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SPECIAL FOCUS SECTION:
NEW BOOK: The Future of Democracy: Developing the Next Generation of American Citizens

Advocacy Statements Supporting Civic Education
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National Association for Civic Educators aboutjoincontact
NACE was launched in 2000 and now has more than 200 group and individual members committed to advancing civic knowledge and engagement. NACE believes the time has come to band together to ensure that the next generation of citizens understands and values democracy and participates in the ongoing work of building democracy in America.

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Join NACE Today

Be part of an alliance that combines the energy of diverse groups and individuals in a coordinated effort to help citizens across the country better understand the significance of effective civic education for a well-functioning democracy. By joining forces we can help give civic education its rightful place of honor in our national life.

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NACE Steering Committee Find out more ->

NACE Task Forces

Liasion To Group Members: Susan Griffin (Chair);
Public Support and Advocacy: Ed O'Brien (Chair); Research and Outcomes Evaluation: Judith Torney-Purta (Chair) Find out more ->

Fellowships and Grants Find out more ->

Special Focus Section (past issues):
- School Climate and Citizenship Education Assessment
- The 1999 IEA Civic Education Study
- The Civic Mission of Schools Report
- 12th Grade NAEP Civics Assessment Threatened with Termination

 

     


What's New in Civic Education and Youth Civic Engagement Work ....

(To see previous What's New announcements go to: Archives)

    May 5, 2010

    The Public Education Network's Online Weekly NewsBlast announces the following:

    Through the @15 Community Grants Program, Best Buy teams across the United States select non-profit organizations that provide positive experiences to help teens excel in school, engage in their communities, and develop leadership skills. Special consideration will be given to programs that serve a diverse population in local or regional communities; build social, academic, leadership, and/or life skills in early adolescents (primarily ages 13-18); show positive results against a demonstrated community need; and reach at-risk children in working families.

    Maximum award: $10,000.

    Eligibility: organizations that have current 501(c)(3) tax status and are serving a diverse population of young teens in the areas of learning, life skills, leadership, or relationship development.

    Deadline: applications accepted June 1-July 1, 2010

    April 30, 2010

    New CIRCLE Fact Sheet: Civic Skills and Federal Policy

    CIRCLE has released a new fact sheet entitled "Civic Skills and Federal Policy." The fact sheet notes that citizens can improve their communities, the government, and the nation through active civic engagement and collaboration. To do so requires skills. Educational programs and other government-supported initiatives have been shown to enhance Americans' civic skills and their levels of engagement. But these programs and other opportunities are scarce and unequal, often provided to people who are already the most likely to be engaged. A lack of civic learning opportunities not only inhibits Americans' civic participation, but also has harmful consequences for their academic and economic progress.

    For more go to: http://www.civicyouth.org/FactSheets/FS_10_Civic_Skills.pdf

    For the CIRCLE website go to: http://www.civicyouth.org/

    April 28, 2010

    Reminder: The Center for Service-Learning at Western Carolina University announces the Annual Symposium on Service Learning & Civic Engagement

    "Pursuing an Engagement Agenda: Pathways and Perspectives "

    Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010/9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

    Location: A. K. Hinds University Center, Western Carolina University

    Deadlines:
    * Early-bird Registration Deadline: April 23

    For more information go to: http://www.wcu.edu/9818.asp or contact Glenn Bowen, Ph.D. at gbowen@email.wcu.edu


    April 20, 2010

    The Public Education Network's Online Weekly NewsBlast announces the following:

    The Earth Island Institute Brower Youth Award recognizes young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy.

    Maximum award: $3,000; a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend the awards ceremony on October 19, 2010; participation in a week of speaking engagements, trainings, and environmental conferences leading up to the ceremony.

    Eligibility: North American youth ages 13-22.

    Deadline: May 15, 2010.

    For more information go to: http://www.broweryouthawards.org/article.php?list=type&type=12

    April 13, 2010

    The Public Education Network's Online Weekly NewsBlast announces the following:

    The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program selects high-achieving youth in the Unites States with financial need and provides them, throughout their high school years, with individualized educational services that enable them to develop their talents and abilities. Award: funding and support services. Eligibility: students entering the eighth grade in the fall of 2010 and planning to enter a U.S. high school, who also demonstrate financial need. Deadline: April 26, 2010.

    For more information, go to: http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships/young-scholars-program/

    April 8, 2010

    Reminder: Entertainment Software Association: Grants for Youth Programs

    The ESA Foundation is dedicated to supporting geographically diverse projects and programs that benefit American youth of all races and denominations to make a difference in the quality of their life, health, and welfare. The foundation seeks to harness the collective power of the interactive entertainment industry to create positive social impact in our communities. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations with programs that serve youths ages 7-18.

