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Ben & Myrna Cardin Center for Civic Engagement & Civil Discourse
Preparing students to listen deeply, engage respectfully and lead responsibly.
Fostering dialogue. Building community. Strengthening democracy.
The Ben and Myrna Cardin Center for Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse at Towson University prepares students and communities to respectfully engage across differences, strengthen democratic participation and lead with integrity and responsibility.
Established in partnership with former U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and his wife and TU alumna Myrna Cardin, the Cardin Center creates opportunities for students, faculty, public leaders, alumni, civic organizations and community members to examine consequential issues with seriousness, respect and purpose. Through public programs, student engagement, faculty collaboration and community conversations, the Cardin Center helps people practice the habits civic society and democratic life requires: listening, learning, questioning, debating, serving and leading.
The Ben and Myrna Cardin Center for Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse brings that responsibility to life at Towson University. It builds on the strong foundation that already is in place: student-focused civic engagement, TU Votes, Community Conversations, public programming, and academic leadership rooted in history, liberal arts and public purpose.
By bringing those building blocks together and giving them a visible, durable platform for civic learning and civil discourse, the Cardin Center is designed to connect students, classrooms, public leaders and community partners around the work democracy requires — becoming informed, listening and engaging respectfully across differences and solving problems together.
“ For 250 years, our Nation has depended on citizens who are informed, engaged, willing to listen and prepared to work across differences in service to something larger than themselves. The Cardin Center exists to carry that responsibility forward, preparing future generations to strengthen their communities, protect democratic life and lead with purpose, respect and conviction. ”
Creating a Safe Space for Dialogue and Engagement
At a time when public life is often shaped by polarization, misinformation and distrust, the Cardin Center provides a trusted place to explore complex issues through informed dialogue and civil discourse. It is designed to help students and communities move beyond frustration or cynicism and toward constructive participation.
The next generation of citizen leaders are still showing up, but many are increasingly skeptical that institutions hear them, understand them or know how to translate participation into meaningful change. That makes the mission of the Cardin Center especially urgent: to help students — and the world around them — become informed, practice civil discourse, understand democratic institutions and experience civic engagement not as an abstract ideal, but as a lived, core responsibility and a vital way to strengthen democratic life.
The Cardin Center’s work is practical as well as aspirational. Students learn from Ben and Myrna Cardin’s six decades of public service how to connect passion with strategy, how to listen across differences, how to build coalitions and how to use civic knowledge to make communities stronger. That is how civic responsibility becomes civic practice.
Civic engagement begins with responsibility: the responsibility to be informed, to understand how systems work, to engage respectfully and to contribute to the communities around us. The Cardin Center is built around that idea. This is the work of turning democratic ideals into daily habits. Students are encouraged to understand issues deeply, learn how decisions are made, build coalitions, and use their voices in ways that strengthen the communities they serve.
“ Public service goes well beyond elected office. It is our collective responsibility to actively communicate with one another and work to strengthen the fabric of our communities. Successful civil discourse is what stands between a thriving democracy and a closed society led by dictators and kleptocrats. The Cardin Center creates opportunities for students and faculty alike to engage. ”
Get Involved
To learn more about upcoming events, student opportunities or how to support the Cardin Center, subscribe to our updates or contact us at cardincenter AT_TOWSON.