The workshop will feature former U.S. Rep. David Jolly and Pinellas County Commission Chair Janet Long.

ST. PETERSBURG – Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Seminole, and Pinellas County Commission Chair Janet Long, a Democrat, will provide national and local perspectives on our system of government at a workshop on civic activism sponsored by St. Petersburg College and the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area.

The workshop, titled Democracy 101: A Civic Action Primer, will be from 6-8 p.m. Monday (Aug. 28) at American Stage Theatre, 163 Third St. N, St. Petersburg. Admission is free, but advance registration is requested at solutions.spcollege.edu.

The workshop is offered in response to a spirit of activism not seen since at least 2008 that is sweeping across America. Motivated by the 2016 election campaign and its outcome, people on both sides of the political aisle are energized to become active in the political process – either to support the policies of the current administration or to oppose them.

But many would-be activists don’t know how to begin. They are unsure of how the process works, or what they can do to make a difference in the political world. The workshop will provide the basics of government structure, policy-making, and civic engagement.

Moderating the workshop will be Tara Newsom, professor of Social and Behavioral Science at SPC, and Julie Kessel, president of the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area. They will present brief overviews of the key concepts of the American system of government and guide discussion by Jolly and Long of how those founding values apply at the national, state and local level. There will also be a segment devoted to strategies for engaging with elected and appointed officials and a brief primer on how to file and run for office.

David Jolly | Janet Long | Politics | Events | Tampa Bay News | TB Reporter

#DavidJolly #JanetLong #Politics #Events #TampaBayNews #TBReporter