ENACT logo
THE ABRAHAM FEINBERG EDUCATIONAL
NETWORK FOR ACTIVE CIVIC TRANSFORMATION

a national program based at Brandeis University
ENACT: The Abraham Feinberg Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation is a national, non-partisan program based at Brandeis University, engaging undergraduates at colleges and universities in state-level legislative change. Learn More
- ENACT Students & Alumni: search student work. Network with students and alumni. Click to Login
- ENACT Faculty Fellows: access ENACT teaching resources and student work.
- Public: access student work on bills from across the U.S., including op-eds, issue research and more.



Who we are & What you can do




What We Do

The ENACT: The Abraham Feinberg Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation is a national program engaging undergraduates at colleges and universities in state-level legislative change by learning to work with legislators, staffers, and community organizations to advance policy. It is becoming a major voice in addressing challenges to American democracy by engaging young people around the country in civic activism built on knowledge, cooperation, justice and integrity.



The ENACT Model

• Workshop: ENACT launched with a workshop at Brandeis University in May 2016. Under the leadership of the program’s academic director, ENACT Fellows shared ideas and worked on course development.
• Courses: In ENACT courses students learn about participating in the legislative and advocacy process at the state level, with a substantial hands-on component in which they engage directly in that process, as in the “Advocacy for Policy Change” course at Brandeis.
• Online Network: The ENACT Network is a national in-person and online network of students, faculty, activists and legislators. It is a strategic and information hub for state-level players that enables them to connect with counterparts throughout the country.



Public resources




Transformations Through Civic Engagement: A National Evaluation of the ENACT Course on Student Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behavior

  • Description:
    A National Evaluation of the ENACT Course on Student Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behavior. Students who enrolled in ENACT courses between January 2022-May 2023 were surveyed immediately following completion of their course (or as a final course activity). The survey asked about students’ attitudes, knowledge, and behavior around civic engagement, as well as their perceptions of the impact the ENACT course had on them. During this period, 32 ENACT courses ran with approximately 333 total students enrolled across courses. In total, 143 students (31%) from 16 schools (73%) completed the survey. Authored by Kaitie Chakoian, Ph.D. Candidate Social Policy: Economic & Racial Equity, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University and Melissa Stimell, JD, Professor of the Practice, Director ENACT, The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation Brandeis University.
  • State:
    Not state-specific
  • Institution:
    Brandeis University
  • Author:
    Kaitie Chakoian, Melissa Stimell
  • Topic(s)/Issue(s):
Download Resource

Transforming the Civic Engagement of Future Generations: A Pilot Evaluation of the Impact of the ENACT Course on Alumni Civic Engagement and Career Trajectories

  • Description:
    Key Findings • ENACT Alumni feel competent to participate politically and feel that their participation can have an impact on political outcomes. This political efficacy translates to heightened levels of civic engagement. • ENACT Alumni are more civically engaged than a national sample of U.S. residents. They vote in national, state, local, and primary elections at very high rates, as well as participate in various other forms of civic engagement such as attending public rallies and demonstrations and donating money to campaigns or causes that are important to them. • ENACT Alumni retain knowledge and skills from the Advocacy for Policy Change course. The knowledge of the political process they learned in the ENACT course allows them to continue to engage with it. They use the skills they learned through hands-on advocacy projects in their professional careers. • ENACT Alumni credit the course with impacting their professional journeys in various ways. Alumni have gone on to graduate school, and many have pursued law degrees. They note the impact of what they learned in the class, the networks they developed, and the mentorship of ENACT faculty.
  • State:
    MA
  • Institution:
    Brandeis University
  • Author:
    Kaitie Chakoian, Charlotte Powley, Melissa Stimell
  • Topic(s)/Issue(s):
Download Resource

Cover All Kids with Disabilities - Op-Ed

  • Description:
    An Op-Ed created by Jessica Tai regarding the Cover All Kids with Disabilities Bill
  • State:
    MA
  • Institution:
    Brandeis University
  • Author:
    Jessica Tai
  • Topic(s)/Issue(s):
    ,disability,healthcare,immigration,public health
Download Resource








