Sept. 18 – Civics & Civility: A Conversation with Gov. Sununu

CONCORD, NH — “Civics & Civility: A Conversation with NH Governor Chris Sununu,” a William W. Treat Lecture, will be held on Monday, September 18, 2023, at 4:30 p.m. at the Audi (Concord City Auditorium). Current and past participants in the NH’s Kid Governor® program will join the conversation, which will be moderated by Laura Knoy, former host of The Exchange on New Hampshire Public Radio.

The Governor and his guests will explore the current state of civic health, including civility and engagement, and identify opportunities for civic learning in our localities, state, and nation. The Treat Lecture is free to the public and pre-registration is required at tinyurl.com/sununutreatlecture. The event will be available for viewing via livestream.

The Treat Lecture Series is presented by NH Civics, with support from the William W. Treat Foundation and NH Humanities, in partnership with the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication at Franklin Pierce University, and NHPBS.

About The William W. Treat Lecture Series

The William W. Treat Lecture Series has reached thousands of participants over the years with noted civic leaders discussing key issues of the day in locations throughout the state and online. The inaugural event in 2012 was a conversation between former US Supreme Court Justice David Souter and PBS NewsHour’s Margaret Warner. The series has since hosted distinguished speakers including US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, US Attorney General Merrick Garland, General James Mattis, former solicitors general Gregory Garre and Neal Katyal, National Public Radio’s Nina Totenberg, Maine Senator Susan Collins, former New Hampshire Governor and Senator Judd Gregg, (then) US Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maggie Goodlander, and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, among others.

Funded by the William W. Treat Foundation, the series is named for the late New Hampshire judge who was famous for hosting dinner parties at his home that brought together guests who represented a wide range of political views. He believed deeply in the value of “cross-party” conversations where guests would listen to each other respectfully and exchange their ideas in order to better understand each other.

About NH’s Kid Governor

NH’s Kid Governor® (NHKG) is a national award-winning civics program, which immerses students in learning about state government, elections and voting, and civic participation through a real-life election for their state’s Kid Governor. The program is led by NH Civics in partnership with the NH Institute of Politics. It is a state affiliate of Kid Governor®, an award-winning civics program created by the Connecticut Democracy Center.

Timed to coincide with Election Day in November, NHKG is an annual program that offers schools the opportunity to enter one student candidate into a statewide election that other 5th graders vote in. Classes can vote in the election, nominate a classmate to run for office, or both. Toolkits consisting of free, custom-designed lesson plans guide classroom teachers through the program and teach students about state government in their state, the history and process of voting, and active participation in civic life. For more information, visit nh.kidgovernor.org.

About NH Civics

As the leader in civics education, our mission is to develop, nurture, and maintain an informed, engaged, and civil New Hampshire citizenry. Our programs help people understand how democracy works, how to find the facts, and how to be good and active citizens. Committed to nonpartisanship, we provide free and accessible programming to people of all ages, political views, and zip codes, including an online civics curriculum library for K-12 educators.

To learn more, visit www.nhcivics.org.