.S. Senate • Meeting with Debbie Chizewer, Law Fellow at North Western University’s Environmental Advocacy Clinic, and Gina Ramirez, Southeast Side Community Member Meeting with Khizr Khan, Gold Star father to Captain Humayun Khan, killed in 2004 during the Iraq War University of Chicago Institute of Politics Speaker Series: Khizr Khan, moderated by Odette Yousef CAN STUDY US // US Midterm Election Tour, 2018 5 We Are Change-Makers What is CAN STUDY US? Why Chicago? A singular, hands-on opportunity for 25 youth leaders Chicago has a long history of civic leadership and to experience democratic engagement and outreach, community-based efforts to foster democratic engage- leadership and public policy development, on the eve ment. The parallels between Chicago and Toronto are of one of the most hotly contested midterm elections in fascinating. Both cities are immigrant cities, commer- United States history. cial capitals that have attracted people from all classes, ethnicities, and backgrounds in search of community The trip to Chicago and surrounding areas between and prosperity. Tuesday, October 9th and Sunday, October 14th will feature meetings with people doing the work including: This project creates an opportunity for young Canadian leaders to learn from practitioners and scholars and • Community organizers experience US political culture first-hand. Youth leaders • Political Operatives will learn about democratic engagement and outreach, • Journalists and leadership and public policy development. Taking • Senior policy advisors place against the backdrop of a dynamic city similar • Campaign and communication strategists to Toronto in size during a midterm congressional, • Scholars putting their work into practice gubernatorial and municipal election. By meeting with other young leaders, joining non-partisan outreach The last two days of the trip will embed youth leaders and educational campaigns, and hearing from some of with organizations engaged in voter outreach activities, the leading scholars and practitioners in the fields of providing them with an opportunity to put everything engagement, policy and leadership development, the they’ve learned about civic engagement at the beginning participants will gain important and actionable insights of the trip into action. about how to engage their communities. US STUDY TOUR CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, 2018 6 CAN STUDY US // US Midterm Election Tour, 2018 ORGANIZERS : The Democratic Engagement Exchange and the Ryerson Leadership Lab are two Ryerson University-based initiatives with a shared commitment to strength- ening the foundation of Canada’s democracy. The Exchange does this by developing tools and resources, providing training and consultation and showcas- ing best practices of democratic engage- ment. The RLL does this by developing KARIM JOHN the capacity of future leaders through innovative educational programming, convening leading thinkers and prac- BARDEESY BEEBE titioners and providing meaningful Distinguished Visiting Professor and Senior Advisor, Democratic experiential learning opportunities. Both Special Adviser to the President Engagement Exchange initiatives will be drawing on an exten- sive network of Canadian and US based Karim Bardeesy is a public service John joins the Faculty of Arts, after organizations and leaders to support this leader who has worked at the intersec- leading community based outreach study tour. tion of public policy, politics, journal- programs for Samara Canada. At ism and academia for the last 15 years. Samara, John developed the Democ- This is the first such trip that either of He is a Distinguished Visiting Profes- racy Talks and Vote PopUp programs our organizations has undertaken in sor and Special Adviser to the Presi- that have been adopted by national this space. The combination of “learn- dent at Ryerson University in Toronto, and regional community organizations ing-by-listening” (through meetings and and Co-Founder of the Ryerson Lead- across the country and showcased as interactions with key changemakers) and ership Lab. He was previously Deputy an example of programs that work by “learning-by-doing” (through placements Principal Secretary for the Premier of the Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer in in non-partisan organizations working Ontario, the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, his report to Parliament. John began on voter outreach) will yield actionable and served as Executive Director of his career working for the US Con- insights for the youth leaders. Policy for Premiers Wynne and Dal- gress where he served as Chief of Staff ton McGuinty. He has worked as an to a US Congressman and worked on editorial writer at The Globe and Mail several political campaigns. He has and has a B.A. from McGill University, also worked as an educator and served and an M.P.P. from Harvard’s John F. on the board of the organization that Kennedy School of Government. successfully campaigned for the first system of public financing for state elections in the United States. John began his career working for the US Congress where he served as Chief of Staff to a US Congressman and worked on several political campaigns. CAN STUDY US // US Midterm Election Tour, 2018 7 MEL SHOAIB MICHAEL WRIGHT AHMED COOKE Facilitator, CANSTUDYUS Co-Founder, Ryerson Leadership Lab Former Editor of the Toronto Star and the Chicago Sun-Times Mel Wright is the former Chief of Staff Shoaib Ahmed has been working with for Intergovernmental Affairs to Pre- executives, students and change mak- Michael Cooke is the longest-serving mier Kathleen Wynne. In her role she ers to develop their programs and lead- Editor in the Toronto Star’s recent helped facilitate trade missions to Chi- ership potential at Ryerson University history. A visit to Toronto in 1975 na, India, Israel and several US states. since 2011. He co-founded the Ryerson landed him his first job at the Star, She served as Director of Tour on both Leadership Lab, where he continues working on the copy desk. He became of Wynne’s election campaigns and his work with Karim in developing assistant national editor before join- as Deputy Director of Tour on Justin leadership programming focused on ing The Gazette in Montreal, where Trudeau’s 2015 campaign. Mel worked on public issues that sparks action in he served as assistant city editor, city for the Ontario Liberal government the community and develops people at editor and co-managing editor. He since 2010. Some of her previous roles all ages and stages. At Ryerson he has later served as managing editor of the include Chief of Staff to the Minister headed Strategic Projects in the Office Edmonton Journal, as editor-in-chief of Economic Development and Infra- of the President and has served as a of the Vancouver Province, and helped structure, Chief of Staff to the Minister Special Projects Assistant to the Vice launch the National Post in 1998. In of Government Services, and Deputy President of University Advancement. 2000, he was named Editor-in-Chief Director of Communications to the Shoaib has an MBA