Events




ENACT Alumni Networking Night

  • Description:
    ENACT students and alumni are invited to join the annual ENACT Alumni Networking Night from 8:00-9:00 PM Eastern. Get college, graduate school and career advice from accomplished ENACT alumni in a range of fields and make connections to help you in your next steps! Featured alumni panelists: – Myeisha Boyd, University of Hartford '17, New York University MPA '20 Assistant Vice President, Numisma Bank – Jonathan Goldman, Brandeis ‘19 Executive Director, Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice – Brenna Perlstein, Brandeis ‘24 Deputy Communications Director, Office of New York State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin – Vishni Samaraweera, Brandeis '23, Georgetown University MSc in Global Health '24. Associate, Policy & Advocacy at Malaria No More ENACT Student Delegate – Ravi Simon, Brandeis ‘15, Legislative Aide, Massachusetts State Representative Carmine Gentile (13th Middlesex District) Chair, Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee – Alaina Vermilya, Brandeis ‘24 Associate Teacher at Brooke Charter Schools ENACT Student Delegate Register to attend and receive the Zoom link here: https://forms.gle/YvUjWB9dj2Kdce46A
    https://enact-resources.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/ENACT Alumni Networking Night 2025.png
  • Date:

    Wed Apr 23 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

  • Start time:

    Wed Apr 23 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

  • End time:

    Wed Apr 23 2025 01:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

    • View Event

2025 ENACT Student Summit: Meet Other Students and Win $500

  • Description:
    ENACT is excited to announce the first-ever ENACT Student Summit, taking place on April 22nd, 2025 at 7:00pm-8:00 Eastern. The summit will bring together students from ENACT courses across the country for a virtual gathering to share insights and experiences from their civic engagement journeys. Students are invited to submit a video about their experience in an ENACT course, with the chance to win $500 prizes. Participants in the summit are also eligible for prizes. ENACT Faculty Fellows will receive an honorarium for review of videos submitted and summit participation. The deadline for video submissions is midnight on April 15, 2025. To submit a video or register to attend: https://www.brandeis.edu/enact/2025-student-summit/index.html
    https://enact-resources.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/present-defend-bruno-chen.jpg
  • Date:

    Tue Apr 22 2025 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

  • Start time:

    Tue Apr 22 2025 23:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

  • End time:

    Wed Apr 23 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

    • View Event

How We See Each Other: Perceptions Across the Political Divide

  • Description:
    There is a lot of attention to and focus on partisan divisions in America. Using survey data collected just before and after the 2024 election, we consider how these partisan divisions shape what people expect from others. Yanna Krupnikov is a Professor of Communication and Media at the University of Michigan. Her work focuses on attention to political news and political expression in the context of polarization. She is the co-author of books "Partisan Hostility and American Democracy" (2024), "The Other Divide" (2022), and "Independent Politics" (2016). This event is free and open to the public, and will take place in person at Brandeis University and via Zoom. Register here: https://brandeis.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fYVnh6DBSqC2eJcOFpOaKg
    https://enact-resources.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/How We See Each Other event flyer 1-23-25.png
  • Date:

    Thu Jan 23 2025 19:15:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

  • Start time:

    Thu Jan 23 2025 19:15:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

  • End time:

    Thu Jan 23 2025 20:45:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

    • View Event






Join Us




For Students

• Are you a student in an ENACT course? Contact your professor for the PIN you need to login, create a profile. You will then be able to access all resources, and upload your own work. Already have a profile? Login above to gain full access to the site.

• Are you an alum of an ENACT course? If you do not already have a profile, contact ENACT@brandeis.edu to request a pin. Include the year and school where you took the ENACT course.

For Professors

• Are you an ENACT Faculty Fellow? Login above to gain full access to the site.
• Are you interested in teaching an ENACT course? Contact ENACT@brandeis.edu

For Public

• Are you an interested member of the public? Search publicly available resources created by ENACT students from across the United States. You can browse, enter a keyword in the search box, or search using any or all of the categories below. For example, search by content type, issue area, state, and more.




Intro Videos

What is ENACT?

A Brief Tour of enactnetwork.org