About
IDEAL is a national, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax exempt non profit organization. IDEAL stands for Inform, Discuss, Enlighten, Acknowledge, and Learn, and our goal is to change the way students think about politics and interact with each other. There are three pillars of the IDEAL model: (1) IDEAL CAMPUS, which sponsors chapters and on-campus programming in colleges and high schools across the country; (2) IDEAL MEDIA, or CherryTree, a forthcoming publication and podcast; and (3) IDEAL COMMUNITY, which works with community partners nationwide to develop and implement in-school, after-school, and adult civic education and community engagement initiatives.
Cherry Tree
IDEAL Media is the next evolution of IDEAL. Our team is developing a podcast and magazine, titled Cherry Tree, with the aim of making an innovative contribution to the current media landscape.
Click below to get involved!
CAMPUS
Students are the foundation of IDEAL. Born out of a high school club in 2012, our now-national non-profit depends on students across the country to make real effective change. Our chapter presidents and officers have revolutionized voting and civic-engagement on their respective campuses. Their work has also launched them into impactful careers across the country, including working on Capitol Hill and pursuing Fulbright Scholarships across the globe. IDEAL CAMPUS represents a diverse network of incredible talent, the key to an organization built on, for, and by students who want to make a difference in the world.
The focus for each IDEAL Chapters is to provide a place on campus for students to think critically and openly about important political issues of the day. The chapters employ our unique model, promoting civic discourse with a focus on objectivity, sensitivity, and civility. Chapters, like the national organization, employ a 3 pronged model: (1) Campus Programming, which ranges from voter registration drives to lectures and discussion groups, (2) Blossom, an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of writing and journalism, while learning to explore and share complex ideas succinctly, and (3) Community Projects, a program designed to help facilitate engagement between students and their local communities to help make positive, long-term civic impact.
Click to learn more about the IDEAL model, our philosophy, and how to start your own chapter!
Community
Our mission is to change the nature of civic discourse in this country, and each facet of this organization has an important role in doing just that. If CherryTree is the platform for new ideas, and CAMPUS is the environment built for students and scholars to think critically and discuss amongst each other, then it is COMMUNITY that ties this work together. COMMUNITY, the third pillar of IDEAL, is about listening to communities and citizens nationwide, and asking “what can we do to help?” The idea behind community is simple: do what we do best in the ways that we it is needed most. At the intersection of civic education, community engagement, philosophy, politics, art, music, and culture, IDEAL COMMUNITY takes a multifaceted approach to civic engagement by developing in-school, after-school, and adult programming focused on learning from and working with those around us – every community is different, and we trust them to lead the way. Our work means nothing unless we play an active role in the democracy itself. Through COMMUNITY, we can do just that.
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testimonials
“The organization creates an accessible and inclusive forum that allows students to express their opinions and interact with others. IDEAL does not stop at expression; it encourages its members to embody and create the change that they seek in the world. Given today’s political climate, IDEAL is not a luxury, but a necessity.”
“IDEAL has highlighted the role of productive and substantive dialogue in politics. It provides a framework to overcome political polarization, increase youth civic engagement, and create a norm of rewarding policy decisions based on information rather than political expediency.”
“I am so heartened by IDEAL’s efforts to amplify these ignored voices determined to improve our country and world. IDEAL is a place where I am confident my opinions can add to general discourse, build on new ideas, and feel constructive.”
“IDEAL is bar none, the most intellectually engaging student group on campus...Participating in IDEAL events on campus has helped to improve my ability to speak in public, organize events, gather and review source-material, and dialogue productively. ”