iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 3h

Watch the video from our webinar “Ask Me Anything… About Student Voting” and hear from experts from the @aceducation.bsky.social, GenVote and Students Learn Students Vote Coalition.👇 buff.ly/QPQxi99

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🎉 Congratulations to our 26-27 VOICE Recipients! We are pleased to announce our 26-27 VOICE recipients, whose work reflect the UC system’s wide range of original and inspirational perspectives, programming and research. buff.ly/vpwZEvL

Graphic announcing the 2026–27 VOICE recipients, featuring 11 photos of recipients in a combination of headshots, UC campus and program logos. Text reads, “Congratulations 26–27 VOICE Recipients!”

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Tune in today at 12 pm PT/ 3 pm ET for “Principles and Political Theatre: Strategic Communication for Trust-Building and Advocacy.” Register now! buff.ly/I5mDT7F

Graphic for “Fellows in the Field” featuring the title “Principles and Political Theatre: Strategic Communication for Trust-Building and Advocacy” and fellow names Susan Balter-Reitz, Michael Bruner and Bryan Gentry. The three fellows’ headshots appear along the bottom right.

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

It’s all about reading the room. How can higher education leaders more effectively engage with legislators in different political and legislative environments?

100

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

🚨Less than 1 week away! Register for our upcoming Fellows in the Field workshop, “Principles and Political Theatre: Strategic Communication for Trust-Building and Advocacy,” on September 29 at 12pm PT.👇 buff.ly/siB2MIL

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

📢 New #SpeechMatters podcast episode! 🎧 Tune in to “The Promise and Peril of AI for Democracy” featuring special guest host assistant director Elizabeth Niehaus with guests Nathan Sanders from Harvard University and Bruce Schneier from Harvard Kennedy School. ▶️ buff.ly/ze9u8GG

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Happy #ConstitutionDay! 📜 Celebrate the signing of the Constitution on this day in 1787 with these fun facts.👇

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

🚨 Tomorrow! Have a specific question about student voting in your state or on your campus? Join us for a webinar tomorrow, September 15 at 12 pm PT to discuss and learn about navigating today’s student voting landscape. Register and submit your questions now: buff.ly/Vqoehv9

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

🎉 Congratulations to the Center’s 2025-2026 class of fellows! We’re pleased to release the results of their year-long projects. Explore their research: buff.ly/9AIuenD

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Have a specific question about student voting in your state or on your campus? Join us for a webinar on Tuesday, September 15 at 12 pm PT to discuss and learn about navigating today’s student voting landscape. Register and submit your questions now: uci.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

How can colleges support student voting rights? Read more from Jonathan Becker in this New York Times op-ed: buff.ly/bBDGfOb ICYMI: Hear more on our podcast, “Youth Power at the Polls: The Evolution of College Student Voting Rights.” ▶️ buff.ly/cVYCoFS

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

🚨#SpeechMatters podcast alert! Tune in to “Youth Power at the Polls: The Evolution of College Student Voting Rights” with guests Jonathan Becker from @bardcollege.bsky.social and Yael Bromberg from American University Washington College of Law. 🎧 buff.ly/cVYCoFS

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

🎧 Tune in to the latest #SpeechMatters episode, “Sounds of Democracy: Music and America at 250” with guest @annacelenza.bsky.social from Johns Hopkins University. ▶️ buff.ly/pwhmmxn

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

🚨 New #SpeechMatters podcast alert! Tune in to “A Conversation with UC President James B. Milliken” with guest University of California President James B. Milliken. ▶️ buff.ly/SgCWhIa

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

🚨 Our 2026-27 VOICE Initiative applications close TODAY! Get those applications in by tonight at 11:59 pm PT 👇 buff.ly/iguJq9m

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

🎉 Congratulations to the Center’s 2026 - 2027 class of fellows! This cohort’s research examines topics such as the role of AI in civic education, fostering cross-partisan community and protecting academic freedom. Learn about their projects: buff.ly/03L58ah

231

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

📣 Tune in to the latest #SpeechMatters podcast episode, “How State Legislatures Are Reshaping Higher Education” with guest Laura Benitez from @penamerica.bsky.social. 🎧 buff.ly/nW8ezM3

