2024 Holiday Party
Dec
7
5:00 PM17:00

2024 Holiday Party

It’s time to party! Join the Arkansas Public Policy Panel and the Citizens First Congress for our Annual Holiday Party. You WONT want to miss this event!

Purchase your tickets here: https://cfc-arpanel.nationbuilder.com/cfc_holiday_party

Join us this December 7th at Mosiac Templars in Little Rock! Attire will be Holiday Casual. We will have a host bar that will serve beer, wine, and mixed rinks. Food will be catered by Bread-N-Butta Brucn Catering Services and there will be live music by the Funkanites!

We are asking attendees to pay what they can for a ticket. We have three payment options based on your ability to pay, $35, $50, and $75. Please check your email after you purchase your ticket, your receipt will be your ticket to enter!

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Sep
29
12:00 PM12:00

Friday Webinar: STOP CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS

  • Virtual Zoom & Facebook Live Event (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

STREAMING LIVE VIA FACEBOOK & ZOOM!

Arkansans Against School Paddling’s (AASP) motto is simple:

“Educate. Advocate. Repeat.” But it’s more than motto; it’s a promise. The AASP is made up of a diverse team of passionate advocates with educational and medical expertise. They’re teachers, nurses, mothers, fathers — and above all, Arkansans.

Their goal is to protect the dignity and safety of every child in Arkansas, and we won’t rest until corrective violence is illegal in schools.

Policies to end corporal punishment in our schools is something the Arkansas Public Policy Panel supports. It’s also one of the top 5 short-time legislative priorities of our sister organization, Citizens First Congress.

So, join in and participate during our live webinar at noon Friday, Sept. 29 as our CFC Outreach Coordinator Shaytrese Byers speaks with the AASP Co-Director Jeffery Burton and Yolanda Williams, who is a Conscious Parenting Coach and also works with AASP.

As always, we’ll have time to take questions from live viewers! You can join live – either on Facebook or by Zoom – at noon Sept. 29: https://shorturl.at/nqzLR

This live event is part of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel’s ongoing Friday Noon Webinars.

Find more information about Ending Corporal Punishment: https://drive.google.com/.../19BaycBn6dQUpMKP5...
(This Google Drive folder will be updated with more resources post-webinar)

🔹 MEET OUR GUEST(S) 🔹

 🔹Yolanda Williams 
Yolanda Williams is a Conscious Parenting Coach, Social Justice Instructor, and most importantly a single Mom to one amazing toddler. She also works with Arkansans Against School Paddling.

Yolanda empowers parents with tools to be more intentional, conscious parents in order to raise the next generation of emotionally-well, liberated, free-thinkers and in the process, form deeper more intentional relationships with their children.

Through her podcast, conferences, webinars, and writings, Yolanda curates critical and candid conversations about race, social justice, and parenting with authenticity, truth, and compassion and helps people find tangible tools to create personal and collective transformation. Yolanda provides coaching, DEI training for educators and many more on her website parentingdecolonized.com.

You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 🔹Jeffery Burton 
Jeffery is a High School Administrator in Arkansas and Co-Director of Arkansas Against School Paddling. He is currently working on his doctorate in Rural and Diverse Communities at Southern Arkansas University, where he also obtained his Master's. He has a passion for liberating students within the current educational model. Early in his career as an administrator, he was asked to use corporal punishment as a discipline method. Once he realized its ineffectiveness, Jeffery started researching other methods of discipline that did not include the use of physical punishment. His goal to impact his students through mentorship and being a positive role model.

Learn more about Arkansas Against School Paddling and their work at banpaddlingar.com.

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Sep
8
12:00 PM12:00

Webinar: Student Loan Debt & Relief

JOIN VIA ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89781857648?pwd=b3NWaW1nUVhZM2ZGci94RHI3TEp3Zz09
Interested in knowing the latest on student loan debt and relief? Join our staff moderator Kwami Abdul-Bey as he speaks with our guest panelists from the National Consumer Law Center, the Student Borrower Protection Center, Student Loan Law Workshop, and the Center for Arkansas Legal Services.

