Draw the Lines Comes to Kutztown University for Democracy Games

Kutztown University will be hosting the Democracy Games, an event showcasing tools to make valid election maps, on Thursday, Oct. 25, in Academic Forum Room 101 from 6-8 p.m.

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KUTZTOWN, PA (10/08/2018) Kutztown University will be hosting the Democracy Games, an event showcasing tools to make valid election maps, on Thursday, Oct. 25, in Academic Forum Room 101 from 6-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and is hosted by Draw the Lines PA (DTL) and the KU department of political science and public administration.

The Democracy Games will demonstrate the new DistrictBuilder software, an online tool that is used to make valid election maps and be shared with elected officials, as well as focus on the issue of gerrymandering and how it relates to voting and democracy.

KU is inviting interested community members for a night of games, food and competition that bring hilarity and fun to a serious topic. Show off your knowledge in political trivia, put Pennsylvania's old congressional district map together yourself, plus much more. There will be prizes for competition winners. Please bring a laptop to draw your map.

DTL is a new, statewide civic education and engagement campaign surrounding the redistricting process and gerrymandering. DTL has just launched a three-year initiative to inform and engage Pennsylvanians around democratic reform via a barnstorming tour that began in Philadelphia this past Constitution Day.

Kutztown is one of several stops throughout the tour, with others including the Lehigh Valley, State College and Pittsburgh, among others.

DTL, a project of the Committee of Seventy, is a government nonprofit based in Philadelphia. Each DTL region has its own nonpartisan steering committee made up of civic, education and business leaders from that region. The project puts into the hands of Pennsylvanians, digital tools that allow DTL participants to learn how to draw maps - just as politicians have for decades.

For more information, visit www.drawthelinespa.org.

Sponsored by the KU department of political science and public administration, contact Stacy Kushner with any questions or additional information at 610-683-4449 or kushner@kutztown.edu.

About Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Founded in 1866, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education located on 289 acres nestled in the beautiful East Penn Valley in Berks County, between Reading and Allentown, Pennsylvania. KU is just two hours from New York City; 90 minutes from Philadelphia.

As the region's center for excellence in academics, culture and public engagement, KU's programs and reputation for quality offer students the opportunity to discover lifelong avenues of learning and discovery. KU students select from more than 100 areas of study within four colleges in a diverse liberal arts academic environment. To complement their studies, KU's NCAA Division II athletics program with 21 varsity sports joins the more than 160 student clubs and organizations providing students with a variety of activities for learning and discovery.

Nondiscrimination Statement

Kutztown University does not discriminate in employment or educational opportunities on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status.

For more information, please visit us at www.kutztown.edu.