History of the College of DuPage Public Policy Institute (PPI)
The National Issues Forums (NIF) discussion model has been implemented at College of DuPage for more than 14 years through its Public Policy Institute (PPI). The PPI was originally piloted as a program in the college’s Older Adult Institute (OAI). However, as the forums grew in popularity, they were expanded to include ESL classes as well as community groups with strong public library partnerships.
Currently, PPI forums are held at a variety of venues, including independent learning centers, on-campus classrooms at C.O.D. in Glen Ellyn, and community libraries, K-12 schools and churches. C.O.D. has also helped organizations to use the NIF model to assess community needs in terms of public health, safety and other areas of concern.
The PPI is housed in the Office of Community Development at College of DuPage. NIF is also integrated in the college’s Honors Program, student leadership and as part of classroom curricula in the Divisions of Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences. The college has also conducted international training using the NIF model of deliberative discussion.
Cynthia Johnson
College of DuPage
Public Policy Institute
425 Fawell Blvd.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137(630) 942-3872
Fax (630) 942-2928
