What if we had more inspiring energizing meaningful creative connected collaborative beautiful ways to explore the issues shaping our world?
The Plenary, Co. is a civic arts and sciences nonprofit creating a culture where collective knowledge and public imagination can thrive. We build tools to pursue more informed, vibrant, and sustainable futures for people and the planet.
NEWS & UPDATES
OUR PROGRAMS
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Art for Inquiry & Impact
Supporting the arts
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Science & Tech in Society
Supporting STEM engagement
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Civic Identity & Democracy
Supporting civic engagement
What we do
We’re unlocking collective knowledge, civic imagination & community agency in pursuit of human and planetary flourishing.
The Plenary, Co. is a civic arts and sciences nonprofit shifting how the public explores civically-critical ideas so that we can build better futures together.
Our current systems prioritize data over design, politics over people, and the present over future possibilities. To unleash humanity’s capacity for collective flourishing, we need to collaboratively cultivate a culture of imagination and pragmatic pathways towards sustainable and equitable horizons.
As a think tank and changemaker collective, we conduct deep research and analysis and translates multidisciplinary insights into usable frameworks for cultivating openness and designing for change.
We create immersive, creative spaces to catalyze public exploration of worldshaping ideas through gathering, art and music, conversation, and storytelling.
We are a live and virtual civic social group that creates interactive experiences, transforming how communities engage with worldshaping ideas.
⬤ I Am A Scientist →
We inspire the next generation of knowledge keepers and seekers through science, art, and play.
EXPLORATION
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COMMUNITY
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LEARNING
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OPENNESS
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IMAGINATION
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CO-CREATION
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PROBLEM-SOLVING
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CURIOSITY
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EXPLORATION • COMMUNITY • LEARNING • OPENNESS • IMAGINATION • CO-CREATION • PROBLEM-SOLVING • CURIOSITY •
Issues we tackle
We focus on issues that are insight-driven, meaning they aren’t just a matter of values or opinions. They are also perennial, meaning they keep coming back, even if they’ve faded from the headlines!
science reflects the biases of society.
it’s not a new thing for words to change their meaning. “bully” used to mean “Sweetheart”.
the people most hurt by environmental damage often had little to do with causing it.
it’s shockingly easy to think you remember things that never happened.
curiosity is cuter than confidence.
you are more likely to believe something because of who you know than what you know.
We believe in the power of real world connection.
Both online and in-person, our goal is to use the real world, community, and connection to support our mission.
We adopt a collaborative approach to experience design, engaging various contributors. Experiences may be team-generated, where the design is led by The Plenary, Co. team; community-generated, where ideas from participants or organizations are developed within The Plenary, Co. model; or partner-generated, where partnering artists or organizations lead the design, which is then integrated into The Plenary, Co. framework.
We ensure transmedia access by offering both a digital repository for global access to experiences and physical offerings that are hosted and created in the real world.
It’s all about collaboration.
The term “plenary” refers to gatherings where everyone comes together. At The Plenary, we invite experts and collaborators from across arts, sciences, and communities to help shape our initiatives.
2O23
Our 2023 Annual Report is live!
See what we accomplished, what we’re grateful for, and where we’re headed next.
Our featured supporters & partners:
Our generous funders, sponsors, and partners make it possible for us to keep going and growing.
