Expansion of New York Times Knowledge Network Web Site to Foster International Civic Engagement

The Capstone team assisted The New York Times (NYT) in developing an international section for its Web site, The Knowledge Network (www.nytimes.com/democracy), which in collaboration with the American Democracy Project, promotes informed civic engagement in the United States. The international section will focus on issues relevant to international civic engagement by convening the international education community and providing a forum for information exchange on crucial civic issues. The team conducted a survey/needs assessment of international university presidents and other educational leaders to determine the scope of civic engagement in their respective countries. The survey questions, which were based on extensive literature reviews, probed civic engagement in three areas: the media, economic development, and education. In addition, the survey sought to determine the technical features users would find most valuable. NYT will use the final report to define the international section’s content and determine how it can best serve the international education community.