The City of Mount Vernon will open a new yearlong civic engagement series Jan. 28 with a public lecture at the historic Woodward Opera House.
The City of Mount Vernon said The Future of the American Republic: Renewal, Stability & Civic Responsibility will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Woodward Opera House, opening The Washington Forum, a 2026 civic series presented with Kenyon College’s Center for the Study of American Democracy.
The event will feature remarks from Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr, Kenyon professor and center director Joseph L. Klesner, and keynote speaker Jeffrey Sikkenga, executive director of the Ashbrook Center and professor of political science at Ashland University.
Organizers said the evening will take a deeper look at the lasting principles of the constitutional republic, highlighting how civic habits, strong institutions, and individual responsibility help preserve ordered liberty amid a changing world. The program is rooted in George Washington’s warning that the nation’s future rests on the character and vigilance of its citizens.
The Washington Forum is designed to foster dialogue, history, and public leadership through monthly programs throughout 2026. Each session will focus on timely topics related to civic life, governance, and the responsibilities of citizenship.
City officials and Kenyon College leaders said the series aims to strengthen civic understanding and encourage cross-generational learning. All programming will be guided by themes of character, prudence, and public virtue, qualities exemplified by Washington and central to the vision of responsible self-government.
Residents are invited to attend the opening session and participate in what organizers describe as a thoughtful, community-centered conversation about the future of the American Republic.
Admission is free, and details about upcoming sessions in The Washington Forum will be announced later this year.
Image credit: City of Mount Vernon, Facebook
