Director’s Log | July 2024

A lot has happened during the month of July. The events of the last few weeks have gotten me thinking more about civic engagement in relation to IEI’s mission, including how we can move forward as a state where we come together from all walks of life to address the emerging issues facing North Carolina’s economy. 

By the time this newsletter hits your inbox, we’ll be about 100 days out from the 2024 election. In addition to electing a new president and governor, we’ll also be voting in new leadership on the state and local level. It is sure to be a contentious election season, but let’s remember that oftentimes we share values and experiences with people who have different perspectives. When people are engaged civically, they are more likely to be aware of critical issues facing their communities and are more likely to work with people of different backgrounds and viewpoints to do something about them. 

Earlier this year, the National Conference on Citizenship partnered with NC Campus Engagement at Elon University and other education-based partners to release the 2024 North Carolina Civic Health Index. The document lays out how the state’s civic health compares to other states, as well as ways North Carolinians can improve their civic health across the areas of social connectedness, community engagement and political participation. I encourage you to check it out and consider how you can work to improve the civic health in your community. 

I plan to spend the next 100 days learning about how issues are impacting different sectors, regions and communities across the state, listening for commonalities and shared values that will lead towards an improved economic future for North Carolina, and I hope you’ll do the same.