Ball State University’s Center for Economic and Civic Learning (CECL), in collaboration with the Community-Engaged Alliance and with generous support from the Lumina Foundation and Lilly Endowment, hosted a two-day statewide workshop on June 2–3 introducing the Third Way Civics (3WC) model of civically catalytic teaching.
Held at Ball State’s L.A. Pittenger Student Center, the 3WC Workshop welcomed over 30 faculty and administrators from a range of Indiana institutions, including IU South Bend, Ivy Tech (Muncie and Columbus), Purdue Fort Wayne, Rose-Hulman, Saint Mary’s, Earlham College, Anderson University, and Ball State. Participants represented a wide range of disciplines --humanities, social sciences, STEM, education-- as well as academic leadership roles focused on curricular innovation and civic learning.
Led by Dr. Trygve Throntveit of the Minnesota Humanities Center and co-facilitated by BSU Provost Dr. Anand Marri and CECL Director Dr. David Roof, the workshop immersed participants in the 3WC model, which blends foundational texts, historical inquiry, and structured dialogue to cultivate civic responsibility and democratic engagement.
Through interactive sessions exploring periods such as the American founding and the Civil War, participants reflected on how to foster deliberative dialogue and civic agency within their own courses. Small-group collaborations and guided planning sessions encouraged attendees to begin designing their own 3WC-inspired syllabi, with attention to integrating civic learning outcomes into general education and major-specific curricula.
“The conversations we had here are just the beginning,” noted Dr. Throntveit. “The goal is not only to inform but to catalyze—to foster a shift in how civic education is conceived and practiced across our campuses.”
A statewide faculty network is now forming to support 3WC implementation and collaboration. This initiative marks a broader movement in higher education to reimagine civic learning through shared inquiry, historical complexity, and inclusive pedagogy.
See more about the event here.
For more information on the 3WC model or to join the faculty network, please contact Dr. Roof at djroof@bsu.edu or visit www.bsu.edu/cecl.