Earn 1 credit in 1 weekend and explore big questions about leadership, democracy, and impact, while connecting with peers, employers, faculty experts, and alumni who turn their values into action. With flexible online prep and an in-person day-and-a-half summit (Feb. 7-8), you will develop skills to lead with purpose and impact.
Open to: sophomores, juniors, & seniors
Submit the Focus Area Selection Form to let us know which focus area you would like to participate in during the area-specific portion of the weekend summit!
Adi Grabiner-Keinan, Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Director & Senior Lecturer of Center for Dialogue & Pluralism
Colleen Barry, Dean of the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, co-Director of the Cornell Health Policy Center
Rachel Dunifon, Dean of the College of Human Ecology, Professor in the Department of Psychology & the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
How can your Cornell education help you lead a life of purpose and impact while on campus and in your future career? How can we engage with complex social, political, and scientific challenges in a way that supports resilient democracies? What knowledge and competencies are essential for future leaders, and how can we communicate effectively across differences to foster collaboration and progress?
This one-credit course – held in person over a day and a half with asynchronous preparation beforehand – invites students to reflect on these questions while exploring how their academic journey can serve as a foundation for civic leadership and professional purpose. You will learn alongside students from across Cornell’s colleges and connect with faculty, alumni, and leaders who not only bring a range of professional expertise, but also actively practice civic engagement in their fields. In addition to broad exposure, you’ll choose a focus area – law, health, technology, or business – and examine its role in advancing democratic principles and practices. Through this lens, you’ll engage with varied perspectives, challenges, and solutions, while practicing communication skills and participating in small group dialogues with peers.
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
This course runs from January 20 to February 19, 2026, combining independent learning with an immersive in-person experience.
Build a foundation through short videos, lectures, and readings, and engage with peers through an online discussion board and annotation assignment.
Join classmates for an immersive weekend of interactive sessions. During the Summit, you’ll participate in small-group dialogues, connect with alumni and professionals from fields like law, health, technology, and business, and explore how these areas can shape and strengthen democracy.
9:30 am – 10:00 am | Arrival and Check In
10:00 am – 10:15 am | Welcome and Opening Remarks
10:15 am – 11:15 am | What Cornell Owes Democracy: Faculty & Academic Leadership Dialogue Panel
11:15 am – 12:00 pm | Civic and Professional Leadership for the Greatest Good – Cornell Alumni in Action: Alumni Dialogue Panel
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm | Lunch
12:45 pm – 3:45 pm| Current Issues in Law, Health, Tech, & Business (small groups)
3:45 pm – 5:30 pm | Purpose at Cornell & Beyond (small groups)
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Connection & Engagement Event (connection opportunities with employers, local orgs, & community leaders)
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Connection & Engagement Event Continued (OPTIONAL)
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm | What is college for? (small group dialogues)
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Where do we go from here? (small group dialogues)
Synthesize your learning and articulate how you can apply course insights to your academic path, career goals, and civic engagement.
We’ll explore questions like:
How do voting laws reflect or restrict democratic participation?
Where is the line between free speech and hate speech in academic (college campuses) and civic spaces?
What immigration policies and practices best serve democracy?
Should voting be mandatory in a democratic society?
We’ll explore questions like:
When and how should public health measures restrict individual choice?
How do different approaches to mental health impact civic participation and/or democracy?
Is public healthcare necessary for a truly democratic society?
We’ll explore questions like:
Who should regulate artificial intelligence in a democracy, and what risks arise if we don’t?
How should higher education institutions incorporate or limit the use of generative artificial intelligence in classroom settings?
How do social media algorithms shape what people believe and how they engage civically?
We’ll explore questions like:
What role, if any, do private sector businesses have in promoting civic engagement and democracy?
Should businesses publicly take stances on political and social issues?
How do unions and labor protections strengthen or challenge democratic participation?
What should businesses be allowed to profit from?
Contact pathways@cornell.edu with any questions.
This initiative is a collaboration between the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, the College of Human Ecology, the Center on Global Democracy, the Center for Dialogue & Pluralism, and Cornell Career Services.
