During a time of increasing polarization, The Steamboat Institute (SI) has been a leader bringing civilized discourse back to college campuses. By hosting robust debates among the most renowned experts in the country, their successful Campus Liberty Tour puts current topics like fiscal responsibility, national defense, the role of government and individual responsibility directly in front of college students. Their goal is to increase critical thinking and civics knowledge by showing attendees how to think, not what to think.
To get a better sense of their work, Philanthropy Roundtable recently interviewed Jennifer Schubert-Akin, chairman, CEO and co-founder of The Steamboat Institute to learn more about their impact.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What is the mission of The Steamboat Institute?
Schubert-Akin: Since its founding in 2008, The Steamboat Institute has established a proven-successful track record of inspiring Americans to greatness with high-caliber programs, events and substantive, civilized discourse in support of America’s founding principles. We are energized by the opportunities we have to restore critical thinking and civilized discourse on America’s college campuses.
SI’s programs equip rising young leaders, college students, everyday citizens and talented young journalists to educate and persuade others to defend American values. We inspire active involvement in the defense of liberty by offering programs that promote five core principles: limited taxation and fiscal responsibility, limited government, free market capitalism, individual rights and responsibility and a strong national defense.
Q: What was the impetus for The Steamboat Institute to create the Campus Liberty Tour and what makes it unique from other college speaker events?
Schubert-Akin: Steamboat Institute launched the Campus Liberty Tour in 2018 in response to a request from Bruce Benson, then president of the University of Colorado, to bring more diverse perspectives to the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder campus with compelling debates.
While many college speaker events feature just one side of an issue, SI’s Campus Liberty Tour debates bring high-profile speakers to engage in robust but civil debate on hot-button topics, reaching students on both the left and the right. We don’t just “preach to the choir” – our debates are specifically designed to attract students on both sides of the aisle.
Our very first debate in April 2018 on nationalism vs. globalism was held on the CU Boulder campus and featured the architect of the successful Brexit movement, Nigel Farage, and the former President of Mexico Vicente Fox. We had nearly 1,000 people attending in person, even though it was the same night as the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship!
An undergrad student at University of Texas at Austin who attended SI’s socialism vs. capitalism debate, featuring Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute and Bhaskar Sunkara, author of “The Socialist Manifesto,” said, “I came because I wanted to hear a new perspective, because I’ve always thought one way. … I loved hearing their back-and-forth commentary, because it taught me a lot about both sides. I definitely became more moderate from this debate.”
Another unique aspect of the Campus Liberty Tour debates is the pre- and post-debate audience polling, conducted via QR code, to measure how audience opinions have shifted. Audience members scan the QR codes with their phones, where they are taken to a poll that asks if they agree, disagree or are undecided on the debate resolution.
The nature of the polling ensures honest responses, free from peer pressure. The poll results are displayed on a large video screen and provide real-time feedback on how opinions have shifted, demonstrating the immediate impact of the debate. Typically, an average of 30% of attendees change their minds in favor of liberty-oriented positions after watching a CLT debate.
Q: How do you come up with the issues to discuss and select which campuses to host?
Schubert-Akin: Steamboat Institute has hosted debates on campuses across America, from Pepperdine on the West Coast to Cornell in the Northeast. The selection of campuses is based on demand from the universities, and that demand is growing!
To host a Campus Liberty Tour debate, the host university must meet certain criteria, including providing use of an appropriate venue seating at least 200 people, promoting the event to the campus community and hosting a “meet and greet” following the debate to allow students to meet and mingle with the speakers. The most important criteria, however, is having a strong partner on campus – such as a free market center, student group and/or professor – who is an effective advocate for bringing the debate to campus and ensuring a successful program.
Q: What speakers have you hosted and have any schools refused to host one of your events because of topic and/or speaker involved?
Schubert-Akin: Steamboat Institute has hosted dozens of debates over the past six years including:
- University of Maryland’s debate on whether the U.S. must rapidly eliminate greenhouse gas emissions with the undersecretary for Energy in President Obama’s Energy Department, Steven Koonin, Ph.D. and director of Harvard’s Center for the Environment, Daniel Schrag, Ph.D.
- CU Boulder’s debate on social justice and identity politics with Jason Riley of The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board and Democratic strategist and former head of the Democratic National Committee, Donna Brazile.
- University of Texas at Austin’s debate on free enterprise vs. government safety net programs with the host of “Making Money” on Fox Business Network Charles Payne and CNN political strategist, Bakari Sellers.
- Old Parkland Debate Chamber in Dallas debate on whether the risks of academic engagement with China outweigh the benefits to American universities with director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute and professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, Miles Yu, Ph.D. and professor of global economics at MIT, Yasheng Huang, Ph.D.
Our fall 2024 debate schedule will feature seven debates including new additions Harvard, Brown, New College of Florida and Virginia Military Institute (VMI). The VMI debate on October 3 will feature a debate between former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy on America’s role in the world and the extent to which the U.S. should be involved in global conflicts. This debate will be livestreamed on SI’s YouTube channel.
Because of the civilized nature of SI’s debates and the high caliber of experts we invite to participate, we are proud that we’ve never had a debate shouted down or canceled. SI prioritizes the building of strong relationships on each campus – with university leadership, free market centers, student groups and professors.
With these relationships, combined with our reputation for hosting quality programs, we have the support we need to withstand the demands of those who would rather not see any debate happen on campus. The Steamboat Institute is proud that we have been invited back to every campus where we have hosted a CLT debate!
Q: What is the greatest challenge or need the Campus Liberty Tour has right now?
Schubert-Akin: With a four-year grant from the Adolph Coors Foundation awarded in 2023, The Steamboat Institute has expanded the Campus Liberty Tour debate series from three to four debates per year to 12 debates in 2024. The challenge from the Coors Foundation to Steamboat Institute is to continue to develop new funding sources to maintain an annual program of 12-14 debates per year after their four-year grant is fulfilled, as well as to continue to develop creative media strategies to grow the online audiences for these quality programs.
SI is also seeking funding to assist our host universities with adopting a new for-credit course program called “Challenge Your Thinking – Challenge the Conversation.” This program is underway in the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland because of successful collaboration between SI and the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets. This three-credit course provides students with the opportunity to thoroughly research topics, speak persuasively and critically engage with different viewpoints through debate.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with our community?
Schubert-Akin: This fall The Steamboat Institute will welcome Hadley Heath Manning as executive vice president. This is an important step in SI’s forward-thinking succession planning. Hadley was previously senior vice president with Independent Women’s Forum and was the 2016 recipient of SI’s Tony Blankley Fellowship.
For questions about the Roundtable’s work related to civics education or to learn more about The Steamboat Institute, please contact Philanthropy Roundtable Portfolio Director Clarice Smith.
