Building a stronger nation through stronger communities
American Public Square offers a modern-day
“public square” experience
We create space for citizens to convene and engage together to tackle today’s most challenging and polarizing issues. Our goals as an organization are to improve the tone and quality of public discourse so that communities can find actional common ground on topics that often drive divides among citizens.
Our Values
Civility: We believe being civil to one another is paramount to our shared our American identity.
Facts: We believe facts are foundational to collaboration and we are committed to protecting the integrity of fact-based dialogue.
Honesty: We value honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Action: We believe in the individual and collective value of facing our nation’s biggest challenges.
Perspective: We value diverse and divergent perspectives, believing that solutions are created out of the deeper understanding of each other’s viewpoints.
650+
APS Members…and growing!
Past topics have covered a variety of current issues
Freedom of speech, reproductive rights, antisemitism, gun rights, race and identity politics, and more.
APS Signature events feature expert panelists
These panelists are well-positioned to educate participants on the complexities of the program topic. The APS Civility Toolkit is leveraged at all Signature programs and represents our commitment to civil, fact-based conversations.
Discussion groups that enable discussion
Participants have the opportunity to engage with each other, as well as notable guests—authors, thought leaders, community activists—who join to lead the conversation.
Community programs
Film screenings, civic workshops, dinner socials, town halls and more.
Civics Education Initiative
This expands APS’ mission into high local schools through a custom-developed curriculum that tackles three fundamental questions:
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- Can you agree to disagree better?
- How do you evaluate misinformation, disinformation and bias (including your own!)?
- Are you debating or deliberating
Founded to Make a Difference
American Public Square’s origin is really a story of one individual’s impact. Tired of the vitriol exhibited during a community wide disagreement about a coal plant, then city commissioner, Allan Katz, established The Village Square in Tallahassee, Florida, to host civil conversations about shared challenges. The Village Square continues in Tallahassee today.
After his time as U.S. Ambassador to Portugal, Katz returned to Kansas City and subsequently created American Public Square in the same spirit as the original Village Square, fueled particularly by the support of many dedicated, early supporters.
Now in its tenth season, American Public Square engages thousands nationwide through its virtual and in-person programming, making it a true testament to the impact one person can make when choosing to honor civility, facts and perspective.
Partner Organizations
The Bridge Alliance is a coalition of ~100 organizations working together to promote healthy self-governance in our democratic republic. Bridge Alliance members span ideological spectrums, but are unified to work efficiently, outside arbitrarily defined political lines. Learn more.
The KC Media Collective is a group of nonprofit and community-centered partners collaborating to make local news easily available, its coverage equitable and its operations sustainable. Learn more.