2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the Port Huron Statement written by Tom Hayden, the foundational document of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and a vision for a new kind of society based on participatory democracy. The anniversary came at a time of renewed interest in student-led democracy movements around the world, and an online context that was impossible to conceive when the original statement was written. In recognition of this historic document major conferences on the Port Huron Statement took place at UCLA, UCSB, NYU and elsewhere.
In connection with the NYU conference, graduate students in the Art Education program participated in a grassroots effort to connect the mission of the Students for a Democratic Society and the Port Huron Statement to the lives of New York City high school students through the lens of participatory democracy. Art Education students worked with high school students in New York City to explore ideas about participatory democracy using the Port Huron Statement as a source of inspiration.
