SpeechMatters kicks off our VOICE Summer Series by exploring the impact of the Civic Engagement Scholars Program (CESP) — a course created and taught by UC Santa Barbara VOICE recipients Katya Armistead and Viviana Marsano. Guest host Melanie Ziment talks with them and their students Sofia Aliamus and Ashley Segat about civic engagement education and how the course is inspiring the next generation of citizens to be active participants in their communities.

Episode Resources:

• Civic Engagement Scholars Program — VOICE Initiative Report
• Undergraduate Student Advocacy in the University of California System: a Handbook by Emma Tolliver, UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement  
• CHANGE! A Student Guide to Social Action by Scott Myers-Lipton
• Facing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation by Dr. Tania Israel