After participating in Harvard’s Institute of Politics National Campaign Conference, six UF students decided to create a similar summit centered on Florida public policy. The FOF Summit was conceptualized as a weekend-long opportunity to facilitate meaningful discussion and collaboration among students from various Florida institutions, with an end goal of learning how to craft public policy proposals that address critical issues facing our generation.
“I have become increasingly involved in the effort to transform civics from a spectator sport into a participatory sport — one in which citizens directly engage in democracy and shape local, state and federal policies to the betterment of their families and communities”
– former U.S. Senator and Florida Governor Bob Graham
Education
One of the goals of the Summit is to introduce students to AI in relation to policy and its facets, while encouraging students to create their own public policy proposals. Students will use what they have learned to collaborate with local stakeholders and fellow students across Florida, beyond the realm of academia. The student committee will follow-up with a post-summit survey to evaluate the participants input and employ it as a guide to improve future summits.
Professional Development
Multiple facets of this Summit include the opportunity for networking and professional development. Students develop and present their own policy proposal as part of a team to a panel of judges, who provide feedback on their public policy ideas. They will also have a chance to network with other participants from numerous parts of Florida, as well as our acclaimed speakers and judges.
Summit Objectives
- Meet and network with engaged students from around the state
- Participate in meaningful conversation and debate about critical public policy issues in a small group setting
- Develop a professional and persuasive policy proposal
- Bring the small group policy proposals to the larger group for debate on their validity
- Develop a strategy to continue the discussion to develop and implement a long-term action plan