Panelists will be sharing their expertise on many topics, including the Biden administration’s new Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, Fresh Start, income-driven repayment, and bankruptcy discharge.

As always, we’ll have time to take questions from live viewers! You can join live at noon Sept. 8 either on Facebook Live or on Zoom (no registration required).

This live event is part of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel’s ongoing Friday Noon Webinars and in partnership with the Center for Arkansas Legal Services.

 Meet Our Panelists 

  •  Alpha S. Taylor
    Alpha is a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, focusing on student loans and other consumer law issues. Previously, he worked as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, handling foreclosure, eviction, and student loan cases. He also established the Hamilton County Eviction Prevention Project, which helps low-income tenants avoid eviction. After moving to DC, Alpha worked for a non-profit tenant defense organization and an appellate litigation law firm. Alpha is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Law and Virginia Commonwealth University.

  • Amy Czulada
    Amy is the Outreach & Advocacy Manager at the Student Borrower Protection Center. Previously, Amy was a Research Analyst at 32BJ SEIU in New York City. Prior to her work at SEIU, Amy was heavily involved in research and activism around wage theft in the greater Denver area and was also part of the Sanctuary movement in Denver. She graduated with her master’s degree in International Studies from the Josef Korbel School at the University of Denver and has a bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish from La Salle University, Philadelphia.

  • Cecille Doan
    Cecille is a leading consumer attorney and the Subject Area Manager for the Center for Arkansas Legal Services Consumer Protection Group. She has been defending the rights for minority groups and low-income Arkansans for over 12 years. She manages four staff attorneys, a paralegal, and works side-by-side with leading pro bono attorneys to advocate for consumer rights for over half of the state. Under her leadership, the Center for Arkansas Legal Services provides free legal representation to thousands of low-income individuals in creditor harassment, unfair and deceptive sales practices, wage garnishments, and debt relief, to name a few.

    Throughout her career, she has taken a stance against predatory lending practices, unconscionable contracts, and has given people hope through debt relief options. All of this was done to help our most vulnerable communities in Arkansas and give them equal access to justice. Cecille Doan also serves on the Board of Directors for the Arkansas State Debt Collection Agencies. And she is admitted to the Arkansas Bar and the Eastern and Western District Courts of Arkansas.

  • Joshua Cohen
    Joshua has been the student loan lawyer since 2008, helping borrowers better understand and manage their student loan debt. He started teaching attorneys to do what he does in 2011 and is now in his 12th year of running the Student Loan Law Workshop. He very much enjoys the challenges and nuances of student loan work and is always eager to review a case for potential discharge in bankruptcy. He has a BA from Brandeis University, an MBA, and a JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law.

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6th Annual Environmental Policy Summit
Nov
5
12:00 PM12:00

6th Annual Environmental Policy Summit

Building Equitable, Just, & Healthy Communities

Keynote Speaker:

Richard Heinberg, Author & Senior Fellow at Post-Carbon Institute

Hear from grassroots leaders and policy experts on how climate change and environmental policies are affecting Arkansas communities and livelihoods, and what actions we can take to improve our shared environment.

Cost: FREE, $5 suggested donation

RSVP Details to Come

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Arkansas Education Amid Covid-19
Jun
29
1:00 PM13:00

Arkansas Education Amid Covid-19

How will public schools in Arkansas approach reopening in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic? What might a return to the classroom look like? What will schooling look like for the most vulnerable student groups, or students requiring individualized services? What might be triggers for closing schools again in the fall after reopening?

We know that right now, most parents have more questions than answers. We invite you to bring those questions to the table and join us for a candid conversation on public education amid Covid-19 with a panel of community advocates, educators, and representatives of the Arkansas Education Association and Arkansas School Boards Association beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 30.