022

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

🚨 UC students, staff and faculty – Less than 1 month left to apply! 🚨 Get up to $5,000 for projects on free expression, civic engagement & democratic learning. 📅 Deadline: June 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM PDT 🔗 buff.ly/wF99IXE

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

We are now accepting applications for our 2026-2027 class of VOICE recipients! Applications are due by Tuesday, June 9th at midnight! buff.ly/HkXo85X

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

🚨 New #SpeechMatters podcast alert! Tune into “How Governance Shapes Higher Education” with guests Drs. Demetri Morgan and Raquel Rall, co-directors of the Center for Strategic and Inclusive Governance. 🎧 buff.ly/CgDkwUK

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

🚨 Today! Join the Center and @penamerica.bsky.social for Surveillance on the Quad: Privacy, Safety, and Protest at 12pm PT/ 3pm ET. Register here: buff.ly/eqOWPfM

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

📢 Join the Center and UC President James B. Milliken for an engaging and topical conversation with two of the University of California’s foremost free speech experts — UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman on April 22. 🔗 buff.ly/rsZ8y7V

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

The Center and @penamerica.bsky.social will be hosting an April webinar series! Surveillance on the Quad: Privacy, Safety, and Protest on April 16 and Surveillance in the Classroom: Tip-Lines, Recording, and Social Media Campaigns on April 22. Registration is open now! 🔗 buff.ly/LLo8bUn

031

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Call for submissions for The Voices of Democracy: A Festival for Ten-Minute Monologues, a project funded by the Valuing Open and Inclusive Conversation and Engagement (or VOICE) Initiative is open!👇 buff.ly/JLyt4UP

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

🚨ONE HOUR until #SpeechMatters 2026 starts!🚨 Today we will look at challenges to the First Amendment freedoms that are the bedrock of higher education and explore collaborative approaches to meeting this challenging moment.

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

🚨 Only 1 day left until #SpeechMatters 2026! See you tomorrow at 8:30 am PST! Don’t forget to save your spot: buff.ly/4bHMd7s

Graphic featuring a stylized pink column icon. Next to the columns is the blue text “#SpeechMatters 2026,” with “2026” in large bold numbers. Below, in smaller blue text, it reads “Preserving the Pillars of Free Expression.” The background is light gray with diagonal gradient streaks.

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

🗓️ Mark those calendars for #SpeechMatters 2026 this Wednesday, April 8 at 8:30 am PST. Register now: buff.ly/4bHMd7s

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

🚨 Last day to apply for our 2026-2027 class of Fellows! Applications are due tonight, March 30th at midnight. For more information on the fellowship program and past fellows projects: buff.ly/NqwXOOB

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

📢 #SpeechMatters 2026 is fast approaching! Join us virtually for “Preserving the Pillars of Free Expression” on April 8. Register now & learn more about speakers & panels: buff.ly/LVHDKl0

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

🎧 New #SpeechMatters podcast episode out now! Tune into “The Project of Civic Thought in Higher Education” with guest Christopher Tollefsen from the University of South Carolina. ▶️ buff.ly/L6iYsYx

030

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

🚨Only 2 weeks left to apply! Get your application in for our 2026-2027 fellows program. Applications are due by Monday, March 30th at midnight. For more information on the fellowship program: 🔗 buff.ly/wcCZv5b

001

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

📢 Register NOW for #SpeechMatters! Join us virtually on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 from 8:30am-12:00pm PT/11:30-3:00 pm ET to hear from legal and academic experts, journalists, artists and activists. View the agenda: buff.ly/zJA65HS

Graphic reading “8th Annual Conference” in pink text above a stylized pink column icon. Next to the columns is the blue text “#SpeechMatters 2026,” with “2026” in large bold numbers. Below, in smaller blue text, it reads “Preserving the Pillars of Free Expression.” The background is light gray with diagonal gradient streaks.

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Register now for #SpeechMatters 2026! Registration is now open for our eighth annual virtual #SpeechMatters conference, “Preserving the Pillars of Free Expression,” on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 8:30 am - 12:00 pm PT | 11:30 am - 3:00 pm ET. 🔗 buff.ly/tQZAh8A

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

We are now accepting applications for our 2026-2027 class of Fellows! Applications are due by Monday, March 30th at midnight. For more information on the fellowship program and past fellows projects: freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/programs-and...