    Deadline: April 15, 2010.

    For more information go to: http://www.theesa.com/foundation/application.asp

    April 5, 2010

    Call for Participation in Congress in the Classroom 2010

    Deadline: April 15, 2010

    Congress in the Classroom is designed for high school or middle school teachers who teach U.S. history, government, civics, political science, or social studies. Forty teachers will be selected to take part in the program. All online applications must be received by no later than April 15, 2010. We will notify individuals of our decisions by April 30, 2010.

    Although the workshop will feature a variety of sessions, the 2010 program will feature a broad overview of Congress with special attention to the mid-year elections of 2010. The workshop consists of two types of sessions: those that focus on recent research and scholarship about Congress (and don't always have an immediate application in the classroom) and those geared to specific ways to teach students about the federal legislature.

    The 2010 workshop will be held Monday, July 26 - Thursday, July 29, at Embassy Suites, East Peoria, Illinois.

    The program is certified by the Illinois State Board of Education for up to 22 Continuing Education Units. The program also is endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies.

    Participants are responsible for (1) a non-refundable $125 registration fee (required to confirm acceptance after notice of selection) and (2) transportation to and from Peoria, Illinois. Many school districts will pay all or a portion of these costs.

    The Center pays for three nights lodging at the headquarters hotel (providing a single room for each participant), workshop materials, local transportation, all but three meals, and presenter honoraria and expenses. The Center spends between $30,000 and $35,000 to host the program each year.

    To register for the Congress in the Classroom 2010 workshop go to: http://www.dirksencenter.org/programs_CiCapplication.htm

    March 26, 2010

    The Public Education Network's online Weekly NewsBlast announces the following:

    On March 12, the Texas Board of Education put forward a series of changes to the state's history and social sciences curricula whose "overall effect, if the changes are approved in May, will to be to yank public education to the right," writes The Economist. Salient among these is that Thomas Jefferson, in the words of the magazine, has "gotten the boot," since he is "suspiciously secular." Milton Friedman and Friedrich von Hayek will join Adam Smith, John Maynard Keynes, and Karl Marx in the annals of economics, and the politically unpopular terms "capitalism" and "free market" will be replaced with "free enterprise" -- which The Economist finds "inexplicable." The proposed changes have elicited national concern, since Texas is one of the country's largest textbook markets and therefore accommodated by scholastic publishers. It is quite clear, says The Economist, how the proposed edits came about. Over the years, Republicans have worked to "stack the deck" with social conservatives. School board elections are small-money races -- "a clever bit of political strategy, and Democrats could do it too if they put their mind to it." In the meantime, even some Texas Republicans are growing weary of the board's antics, with several of the farthest-right members ousted in favor of less-far-right conservatives.

    For more go to: http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15710558&source=hptextfeature

    Related: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gPQ3ktQNqImWyQ23yXKoCFXWrN1QD9EDD4EO0

    March 22, 2010

    The Future of Community Engagement in Higher Education: A Summer Research Institute for Departments and Academic Programs with Minors and Majors in Community Engagement

    Date and location: June 25-27, 2010 to be held on the Boston University campus (sponsored by Merrimack College's School of Education and Boston University's Center for Character and Social Responsibility)

    You are invited to join faculty, administrators, staff, students, and community partners involved with institutions that offer formal academic programs - majors and minors - focused on community engagement, broadly defined. Those planning to develop a major or minor in community engagement are also welcome. This is a unique opportunity to learn with, and from, campuses that have institutionalized community engagement through the creation of a major or minor. The institute will foster exchange of experiences, practices, and philosophical/theoretical perspectives, as well as the development of research to strengthen practice. Space is very limited (to 50 or so participants) in order to foster discussion.

    Goals of the Research Institute
    - Develop a set of resources for individuals (faculty and administrators) engaged in developing, strengthening, and/or expanding majors or minors in community engagement

    - Foster networking and sharing of best practices, funding opportunities, and collaboration across already existing and developing majors or minors in community engagement

    - Initiate a set of research projects - much of which would be driven by the participants' needs and interests - on the state of the field of practice and theory within majors or minors in community engagement. To this end, we anticipate securing grant and foundation funding for future conferences and research, submitting proposals to complementary conferences (e.g., AERA, ASHE, AAC&U, IARSLCE) to report-out our work, and collaborating on proposals for edited books, guest-edited journals, and other opportunities for disseminating our research.

