{"id":167775,"date":"2026-08-06T09:15:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T13:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=167775"},"modified":"2026-08-06T09:40:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T13:40:22","slug":"a-renewed-focus-on-citizenship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2026\/08\/06\/a-renewed-focus-on-citizenship\/","title":{"rendered":"A renewed focus on citizenship"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wright State University\u2019s Center for Civics, Culture and Workforce Development<\/a> was designed to span big ideas \u2014 from civic responsibility to career preparation \u2014 but its mission is grounded in something practical: preparing students to engage thoughtfully in their communities and succeed in the workforce.<\/p>\n

Launched in January 2025, the center reflects a broader statewide initiative while carving out a distinct role at Wright State. Led by Jason Anderson, Ph.D., executive director and vice president for military relationships and veteran success, the center brings together academic programming, community engagement and industry partnerships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about preparing students to be both workforce ready and civically minded,\u201d said Anderson, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. \u201cWe\u2019re helping develop future leaders who can connect with local industry and partners like Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building civic literacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The center\u2019s creation stems from action by Ohio lawmakers, who established similar centers at five universities across the state. Wright State stands out in two ways: it volunteered to host a center, and it is the only institution to include a workforce development component alongside its civics focus.<\/p>\n

That added dimension shapes the center\u2019s mission to \u201ccultivate civic responsibility, cultural understanding and workforce readiness,\u201d with an emphasis on the region\u2019s defense community.<\/p>\n

One part of the center\u2019s vision is to advance intellectual diversity, encourage open questions and the free exchange of ideas so students, faculty, staff \u2014 and society in general \u2014 can grow and develop in their civic responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re promoting civic education, rights and responsibilities of citizenship here and in the community, and providing and promoting intellectual diversity \u2014 on campus,\u201d said Deputy Director Michael Jacobs, Ph.D.<\/p>\n

A key piece of that effort is a new American civic literacy course that will become a graduation requirement in 2029. The course will introduce students to foundational texts such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s \u201cLetter from Birmingham Jail,\u201d along with influential speeches by Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n

The center is already extending its reach into the community. A summer seminar series trained K\u201312 teachers to bring enhanced civics instruction into their classrooms.<\/p>\n

Next steps include launching new courses, an honors program in 2027 and a minor tied to the center\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

Creating space for dialogue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>While civic knowledge is one priority, fostering meaningful conversation is another. The center focuses on bringing people together across perspectives, encouraging discussion, debate and mutual understanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cBring people of all traits together to start having conversations that we generally don\u2019t do,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cTo talk openly, debate, bridging left and right to get together to recognize the commonality that we share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building on workshops the center hosted last spring, it will expand programming that invites community members to discuss complex issues.<\/p>\n

The goal, Jacobs said, is \u201cto create a campus culture where people can come and converse, to have public discussions meant to bring people together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecting learning to careers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The center\u2019s workforce development mission ties its academic and cultural work directly to career pathways \u2014 particularly in the region\u2019s defense sector.<\/p>\n

In 2027, the center plans to launch a bachelor\u2019s degree program aimed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base personnel seeking to complete their undergraduate education and advance professionally.<\/p>\n

Beyond the base, the center is building relationships with local defense contractors and industry partners, creating opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience. Anderson said students who gain work experience in these defense fields have a competitive advantage, positioning them for success.<\/p>\n

Jacobs sees workforce development as a natural extension of the center\u2019s broader mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to work together to solve problems. Having those sorts of skills apply broadly,\u201d he said. \u201cSomeone who is going to be a good citizen is probably going to be a good employee, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aviation and a legacy of innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Capitalizing on the strong workforce development ties and Air Force connections, Wright State\u2019s Aviation Science and Technology program<\/a> has come under the center\u2019s workforce development wing.<\/p>\n

The program\u2019s leadership brings deep military experience, including Deputy Director Adam Reiman, Ph.D., a retired Air Force colonel, and Aviation Program Director Diane Vitas, a former Air Force pilot.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving people who understand aviation is extremely beneficial,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cWe believe the center can expand enrollment, strengthen safety and build a lasting legacy worthy of the Wright brothers\u2019 namesake.\u201d<\/p>\n

The inclusion of the aviation program within the center is a nod to Wright State\u2019s founders, the university\u2019s close partnership with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the strength of the center\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

Like the tasks faced by our 250-year-old democracy, the center is tackling a wide breadth of challenges. And they are doing it guided by the principles that founded our nation with the passion and determination that founded this university.<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Explore more at wright.edu\/civicscenter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wright State’s Center for Civics, Culture and Workforce Development is preparing students for civic life and career success. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":167791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,733,4309,4916,4929,725,4827,715],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-167775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-alumni-association","category-aviation","category-civics-culture-and-workforce-development","category-home-news-sidebar","category-magazine","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167775"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":167963,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167775\/revisions\/167963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}