On February 25, 2003 Macalester held its inaugural event and launched Project Pericles. Harry C. Boyte, Co-director of the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota,  spoke to the Macalester Community on "Higher Education and the American Crisis:  The Possibilities of Civic Engagement."

The center for Democracy and Citizenship has focused on developing practice-based theory about how to engage citizens in public life. Boyte was a national coordinator for the New Citizenship, a bipartisan effort to bridge the citizen-government gap.  He also has been a senior advisor to the National Commission on Civic Renewal, headed by former Senator Sam Nunn and former U.S. Education Secretary William Bennett.

Boyte worked for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and is the author of seven books on community organizing, citizen action and citizenship including Building America:  The Democratic Promise of Public Work and Common Wealth:  A Return to Citizen Politics .  He also has written pieces for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor.

Harry Boyte's speech was aired on Twin Cites television station TPT Channel 17.

Project Pericles at Macalester seeks to develop a structure and culture which intentionally supports and promotes a civically engaged campus.