    Agenda
    While we will have several prominent keynote speakers and panel discussions, the most important part of this research institute is the discussion. Your perspectives. Your programs. Your needs. Your research. Why did you structure your program in the way that you did? What constitutes success? How do you measure outcomes? How would you have done things differently? What knowledge do you want to pass along to developing programs? What do you want to know most from successful programs? We will send a web-based survey to all participants to query your interests such that the institute is productive and actionable.

    For more information go to: http://www.merrimack.edu/communityengagement

    March 19, 2010

    CIRCLE announces the following: Spiral of Rebellion: Conflict Seeking of Democratic Adolescents in Republican Counties

    A study of adolescents living in red and blue counties during the 2006 midterm elections shows a striking pattern of Democratic youth thriving in political expression and debate when exposed to Republican ideological climates. Democratic adolescents were more likely to talk with parents and friends about politics, disagree openly, test opinions, and listen to opponents if they lived in Republican counties compared with Democratic youth living in liberal or balanced counties. Compared to Republican youth residing in the same communities, Democratic youth in Republican counties were also more likely to engage in political discussion, to pay attention to news media, and to express confidence in their ability to comprehend campaign issues. The frequency of disagreeing in conversations predicted support for liberal activism. Disagreeing was a particularly strong predictor of supporting liberal activism for youth living in red counties. The research in summarized in CIRCLE Working Paper #68 "Spiral of Rebellion: Conflict Seeking of Democratic Adolescents in Republican Counties." To download the working paper, click here http://www.civicyouth.org/?p=363

    March 16, 2010

    The Forum for Youth Investment's "Ready by 21" presented at National Conference on Education

    From February 11-13, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) held their National Conference on Education, which brought together two thousand school administrators from across the country. Dan Domenech, Executive Director of AASA, and Quintin Shepherd, Ready by 21 Peer Workgroup Field Superintendent who presented for Karen Pittman (stuck in DC by the snowstorm), provided a rousing and informative Thought Leaders session. In addition to the Thought Leaders session, conference attendees learned more about the Ready by 21 Partnership and several national partners through exhibit booths, including representation by Corporate Voices for Working Families, nFocus Software and Gallup.

    For more information go to: http://forumfyi.org/content/ready-21-presented-national-conference-education

    March 11, 2010

    Reminder: Join thousands of attendees from around the world at the National Service-Learning Conference in San Jose, Calif., March 24-27, 2010. Don't miss this amazing event! The regular registration deadline for the National Service-Learning Conference is quickly approaching.

    For more information go to: http://www.nylc.org/newsletter_as_webpage.cfm?opt_message=9087&opt_in_sent_id=588949

    March 9, 2010

    The Public Education Nework's (PEN) online weekly NewsBlast announces the following:

    Entertainment Software Association: Grants for Youth Programs

    The ESA Foundation is dedicated to supporting geographically diverse projects and programs that benefit American youth of all races and denominations to make a difference in the quality of their life, health, and welfare. The foundation seeks to harness the collective power of the interactive entertainment industry to create positive social impact in our communities.

    Maximum award: varies.

    Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations with programs that serve youths ages 7-18.

    Deadline: April 15, 2010.

    For more, go to: http://www.theesa.com/foundation/application.asp

    March 4, 2010

    The Center for Service-Learning at Western Carolina University announces their 6th Annual Symposium on Service Learning & Civic Engagement

    "Pursuing an Engagement Agenda: Pathways and Perspectives "

    Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010/9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

    Location: A. K. Hinds University Center, Western Carolina University

    Deadlines:
    * Proposal Submission Deadline: April 5
    * Early-bird Registration Deadline: April 23

    For more information go to: http://www.wcu.edu/9818.asp or contact Glenn Bowen, Ph.D. at gbowen@email.wcu.edu

    February 24, 2010

    CIRCLE announces the following:

    Spiral of Rebellion: Conflict Seeking of Democratic Adolescents in Republican Counties

    A study of adolescents living in red and blue counties during the 2006 midterm elections shows a striking pattern of Democratic youth thriving in political expression and debate when exposed to Republican ideological climates. Democratic adolescents were more likely to talk with parents and friends about politics, disagree openly, test opinions, and listen to opponents if they lived in Republican counties compared with Democratic youth living in liberal or balanced counties. Compared to Republican youth residing in the same communities, Democratic youth in Republican counties were also more likely to engage in political discussion, to pay attention to news media, and to express confidence in their ability to comprehend campaign issues. The frequency of disagreeing in conversations predicted support for liberal activism. Disagreeing was a particularly strong predictor of supporting liberal activism for youth living in red counties. The research in summarized in CIRCLE Working Paper #68 "Spiral of Rebellion: Conflict Seeking of Democratic Adolescents in Republican Counties." To download the working paper, click here http://www.civicyouth.org/?p=363

