:: Community Engagement & Civic Education ::
Forums, Salons, & Outings
Our city-wide forums bring people together from diverse backgrounds to engage in “courageous conversations” on issues of concern to the community. Throughout the year we stage a series of public education programs to raise awareness on community issues featuring a balanced panel of knowledgeable speakers.
Salons offer an occasion to share concerns and interests and have lively discussions in an intimate setting. These gatherings are often held in member homes. We may meet in a museum, a classroom, or a place of worship; we may hike in the woods, visit a sculpture park, paddle on the river, or join a tree-planting venture.
National Speaker
Diane Rehm and the WCC’s National Speaker Program Committee
In its early history, WCC invited outstanding leaders to come speak to our community. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson addressed our city. He was followed by educator John Dewey and social worker Jane Addams in 1918. In 1923, Carrie Chapman Cat, women’s rights activist spoke to a combined audience of WCC and League of Women Voters. The speakers program was revived in 1994 when WCC invited Lani Guinier to speak. Subsequent speakers include Susan Stamberg, Terry Gross, Jocelyn Elders, Molly Ivins, Pat Schroeder, Faye Wattelton, Wilma Mankiller, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Anna Deavere Smith, Diane Rehm, and this year, nationally syndicated columnist Ellen Goodman. The National Speaker Forum has become a time-honored tradition in Cincinnati, drawing hundreds of participants in the Greater Cincinnati region.
Check our calendar often for new programs.
Agnes Seasongood Education Awards
WCC believe strongly in civic awareness and the recognition of those who have achieved excellence WCC presents the Agnes Seasongood Education Awards each year to honor high school senior women. The purpose of these awards is to encourage responsible civic awareness. Up to three $500 education awards are presented each year at the annual Spring Seasongood luncheon. Named after a prominent Cincinnati citizen and WCC member, Agnes Seasongood (1890-1982), the luncheon features a speaker whose topic addresses a current city issue.
