WFAE has brought together some of Charlotte's leading thinkers for a two-part series of SouthBound Live on the future of the city.

SouthBound host Tommy Tomlinson will ask panelists about education, the environment, planning, immigration, the arts and other areas that have an impact on how Charlotte grows from here.

Join us at one or both sessions and bring your questions for the Q&A at the end of each discussion.

February 22:

Education. The environment. Immigration. These are three critical issues in Charlotte's future, and we'll discuss them with experts at WFAE's SouthBound Live event, called Charlotte Forward, on Feb. 22. Tomlinson will lead the panelists in a discussion of how their worlds intersect and what Charlotte needs for a brighter future.

Panelists:

• Sil Ganzó, executive director of OurBridge for Kids, a nonprofit that provides after-school and summer programs to immigrant children
• Crystal Hill, superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
• John Searby, executive director of the Catawba Riverkeeper and executive director of Stowe Botanical Gardens

March 28:

Planning. Land use. The arts. We'll talk about how those areas impact our city's future at Charlotte Forward, a SouthBound Live event on March 28. Host Tommy Tomlinson will guide a discussion of how our panelists' work intersects and what they see as the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Panelists:

• Charis Blackmon, executive director of the West Side Community Land Trust
• Alyson Craig, director of Charlotte's Planning, Design and Development, and one of the architects of the 2040 Plan
• Monique Douglas, executive director of the Brooklyn Collective, an arts organization dedicated to accelerating inclusivity and economic mobility.