Mayor Luke Ravenstahl will speak at Duke University in Durham, NC on Monday, March 16 as part of Connect2Politics (C2P) - an educational initiative sponsored by Duke's Hart Leadership Program. The Mayor will speak at a noon seminar titled, "The Life and Times of America's Youngest Mayor," in Sanford Institute Lecture Hall 03. The Mayor will also participate in an informal Connect2Politics Learning Community Dinner at 5:00 p.m. in Rubenstein Hall, Room 200.

"I'm honored to have been asked to participate in the Connect2Politics initiative," said Ravenstahl. "I think it's important that students see political engagement as more than a one day or one time happening, such as the election, and that's what C2P strives to do."

"We chose Mayor Ravenstahl because he represents one of the most prominent and accomplished members of a group of young leaders who are working through political channels to serve the public good," said David Gastwirth, assistant director, Hart Leadership Program. "The Mayor's relative youth puts him in a unique position to connect with undergraduate students who share a deep concern for social issues and a passion for leading change in local, national, and global communities."

During his visit, the Mayor is scheduled to meet with: Anna Blount, director, Hart Leadership Program; Fritz Mayer, associate professor of public policy studies and political science; Bruce Kuniholm, director, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy; Della McKinnon, social enterprise coordinator; and Mike Schoenfeld, vice president of public affairs. Mayor Ravenstahl will also have the option to tour the University campus.

The Connect2Politics program was launched to boost interest in politics and sustain political debate after the November 4, 2008 election. It is designed to expose Duke undergraduate students to the next generation of American leaders who are committed to forging social change through political channels.

Other speakers in the 2008-2009 program include: Harold Ford, Jr., chair, Democratic Leadership Council; Michael Steele, chair, Republican National Committee; Mayor Cory Booker, Newark, NJ; Andrew Gillum, city commissioner and founder, Young Elected Officials Network, Tallahassee, FL ; and New Jersey State Senators Jennifer Beck and Tom Kean, Jr.