Rebuilding American Civics, a series of community classes sponsored by Viterbo University’s D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership and IM Education, returns this fall with a new format and in-person gatherings in addition to virtual sessions.

The program was started in February 2021 with a focus on elevating civic discourse in the country by revisiting the foundations upon which the United States were built. Early topics included, for example, the Declaration of Independence, the First Amendment, federalism, and the electoral process.

Given the breadth of political news, the fall 2022 sessions, which begin Sept. 13, will be focused on current events. Each week, a topic or event in the news will be selected for discussion.

The class will begin with a lesson to provide context, followed by an open discussion about the topic. Diverse viewpoints and ideas are encouraged, as one of the main goals of the class series is developing civil discourse and critical thinking.

Sessions are led by Sam Scinta, founder and president of IM Education, associate lecturer in political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, an adjunct instructor in the servant leadership program at Viterbo University, and publisher at Fulcrum Publishing.

In-person sessions for Rebuilding American Civics, which will alternate with virtual sessions on Zoom, will be held at the La Crosse County Historical Society’s La Crosse Area Heritage Center, 506 Main St. in downtown La Crosse. Classes meet in person on Sept. 13 and 20, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1.

Virtual sessions will use the Zoom web conferencing platform and are planned for Oct. 4 and 11 and Nov. 8 and 15.

Participants may sign up for individual sessions or for the whole program. For more information or to register, email Jill Miller at jmmiller@viterbo.edu or Kelli Jerve at kelli@inspiredmindsedu.org.