100

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

📢 New #SpeechMatters podcast episode! 🎧 Tune in to the latest episode, “Voting and Education: The Only Way Forward” with guest Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., California Secretary of State. ▶️ buff.ly/slMbXVW

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

📢 Season 5 of the #SpeechMatters podcast starts now! Tune into the latest episode, “Campus Speech and Academic Freedom, A Guide for Difficult Times” with guest speakers and Center Co-chairs UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman and Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law. 🎧 buff.ly/5yp9QFx

044

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

🚨Tomorrow! Register for an online writing workshop, as part of UC Irvine’s first festival for ten-minute monologues. Free and open to all! 📅 Fri, Jan 16, 4-7 PM PT 🔗 buff.ly/J5VJdlt

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Register today for an online writing workshop, as part of UC Irvine’s first festival for ten-minute monologues. Free and open to all! 📅 Fri, Jan 16, 4-7 PM PT 🔗 buff.ly/J5VJdlt

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

🎧 New #SpeechMatters podcast alert! Tune into the latest episode titled, “The Illusion of University Neutrality” with guest host and former fellow Emerson Sykes and former fellow and guest speaker Brian Soucek. ▶️ buff.ly/NoAQ7t5

010

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

🚨New #SpeechMatters podcast episode out now! Tune into “Building Campus Cultures for Constructive Dialogue” with guest host and former fellow Alex Kappus and guest speaker Caroline Mehl from the Constructive Dialogue Institute. 🎧 buff.ly/N051reN

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

📣Tune in today at 10am PT/ 1pm ET for “(No) Shame in Speaking: Creating Space for Courageous Conversation.” Register now! buff.ly/1s7LXla

Promotional graphic for “(No) Shame in Speaking: Creating Space for Courageous Conversation” featuring speaker Penelope Lusk. A photo of the speaker appears on the right side of the graphic against a blue background.

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

📢 Tune in today at 10am PT/ 1pm ET for “Beyond Red and Blue: Fostering Friendships in a Polarized Campus Climate.” Register now! buff.ly/pUh8oMY

Promotional graphic for “Beyond Red and Blue: Fostering Friendships in a Polarized Campus Climate,” featuring speakers Tara Hudson and Alyssa Rockenbach. Photos of the two speakers appear on the right side of the graphic against a blue background.

010

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Don’t miss our final Fellows in the Field workshop with Penelope Lusk on Tuesday, November 4 at 10am PT! 🚨Register today: buff.ly/yuB3AUY

Promotional graphic for “(No) Shame in Speaking: Creating Space for Courageous Conversation” featuring speaker Penelope Lusk. Photos of the speaker appear on the right side of the graphic against a blue background.

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

📣 New #SpeechMatters podcast alert! 📣 Tune into the latest episode, “Trump 2.0: A Stress Test for the First Amendment” with guest speaker Timothy Zick from William & Mary Law School. ▶️ buff.ly/E1qURnN

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

📢 Register for our upcoming Fellows in the Field workshop with Drs. Tara Hudson and Alyssa Rockenbach on Wednesday, October 22 at 10am PT! See you there: buff.ly/BrGmw6O

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

🎉 Congratulations to our 2026 class of VOICE recipients! Take a look at this year’s class, who showcase the UC system’s wide range of perspectives, innovative programming and impactful research: buff.ly/HzT72lt

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

🚨 Tomorrow: Don’t miss Fellows in the Field with Drs. Susan Haarman and Leslie Watland at 10am PT! Register today: buff.ly/RUcz8ta

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

🎙️“Mic’d Up: VOICE stories” is heading to Votechella! The UC Berkeley team shares how they got students registered to vote and politically informed before the voter registration deadline. 👉 Swipe to see their impact. Learn more about VOICE 🔗 buff.ly/eRwmdRz

000

UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement @ucfreespeech.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

🚨New #SpeechMatters episode 🚨 Tune into “These Rights are Self-Evident, Not Self-Executing” with the former Archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan. 🎧 freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/speechmatter...

000