Register to participate here: https://arpanel.nationbuilder.com/education_webinar

For those unable to participate via Zoom, the panel discussion will be live-streamed on the Arkansas Public Policy Panel Facebook page: www.facebook.com/arpanel

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2019 Know Your Rights Summer Tour Kickoff
Jun
8
1:00 PM13:00

2019 Know Your Rights Summer Tour Kickoff

Join us for the KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Summer 2019 Tour Kickoff! Empowering young minds with knowledge of the justice system, and exercising your rights! With performances, interactive dialogue, lawyer talkback and free food! Featuring artist Oya the Walking Poet and legal advice by Ms. Peggy Egan.
Sponsored by Seeds of Liberation, Arkansas Youth Coalition for Social Change and Arkansas Citizen's First Congress.


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Discussion on Medicaid, Arkansas Works and the Work Requirement
May
30
6:00 PM18:00

Discussion on Medicaid, Arkansas Works and the Work Requirement

Citizens First Congress (CFC), along with Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF), is hosting a discussion via Telephone Town Hall and Facebook Live to talk about Medicaid, Arkansas Works, and the recent work requirement ruling. We'll have policy experts here to break it all down and you will be able to any ask questions you may have. We'll also be sharing on how you can still enroll for coverage and how you can help others do the same.

To sign up to join the conversation via telephone, fill out this form:
https://arpanel.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/medicaid-arkansas-works

You will also be able to watch via Facebook Live on the Citizens First Congress page at 6:00pm.

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Jonesboro Town Hall: Arkansas Legislative Update
Mar
2
2:00 PM14:00

Jonesboro Town Hall: Arkansas Legislative Update

Join the CFC, Arkansas Community Organizations and Arkansas United for a legislative update.

This forum is open to the public and we encourage anyone from the Northeast Arkansas area to attend! We want to give you a chance to hear from your legislators and be able ask them questions. All issues are open for discussion! For more information contact Nick Cartwright at nick@arpanel.org or 501-837-0593.

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Gen Z Saturday
Mar
2
12:30 PM12:30

Gen Z Saturday

  • Willie Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Arkansas Youth Coalition for Social Change and Arkansas Public Policy Panel presents GEN Z SATURDAY in partnership with JBM and Associates. Sponsored by Pulaski County Youth Services.

Engaging our youth in the process for political transformation! Lunch will be served, with a special performance by Writeous Poets.

For more information, contact osyrus@arpanel.org or nick@arpanel.org.

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Citizens First Congress NWA TOWN HALL MEETING ON PUBLIC EDUCATION
Feb
9
1:00 PM13:00

Citizens First Congress NWA TOWN HALL MEETING ON PUBLIC EDUCATION

A Town Hall Meeting co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters Washington County, Arkansas Citizens First Congress, Arkansas Education Association, Arkansas Advocates for Children, Hispanic Women’s Association, and Arkansas United will take place from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 at the Jones Center for Families and Children in Springdale.

Join us for a legislative update on education issues and hear our panelists share their stories. Our panel will consist of a legislator, public school teacher, school administrator, former charter school teacher and blogger, and other representatives of community groups.

Come learn how you can get involved in your public schools. A question and answer session will follow the panelist presentations. Information and literature from sponsoring groups will be available.

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Arkansas 2020 Census Forum
Jan
30
3:00 PM15:00

Arkansas 2020 Census Forum

Join the Arkansas Public Policy Panel as we host a forum on the Arkansas Census 2020 Census and how we can collaborate to ensure a complete count of ALL Arkansas residents. Arkansas has a number of communities who are historically undercounted, diminishing political representation, investments and causing a range of other negative consequences. Space is limited, please register here: https://tinyurl.com/y7zkp2ru

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Citizens First Congress Advocacy Day
Jan
30
8:00 AM08:00

Citizens First Congress Advocacy Day

  • Arkansas Education Association (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Get involved during the 2019 Legislative Session by registering for CFC's Lobby Day! On January 30th, Citizens First Congress will be hosting a Lobby Day at AEA & the Arkansas State Capitol from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It will be a jam-packed day as you will receive an update on the session, attend Senate & House committee meetings, listen to legislators speak on the issues you care about, and have the opportunity to meet with them one-on-one to lobby for important legislation!

