A few months ago, I saw that Join or Die was being shown at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in my hometown of Petoskey. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to recognize just how powerful community truly is — and how easy it is to take it for granted. I’ve spent my career helping communities come together around education and opportunity, but I realized I needed to be more civically engaged right in my own backyard.
The event was deeply emotional for me. After the film, the lobby filled with tables hosted by local clubs and organizations — from the League of Women Voters to Rotary, from LGBTQ+ support groups to environmental and creative collectives. These were people in my own community who were joining — people who were showing up for each other and building the social fabric that makes democracy thrive.
That experience reminded me that this work — the work of joining, listening, and belonging — isn’t just something we encourage others to do. It’s something we must live ourselves. And I wanted to share that message with my friends, family, and colleagues across the Ford NGL network, because it’s at the heart of what we do every day.
Join or Die: Rebuilding the Bonds That Hold Our Democracy Together
There’s a quiet crisis unfolding in our communities – one that Robert Putnam warned us about more than two decades ago in Bowling Alone. He told us that while Americans were still bowling, we were doing it alone. The leagues, the clubs, the civic organizations — all the little places where people used to meet, share ideas, and care for one another — were fading. And with them, something essential to democracy was slipping away.
The documentary Join or Die brings that message to life. It’s not about nostalgia for simpler times; it’s a wake-up call. Democracy isn’t a spectator sport, it’s something we practice. And we practice it by joining: by showing up, connecting, listening, and learning from one another, even when we disagree.
The Power of the Club
Clubs, whether a bowling league, a book group, a robotics team, or a community transformation coalition — are far more than social gatherings. They are small engines of democracy. Inside a club, people find belonging. They learn to cooperate, to lead, and, most importantly, to listen.
When we spend time together, when we share a common purpose, we begin to understand that our differences are not barriers — they’re strengths. The love of the club, the pride of being part of something larger than ourselves, creates trust and it is the kind of trust that makes it possible to hear someone else’s story and maybe even change our own minds. That trust, that web of relationships, is what Putnam calls social capital, which is what we want for our students. It is the invisible currency that fuels strong communities and healthy democracies.
Social Capital: The Fabric of Democracy
Social capital isn’t built in isolation; it’s built in connection. It grows every time a teacher partners with a local business to design a real-world learning project, or when a student shadows a mentor and discovers a career path or a sense of purpose they never knew existed.
In Join or Die, Putnam and the film’s storytellers show us that societies rich in social capital are more resilient, compassionate, and fair. People with strong social networks are healthier, happier, and more civically engaged. Communities with high social capital have lower crime, better schools, and stronger economies. Most importantly, they have citizens who show up to vote, to volunteer, to care.
That’s why rebuilding social capital isn’t just about nostalgia for community picnics or bowling leagues. It’s about saving democracy itself.
Joining for a Purpose: The Ford NGL Model
This is where the Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) model comes in. Across the country, communities and school districts are coming together and joining forces to transform education through career-themed academies.
These academies are more than pathways to jobs; they are pathways to connection. They invite students, teachers, business leaders, and community members into shared purpose and partnership. They are modern “clubs” in every sense of the word and spaces where people build social capital by collaborating, problem-solving, and creating something meaningful together.
When a community “joins” with its district through Ford NGL, it’s doing more than reshaping schools. It’s renewing its civic spirit. It’s reminding young people that they belong to something bigger — that their voices matter, and that their community is invested in their future.
Why You Should Watch Join or Die — Together
This film is meant to be experienced in community. Watching Join or Die alone is powerful; watching it together is transformative. When groups of educators, business partners, and community members gather to see it, something shifts. The film sparks conversation about what it means to belong, to connect, and to rebuild trust. It reminds us that our work in education isn’t just about students — it’s about democracy, about nurturing citizens who understand the power of joining.
Imagine hosting a community screening where everyone — from students to city leaders — reflects on what “joining” could look like in your district. The dialogue that follows might just be the spark that strengthens the relationships and shared purpose your academy partnerships are built on. As we all know, transformation doesn’t begin with a plan, it often starts with a conversation.
Why Joining Still Matters
At a time when isolation and polarization threaten to divide us, the message of Join or Die feels urgent. Joining, and I mean, truly joining, is an act of hope. It’s how we learn to listen, how we build trust, and how we rediscover our shared humanity.
Every Ford NGL community that engages in this transformation is practicing democracy in action. It’s saying: We are stronger together. We can learn from each other. We can create something better for our students, and for all of us.
When we join in a club, a classroom, or a community, we build the social capital that sustains democracy. And in doing so, we ensure that our young people not only inherit a better world, they learn how to shape one.
Join or Die — or Join and Thrive
The title of the film may sound stark, but its message is full of hope. We face a choice: continue down the path of disconnection, or rebuild the habits of belonging that sustain our democracy.
In communities embracing the Ford NGL model, we see the answer emerging — not through speeches or slogans, but through action. People are joining. Listening. Building. Together.
And in that act of joining, we find not only the key to educational transformation, but to the renewal of democracy itself.
Call to Action: Watch, Reflect, and Join Together
Host a Join or Die community screening with your colleagues, partners, and local leaders. Use it as a springboard to talk about what social capital means in your district — and how your community can strengthen it through career academies, collaboration, and shared vision.We’d love to hear your stories of connection and transformation — or even join you for your event!
Please contact your Ford NGL coach or reach out to Ford NGL President, Cheryl Carrier, at [email protected].
You can also tag us on social media @FordNGL so we can celebrate and share your story of joining — and thriving — together.
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