    February 16, 2010

    From the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service at North Carolina State University

    The Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service seeks a full-time EPA Assistant Director to help design, implement, and evaluate programs that provide unique learning experiences that embody the value of leadership, service, responsible citizenship and ethics. We are a team committed to the idea that when we work together, anything is possible. It is this belief that guides our work with student leaders and our faculty and community partners locally and around the world as we work to educate the next generation of socially responsible leaders who are committed to making change within their communities. To learn more about our work, check out: http://www.ncsu.edu/csleps/media/index.php

    February 10, 2010

    CIRCLE announces the following:

    Volunteering Eases Return to Civilian Life for Young Veterans

    Recent veterans who have volunteered since returning to the United States show a better adjustment to civilian life than their fellow returned servicemen and women who have not volunteered, according to a new CIRCLE fact sheet entitled "Volunteering and Civic Engagement among Recent Veterans." The research shows that volunteering helps bolster ties to the community and eases the transition back to civilian life. Serving in the military may have given a large portion of veterans the opportunity, motivation, and skills to participate more actively in their communities upon their return. For instance, 39 percent of veterans who have volunteered since their return from OIF/OEF were not regular volunteers before serving in the military. The survey draws on information on veteran volunteering trends from Civic Enterprises' survey of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans, the Census 2008 Current Population Survey Volunteering Supplement and the 2009 Civic Health Index. To learn more about this research, visit http://www.civicyouth.org/?p=364

    February 4, 2010

    Reminder: The Sprint Foundation offers grants to school districts and individual schools in support of resources that facilitate and encourage character education among K-12 students through programs that promote and/or address youth leadership, youth volunteerism, a positive school culture, and drop-out prevention.

    Maximum award: $5,000 for individual schools, $25,000 for school districts.

    Eligibility: all U.S. public schools (K-12) and U.S. public school districts.

    Deadline: February 5, 2010.
    http://www.sprint.com/responsibility/education/character/index.html?id8=vanity:educationgrants

    February 2, 2010

    The Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University will be holding a conference entitled "Civic Education and the Future of American Citizenship," on February 3 and 4, 2010, at CNU's campus in Newport News, Virginia. All lectures are free and open to the public.

    Speakers include poet and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Dana Gioia; New York Times bestselling author of Cultural Literacy, E.D. Hirsch; and Mark Bauerlein, author of The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.

    For more information go to: http://cas.cnu.edu/2010conference.html

    January 28, 2010

    Grants: Congressional Research Awareds

    Deadline: All proposals must be received no later than February 1, 2010.

    The Dirksen Congressional Center invites applications for grants to fund research on congressional leadership and the U.S. Congress. A total of up to $35,000 will be available in 2010. Awards range from a few hundred dollars to $3,500.

    The competition is open to individuals with a serious interest in studying Congress. Political scientists, historians, biographers, scholars of public administration or American studies, and journalists are among those eligible. The Center encourages graduate students who have successfully defended their dissertation prospectus to apply and awards a significant portion of the funds for dissertation research. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who reside in the United States.

    The awards program does not fund undergraduate or pre-Ph.D. study. Organizations are not eligible. Research teams of two or more individuals are eligible. No institutional overhead or indirect costs may be claimed against a Congressional Research Award.

    There is no standard application form. Applicants are responsible for showing the relationship between their work and the awards program guidelines. Applications are accepted at any time. Applications which exceed the page limit and incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the screening committee for consideration.

    All application materials must be received on or before February 1, 2010. Awards will be announced in March 2010.

    Complete information about eligibility and application procedures may be found at The Center's Web site: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_grants_CRAs.htm. Frank Mackaman is the program officer - mailto:fmackaman@dirksencenter.org.

    January 26, 2010

    Reminder: 2010 Student Scholars' Institute

    Florida Campus Compact hosts an exciting student institute filled with interactive dialogue with policy makers, elected officials, dignitaries, and students from all over Florida. This is a unique opportunity for students to build new relationships and expand networks with other participants, while developing a civic voice, and reflecting on planned activities. Students will return to their communities with a renewed sense of purpose as an active citizen in our democracy. The Student Scholars' Institute will take place on January 31 - February 2, 2010 in Tallahassee, Florida at the Aloft Hotel.