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Dragon Slayer Banquet
Jun
9
6:00 PM18:00

Dragon Slayer Banquet

Join us for Arkansas Public Policy Panel's 2018 Dragon Slayer Banquet, celebrating those that fight for social injustice in Arkansas! Don't miss it Saturday June 9th at Four Points by Sheraton 6pm-8pm! This year's Dragon Slayer Banquet will feature a live auction with items ranging from sports memorabilia and amazing vacation packages among other items. Tickets for this event start at $75.00.

This year's honorees are

Dragon Slayer for best activist/organizer of past two years: Concerned Citizens of Prescott

Lifetime Achievement Award: Rosemary Brown Britton

Civil Rights: Arkansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty

Economic Justice: Arkansans for fair Landlord Tenant Laws

Education Reform: Alyce Love

Environment: Scharmel Roussel

Election Reform: Arkansas ACLU

Local organizing award: Concerned Citizens of Monticello

2 new categories!

Youth Leader: Maria Meneses

Business Partner: Root Café

Here is the link to purchase tickets: https://arpanel.networkforgood.com/events/6460-2018-dragon-slayer-dinner

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Arkansas Environmental Policy Summit
Oct
27
9:00 AM09:00

Arkansas Environmental Policy Summit

Join us for our 2nd Annual Environmental Summit! 

The Environmental Summit will provide attendees with the opportunity to hear from leading experts on the current state of environmental issues. Attendees will learn how recent policy changes will affect our environment, our economy, the lives of Arkansans and what actions they can take to protect and improve our environment.

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Pine Bluff
Sep
28
5:30 PM17:30

Pine Bluff

Join us in Pine Bluff for an opportunity to learn more about the Panel and nd out how you can get involved!

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Environmental House Party
Sep
24
3:00 PM15:00

Environmental House Party

Join us in Fayetteville for an opportunity to learn more about our environmental work and find out how you can get involved!

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Get to The Root at The Root
Apr
11
5:30 PM17:30

Get to The Root at The Root

The Arkansas Public Policy Panel and the Root Cafe are partnering for#ToTheRoot, an event to engage young people, bring awareness to social justice issues, and encourage them to join the fight. 

Senator Joyce Elliott and Public Education Advocate Susana O’Daniel, will recap the legislative session and share ways you can join us to make a difference! The Arkansas Public Policy Panel and other organizations working to improve the Natural State will provide information about their groups and how to get involved.

The event will be held on Tuesday, April 11th at the Root Café, 1500 Main St, Little Rock, AR 72202, beginning at 5:30. The Root Café is providing food and Loblolly Creamery will provide ice cream.

This will be an opportunity to meet other young adults who are concerned about what is happening in our state and our city. People will have the opportunity to learn about issues, the various organizations addressing those issues, and how they can get involved.

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ArkansasGives Phone-a-thon
Apr
6
8:00 AM08:00

ArkansasGives Phone-a-thon

We need you to volunteer! On April 6 we will host a text and a phone-a-thon at the Panel office to reach as many people as possible with the goal of raising $20,000! 

We will be at the Panel from 8 am - 8 pm, calling and texting to remind people to donate. Of course, we do not expect you to be at the Panel for 12 hours, but any time you can contribute will be extremely helpful.

If you can't make it, please GIVE HERE between 8 am & 8 pm

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The Panel's Annual Holiday Party
Dec
3
4:00 PM16:00

The Panel's Annual Holiday Party

Join us for our Annual Holiday Party
It starts at 4:00, but it’s okay if you’re tardy!
A short program at 5:00, and we’ll be done by 7,
So you can be tucked into bed by 11!

