CIVICS & DEMOCRACY WORLDWIDE - What is America's Role?

The Coudert Institute is pleased to host a special event in collaboration with The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization tasked with preserving and promoting President Reagan’s timeless principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride.  The event will feature timely, non-partisan discussion on the state of civics at home and democracy around the world with two leaders from the brand-new Ronald Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C., DR. JANET TRAN and MS. RACHEL HOFF.

At a time of deep polarization, disinformation, and marginalized civic education, Dr. Tran will provide a detailed overview of the civic learning landscape in the United States. Ms. Hoff will share what the Ronald Reagan Institute and its Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity (CCEO) is doing to help “renew the American spirit and sense of purpose” and cultivate the next generation of informed patriots that are critical for the future of our democracy.

The 21st century presents both new challenges and new opportunities when it comes to freedom and democracy. Rising authoritarian powers like China and Russia seek to disrupt the free and open international system. Rapid technological advancements have changed the landscape as well, from social media and privacy concerns to artificial intelligence and surveillance. Rachel will look back on President Reagan’s 1982 Westminster Address and the resulting campaign to advance freedom in the context of the Cold War—as well as the enduring relevance of the speech. How should President Reagan’s words at Westminster inspire a new approach to promoting democracy in today’s technologically driven world?

JANET TRAN

Janet Tran serves as the Director of The Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity for the RRPFI. She joined the Foundation in 2010 to help craft and design the Foundation's non-partisan civic learning portfolio to answer President Reagan’s call for an “informed patriotism”.  With the goal of cultivating the next generation of citizen leaders, the Reagan Foundation Education team delivers award-winning simulations, teacher curriculum, student programming, and over one million dollars in scholarships annually.

In 2015, she helped establish the Reagan Institute offices in Washington, DC with the launch of Leadership and the American Presidency (LTAP), an experiential leadership program for university students through the lens of the American Presidency.  Students spend a semester in Washington, DC interning, learning, and growing as citizen leaders. Most recently, Janet led a team that launched the inaugural Reagan Institute Summit on Education (RISE) at the 35th anniversary of the seminal report, A Nation at Risk. The RISE initiative brings cross-sector, bipartisan leaders together to examine and elevate the national conversation around education in America.

Janet serves on the Board of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), as a Senior Advisor to the Campus Election Engagement Project, and as an Advisory Board member to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

Janet’s civic mission began prior to her work at the RRPFI, serving as a Social Studies and English teacher in South Central Los Angeles.  Janet earned her BA from The University of California, Los Angeles, and her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at California State University, Northridge. She earned her Doctorate Degree in Education Learning Technologies from Pepperdine University.

RACHEL HOFF

Rachel Hoff serves as Policy Director at the Ronald Reagan Institute, the Washington DC office of the RRPFI. Before joining the Institute, she was as Communications Director and Policy Advisor for John McCain at the Senate Armed Services Committee. Ms. Hoff has conducted research and outreach for a number of think tanks in Washington, including the American Enterprise Institute, the American Action Forum, and the Foreign Policy Initiative, an organization she helped found in 2009. She also worked as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Mac Thornberry.

Ms. Hoff has worked and volunteered for numerous Republican campaigns and organizations. She has represented Washington DC twice as a delegate to the Republican National Convention and served on the 2016 GOP Platform Committee.

Ms. Hoff received a master’s degree in Global Policy Studies from the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Tufts University. She was born and raised on U.S. military bases in Tokyo, Japan.

This one day symposium, a not to be missed highlight of our season, will feature two important lectures back to back, followed by a luncheon. This event will provide, through the lens of our current world events, a forum for engagement and thought provoking conversation on these two timely issues.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the legacy of Ronald Reagan and his timeless principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride.  It sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the Ronald Reagan Institute, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center, The Air Force One Pavilion and the award-winning Air Force One Discovery Center.  Located in Simi Valley, California, the Reagan Library houses over 55 million pages of Gubernatorial, Presidential and personal papers and over 60,000 gifts and artifacts chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It now also serves as the final resting place of America’s 40th President and his first lady. To learn more about the bi-partisan work of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, please visit their website.

PLEASE NOTE THAT, FOR THE HEALTH SAFETY OF ALL, AT THIS TIME WE ARE REQUIRING ALL GUESTS TO WEAR A MASK AND TO PRESENT PROOF OF VACCINATION (AND A CURRENT ID) UPON ARRIVAL.

There will be a Members Only evening cocktail reception with representatives of the Reagan Foundation at Villa dei Fiori on February 9, 2022.

Please note the 10:30 AM start time for this special event. Limited space available. Priority access for Coudert Institute 2022 Season Members. Telephone us at: 561-659-6161 to renew your membership and register for this event.