For immediate release — Oct. 21, 2021
The keynote topics include:
• How respect for self and others improves civic engagement and civil discourse
• Civil discourse — how we can move beyond our seemingly intractable wars of ideas
Additional topics to be explored are:
• Why voting matters
• How service learning benefits both the givers and receivers
• Can mindfulness and compassion training increase responsiveness and resilience to the climate crisis?
• Media Literacy: How to Spot Misinformation Online
• Reflective structured dialogues
• Sustainability for Self: How to Have the Time and Energy for Civic Engagement
• Three questions that can transform the world
Students, employees and community members seeking more civil discourse in today’s society and a return to civic engagement will be especially interested in attending. Produced by Dallas College’s Sustainability Office, the goal of the annual summit is to also provide no-cost learning opportunities to community members in the three primary areas of sustainability: equity (people), environment (planet) and economy (prosperity).
"Civil discourse is the ability to listen to all sides of an issue and find common ground. This skill is key to developing strategies that will not only sustain our environment but also strengthen the fabric of our society so that efforts to solve the world's most vexing problems succeed,” said Georgeann Moss, senior director of sustainability at Dallas College.
The American University’s Project on Civil Discourse has defined civil discourse as “truthful, productive, audience-based, about listening and talking and about each person’s own responsibility. It is not mere politeness, an exercise in martyrdom, about telling other people who they are or purely performative.”
Civil discourse is crucial in creating an equitable and sustainable society.
Sponsors of this year's summit include Sage Glass, Kimberly Clark, GreenSource DFW, Citizens' Climate Lobby, the North Texas Renewable Energy Group, the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS), Natural Awakenings Magazine and Women in the Environment.
The Sustainability Summit will be held virtually and there is no charge for registration. It is part of Dallas College’s ongoing commitment to encourage social responsibility and provide access to low or no cost sustainability education to all the citizens of Texas. More information on events and how to register can be found at
Sustainable Dallas College.
Dallas College’s Social Responsibility and Inclusion office, led by Marisol Romany CCDP-AP, SHRM-CP, includes three areas: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Supplier Diversity, and Sustainability. This event is produced by the sustainability office.