Win a prize for the best homemade dish,
Just make sure you de-bone the fish!
Bring a dessert for everyone to share,
Like a pie, a tart, or a chocolate eclair!

RSVP HERE 
And if you have a question, 
Call Cassie at 501-376-7913 ext. 11

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2016 Arkansas Opportunity to Learn Summit
Oct
28
to Oct 29

2016 Arkansas Opportunity to Learn Summit

  • Saint Mark Baptist Church (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Please join us October 28 & 29 for the 2016 Arkansas Opportunity to Learn Summit. At the summit we will:

  • Build relationships and connect people across different groups to work together
  • Highlight the shared issues and solutions supported by our education campaigns, community leaders, educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders and broaden our base of support
  • Provide advocacy training that will help motivate and mobilize people around the critical issues coming up in the 2017 legislative session
  • Develop concrete actions/tools for participants to take back to their communities

The summit is open to the public. For more details, contact Ana Phakhin at ana@arpanel.org  

* PLEASE NOTE: Registration is free and covers all presentations, workshops, and meals at the summit location. Registration forms must be submitted by October 7, 2016 *

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Beth's Retirement Roast and Toast
Sep
9
4:30 PM16:30

Beth's Retirement Roast and Toast

Join us as we roast and toast the fundraiser with the most!

Beth Ardapple left her life as an organic farmer 20 years ago to join a fledgling non-profit with big dreams of expanding opportunity for Arkansans. Over the years she spearheaded the effort to raise money to fuel a sustainable grassroots movement. We hope you will join us for a celebration and fundraiser in her honor.

Help us thank Beth for all she has done!

Reception Friday, September 9, 2016

4:30 - 7:00

First Presbyterian Church

800 Scott Street

Little Rock, AR 72201

 

Please RSVP by filling out this form. For more information, call 501.376.7913 x 11 or email cassie@arpanel.org.

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 Boulevard Best Way to Beat Congestion on I-30, Smart Mobility presents modeling of 30Crossing Options
May
17
7:00 PM19:00

Boulevard Best Way to Beat Congestion on I-30, Smart Mobility presents modeling of 30Crossing Options

A study commissioned by a group of concerned citizens shows a boulevard is the best way to cut congestion on Interstate 30, while the highway department’s current proposal would actually increase congestion.

Norm Marshall, President of Smart Mobility, recently completed traffic modeling for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department's 12 lane freeway proposal and compared it to alternatives.

Marshall will present his findings at the City Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m., May 17th at City Hall. Marshall will present to the public the same day at 7:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 723 Center Street, Little Rock, AR. All citizens are invited to both meetings.

Tom Fennell, a local architect and member of Improve 30Crossing said, “I am gratified that Norm Marshall’s traffic modeling has confirmed that the best long term approach is a true boulevard from the river through the I-630 interchange. This approach is great for economic development, far less expensive, and better for reducing congestion.'"

Improve 30Crossing commissioned Marshall to analyze and report on AHTD’s planning methodology for the the project. The first part of the report was released in April, and found AHTD’s proposal will likely increase congestion, rather than reduce it.

City Director Kathy Webb said, “Mr. Marshall’s report calls our highway department’s methods into question, and I hope this new traffic modeling will inspire AHTD engineers to take a fresh look at the problems with their current proposal."  

Marshall helped found Smart Mobility, Inc. in 2001. Since its founding, Marshall has managed projects in Chicago, Austin, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Louisville and other regions.  Marshall has over three decades of experience with traffic modeling, evaluating government agencies’ transportation proposals, and with developing programs that address regional needs with a variety of transportation solutions.  (See smartmobility.com)

Improve 30Crossing is working in partnership with the Arkansas Public Policy Panel on an effort to develop sustainable alternatives to the proposed AHTD expansion of the I-30 freeway in downtown Little Rock. For more, join the “Improve 30Crossing” Facebook page.

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