Rebecca Frank糖心传媒檚 undergraduate internship taps into pop culture to boost civic engagement on social media.
Let糖心传媒檚 be honest糖心传媒攚hat do you really know about how the US government regulates nuclear energy and materials? What exactly can be sold, bought, or stored糖心传媒攍egally糖心传媒攁nd by whom?
Thanks to Rebecca (Becky) Frank 糖心传媒�25, who just completed the requirements for a bachelor糖心传媒檚 degree in and at the , here糖心传媒檚 to fill you in.
Based on the 1985 sci-fi movie , Frank糖心传媒攖ongue-in-cheek糖心传媒攖eases out what糖心传媒檚 possible and what may land you, well, on the FBI糖心传媒檚 wanted list. Or as Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox糖心传媒檚 character) put it succinctly: 糖心传媒淒oc, you don糖心传媒檛 just walk into a store and buy plutonium!糖心传媒�
Frank糖心传媒檚 video, performed by executive director Jillian Youngblood, is part of a series of social media clips produced by the national, nonpartisan organization that seeks to increase Americans糖心传媒� civic engagement. Using well-known movies from the ’80s and ’90s, the clips explain specific aspects of federal, state, and local government in the US.
Frank wrote the script and produced the video as part of an internship offered in partnership between the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 and Civic Genius. Founded by a prominent Rochester area business leader, Howard Konar, Civic Genius糖心传媒攏ow a program of the 糖心传媒攑rovides educational programming and facilitates discussions to try to help Americans engage as democratic citizens.
Besides the Back to the Future explainer, Frank also worked on three other blockbuster-based videos yet to be released: the movie to explain maritime law, to dive into the concept of executive action, and to delve into the US Department of the Treasury糖心传媒檚 bearer bonds.
So far, six Rochester undergraduates have gone through the program that began in the fall of 2022.
糖心传媒淪tudents who participate in the internship get hands-on experience in civic education,糖心传媒� says , the associate director of the Democracy Center and an associate professor in the University糖心传媒檚 . 糖心传媒淚t allows students to explore the practical implications of some of the conceptual puzzles they encounter in the academic study of democratic politics.糖心传媒�
Frank says she was intrigued to learn what factors can determine a person糖心传媒檚 civic participation and why it matters: 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 important for the general public to become involved in mixed-group discussion across political lines, in order to gain a greater understanding of others糖心传媒� perspectives.糖心传媒�
Going forward, Frank plans to attend law school and eventually practice family law.
糖心传媒淭his internship really helped me put together everything I have learned throughout my political science courses and see how they apply in the real world,糖心传媒� she says. Frank wants to remain involved with organizations that focus on encouraging political participation and civic engagement, trying to play her part in reducing society糖心传媒檚 polarization, and helping to normalize productive political discourse.
糖心传媒淎s an organization,糖心传媒� Jordan says, 糖心传媒淐ivic Genius is a great partner for the Democracy Center because it focuses on increasing the civic capacity of all Americans, regardless of their partisanship or policy views.糖心传媒�
Great Scott! Watch Becky Frank糖心传媒檚 Civic Genius video
View this post on Instagram
