How to Raise a Citizen: It Starts at Home

Practical Ways to Talk to Your Kids about Government, Current Events, and Civic Concepts

THURSDAY, October 29th, 2026, 12 – 1 p.m via Zoom

Join NYC-Parents in Action for a conversation with Dr. Lindsey Cormack, PhD, moderated by Dr. Laurie Freeman, PhD, about how parents can teach their kids to be informed, thoughtful, and engaged in their community.

REGISTER

In our online seminar, Dr. Cormack will provide a nonpartisan roadmap for demystifying government, fostering civic knowledge across developmental ages, and teaching kids how to participate in constructive, respectful civil discourse.

This live facilitated conversation will provide:

  • An understanding of how to foster civic dialogue and curiosity at home.
  • Practical, actionable guidance for discussing government, voting, and current events without partisan tension or anxiety.
  • Age-appropriate frameworks for introducing civic concepts from early childhood through high school.
  • Concrete tools to cultivate critical thinking, media literacy, and the capacity for respectful disagreement. in young minds.
REGISTER TODAY

*All registered participants will receive a recording of this webinar.*

Submit your questions when you register. 

Tickets are $25. Financially supported tickets are available.

Questions that will be addressed include:

  • When should parents start having civic conversations with their kids? 
  • What approaches work at each age, from preschool to teenagers?
  • How can parents have nonpartisan discussions with their kids about government, voting, and current events?
  • How can parents teach their kids to engage in respectful, constructive debate with people who hold opposing viewpoints?
  • What everyday habits, routines, and activities can families practice at home to nurture an active, engaged citizen?

Submit your questions when you register for this webinar.

Our Speaker:

Lindsey Cormack, PhD

Dr. Lindsey Cormack, PhD, is a political scientist, civic educator, and author of How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It’s Up to You to Do It), a book about the essential role families play in preparing children for democratic life. She is an associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of Technology, the creator of DCinbox, the longest-running archive of official communications from members of Congress, and co-host of the podcast Government That Doesn’t Suck! with Professor Greg Jackson, as well as the co-host of Civic Parenting from the National Constitution Center. She serves on Manhattan Community Board 8 and works with organizations around the country to strengthen civic learning and participation. A central theme of her work is that citizenship is not something children suddenly acquire at eighteen: families help build it through everyday conversations, habits, experiences, and examples. She believes parents, grandparents, and other trusted adults can be some of the most important civic teachers young people ever have.

Our Moderator:

 

Laurie FreemanDr. Laurie Freeman, PhD

Dr. Laurie B. Freeman is a licensed psychologist, certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist/Supervisor (EFT), and a certified AEDP therapist. She has thirty years of experience in private practice helping individuals and couples in the New York City community with relationships, anxiety, parenting, and navigating life stages. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her Doctorate from Teachers College of Columbia University. Dr. Freeman, a former board member of NYC-Parents in Action, oversees the Facilitation program, which is dedicated to helping parents communicate and learn from each other as they manage the challenging task of raising healthy children in a complicated world.

Be sure to check out insights from past NYC-PIA events:

Welcome Back 2026!

September 2, 2026 No Comments

We are excited to unveil our programming for the 2026-2027 academic year and to invite you to engage with NYC-Parents in Action.

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