    For more information go to: http://www.floridacompact.org/

    January 21, 2010

    The Public Education Network's Weekly Newsblast announces the following:

    Tides Foundation: Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest

    The Antonio Pizzigati Prize for Software in the Public Interest recognizes software developers whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the nonprofit sector and to ongoing efforts for positive social change.

    Maximum award: $10,000.

    Eligibility: individuals who have developed an open-source software product that has demonstrated impressive value to at least one nonprofit and has the potential to offer value to multiple nonprofit organizations.

    Deadline: February 1, 2010.

    For more go to: http://www.pizzigatiprize.org/

    January 19, 2010

    Disney's Friends for Change Grants encourage kids everywhere to work with their friends to help the planet. The Friends for Change Grants will fund kids' projects that help the environment and engage children ages five to 18 as leaders in their communities.

    Maximum award: $500.

    Eligibility: schools, organizations, and individuals planning service projects. To be eligible, projects will need to be done any time during 2010 and should include one service or celebratory component on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25, 2010.

    Deadline: January 29, 2010.

    For more go to: http://www.ysa.org/grants/announcements/friendsforchange

    January 13, 2010

    Reminder: The 2010 International Association for Research on Service-learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) Annual Conference will take place from October 28-31, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

    The featured theme is International Perspectives: Crossing Boundaries through Research. Service-learning is valued as an active learning strategy across the globe; however, little is known about the ways that service-learning is similar or different in varied contexts. Understanding service-learning and community engagement from diverse cultural perspectives will add insight necessary for comparative research and to improve practice.

    Proposals will be accepted beginning Monday, January 15, 2010. To be considered, all proposals must be received via electronic submission by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) Monday, March 22, 2010.

    For the complete call for proposals, visit: http://www.researchslce.org/_Documents/Conferences/2010_Conference/Call_for_Proposals.pdf

    For more information about IARSLCE and the conference, visit http://www.researchslce.org/

    December 23, 2009 - January 13, 2010

    Due to the holiday, nothing will be posted on "What's New. See you in 2010!

    December 22, 2009

    Youth Serve America: The Gladys Marinelli Coccia Awards
    The Gladys Marinelli Coccia Awards recognize young female social entrepreneurs whose initiatives serve the common good. The awards were created in memory of Gladys Coccia, who began her entrepreneurial career when she was a young girl in West Virginia and later became a successful businesswoman in Washington, D.C. Maximum award: $2,000, plus travel, lodging, and registration expenses to the National Service Learning Conference in San Jose, March 24-27, 2010.

    Eligibility: young women between the ages of 14 and 17 on January 1, 2010 who reside in the United States, have started their own social enterprise or organization, are supported by contributions of at least $1,000 (cash and/or in-kind), and have a business plan including an itemized budget.

    Deadline: January 15, 2010.

    For more information: http://ysa.org/grants/announcements/coccia-award

    December 17, 2009

    Florida Campus Compact will be moving to its new location the week of January 4, 2010. All office and fax telephone numbers will stay the same. Please be patient as we make this transition as we will have limited access to phone and email during this move.
    Florida Campus Compact, 1801 Miccosukee Commons Drive, Tallahassee, FL, 32308. Phone 850-488-7783; Fax 850-922-2928.

    December 15, 2009

    NYLC Co-Sponsors Statewide Graduation Summit

    "With Minnesota high schools experiencing increasing drop-out rates, NYLC, in conjunction with the Search Institute, Minnesota Alliance with Youth, State Farm®, and the Department of Education sponsored a two-day Minnesota Metro and Statewide Graduation Summit in St. Paul recently - one of the series of summits being held in every state this year.

    The goals of the summit were to bring together school teams of youth and educators with policy-makers so that participants could develop plans of action and take steps toward supportive legislation, armed with first-hand information.

    No longer a "silent epidemic," the dropout rate now means that more than a million students leave school before graduation each year, and one student drops out every 26 seconds across the country, according to America's Promise Founding Chairman General Colin Powell, whose perspectives were shared in a video shown at the event…." NYLC, December 2, 2009.

    To read the entire article, go to: http://www.nylc.org/pages-newsevents-news-NYLC_Co_Sponsors_Statewide_Graduation_Summit?oid=9067.

