Action Civics: Developing the Next Generation of Civic Leaders

National Council for Social Studies Annual Conference • December 3, 2016

As you settle in, take some time to identify and recall the details of: •  Your experience with civics education as a student •  The most powerful civics education experience you’ve had (whether the same episode,

in-school, or beyond) and what you learned

We work to ensure that every student in the US receives an effective action civics education, which provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in our democracy as active citizens.

To fulfill our mission, we support classroom teachers in teaching an action-civics course in which teens solve problems they face in their own communities.

OUR MISSION

To fulfill our mission, we support classroom teachers in teaching an action civics course in which teens solve problems they face in their own communities.

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Agenda

INTRODUCTIONS

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CIVIC LEARNING

THE ACTION CIVICS APPROACH

RESOURCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

MAPPING IMPLEMENTATION

CLOSING

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Objectives By the end of this workshop, you will have: •  Explored the core tenants of

action civics •  Analyzed action civics project

examples and pedagogies •  Assessed your own community for

opportunities and barriers to implementation

WELCOME 4 Corners

“The most powerful

civics education experience I’ve had

was in a classroom.”

Civic Knowledge Civic Skills

Civic Motivation / Values / Dispositions

WHAT TYPE OF CITIZEN? Kahne and Westheimer (2004)

Personally Responsible Donates to a food bank Participatory Organizes a food drive Justice Oriented Asks why people are hungry

Experiential education movement: I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand. - Confucius

ACTION CIVICS Learn about the political process by engaging in the political process.

CORE ELEMENTS

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•  Trained college Democracy Coaches

•  Twice weekly lessons for one semester

•  Local focus

•  Student-centered

•  Action-driven

•  Small group work

•  Community interaction

•  Civics Day

FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION: THE ADVOCACY HOURGLASS

Focus Issue

Community Issues

Root Cause

Goal

Targets

Tactics

The school district / city doesn’t provide any transportation home for students in the afterschool program"

Neighborhood safety, homelessness, jobs, smoking!

Students who stay late after school miss the normal school bus and don’t feel safe getting home"

Advocate for funding to provide immediate safety measures for students in the afterschool program, and secure long-term funding for an afterschool bus"

Student survey, community petition, coalition meeting, lobbying for city and school district funding"

Superintendent, City Council, Executive Director of the Walking School Bus Program, parents, teachers, students"

FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION: THE ADVOCACY HOURGLASS

Focus Issue

Community Issues

Root Cause

Goal

Targets

Tactics

Read the article about a class action civics project. •  What civic knowledge, civic skills, or

civic values might students be developing throughout this process?

•  What specific points in this process strike you as the ripest opportunities for student learning?