    December 10, 2009

    National Service-Learning Conference: Registration

    Be sure to join more than 2,500 of your peers at Inspire. Imagine. Innovate! the 21st Annual National Service-Learning Conference. NYLC staff and dozens of volunteers have planned four powerful general sessions, 200 featured and topical sessions, school visits, service-learning projects, and an exhibit hall featuring more than 100 booths, on-site projects and a service-learning showcase. Please join us in San Jose, Calif. for four days of best practices, research, and professional learning.

    For more go to: http://www.nylc.org/newsletter_as_webpage.cfm?opt_message=9022&opt_in_sent_id=558500

    December 8, 2009

    CIRCLE announces the following:

    PACE Releases Paper on Non-College-Bound Youth

    PACE is pleased to announce the release of its latest white paper, "An Inequitable Invitation to Citizenship: Non-College-Bound Youth and Civic Engagement." A pdf version of the white paper can be downloaded from here: http://www.pacefunders.org/non-college-bound-youth.html.

    Please check the PACE Web site for information on their upcoming webinar when the authors will discuss their research and findings.

    December 4, 2009

    The 2010 International Association for Research on Service-learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) Annual Conference will take place from October 28-31, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

    The featured theme is International Perspectives: Crossing Boundaries through Research. Service-learning is valued as an active learning strategy across the globe; however, little is known about the ways that service-learning is similar or different in varied contexts. Understanding service-learning and community engagement from diverse cultural perspectives will add insight necessary for comparative research and to improve practice.

    Proposals will be accepted beginning Monday, January 15, 2010. To be considered, all proposals must be received via electronic submission by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) Monday, March 22, 2010.

    For the complete call for proposals, visit: http://www.researchslce.org/_Documents/Conferences/2010_Conference/Call_for_Proposals.pdf

    For more information about IARSLCE and the conference, visit http://www.researchslce.org/

    December 2, 2009

    During The Dirksen Center's annual Congress in the Classroom(r) workshop - http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm - participants are asked to introduce the lesson plans, resources, and techniques that have proven successful in teaching about Congress in their classrooms. A 2009 participant, Erica Powell, Mt. Diablo High School, Concord, CA, presented a lesson entitled, "Congress: A Vocabulary Review."

    This activity is based on a game called "Shenanigans." The purpose of this lesson is to review students' knowledge of key concepts and terms related to Congress.

    Find "Congress: A Vocabulary Review" at: http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_congressvocabrev.htm

    November 23, 2009

    NYLC recently launched the Generator Go Green (G3) Initiative, a two-year program involving 21 middle schools nationwide committed to high-quality service-learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Supported by federal funding from Learn & Serve America, more than 4,400 students will develop projects designed to make their communities more environmentally sustainable.
    These G3 schools receive funding to support:
    - Providing high-quality service-learning opportunities for disadvantaged youth.
    - Improving academic achievement in STEM-related disciplines.
    - Increasing student interest in STEM careers.
    - Expanding student awareness of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency issues.
    - Developing partnerships with schools and local community organizations and businesses.

    NYLC's partners such as the Alliance to Save Energy, the National Middle School Association, and the American Association for School Administrators will provide STEM expertise and advisors on national middle school science and math standards. The Alliance to Save Energy, for example, will provide a school energy audit curriculum and training for middle school students so that they can conduct audits of their schools…"
    November, 5, 2009, NYLC.

    To read the entire article, go to: http://www.nylc.org/pages-newsevents-news-Schools_Named_in_National_Generator_Go_Green_Initiative?oid=9033

    November 18, 2009

    State Farm® is accepting nominations for the Service-Learning Champion Award. Nominate a community member who has passion for engaging youth in service-learning.

    - All entries must be postmarked no later than Dec. 1, 2009.

    For more go to: http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/topics/nom_slchamp.asp

    November 17, 2009

    Youth Service America is currently accepting applications for State Farm® Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants to support service-learning projects that culminate on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25, 2010. School and community educators across the United States and Canada (select provinces) can apply for up to $1,000 in funding for youth-led projects. State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grant applicants are encouraged to develop Semester of Service projects that launch on Martin Luther King Day of Service, January 18, 2010, and culminate on the weekend of GYSD, April 23-25, 2010.

    For the State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant application, please visit, http://www.YSA.org/grants

    November 16, 2009

    NYLC Offers Free Webinars to Support the Learn and Serve Challenge

    The National Youth Leadership Council and the National Service-Learning Partnership invite you to participate in a series of webinars highlighting quality service-learning practice.

    - Dec. 3 at 11:00 am CST, Self-Assessment and the GSN Resources

    For more go to: http://www.nylc.org/pages-newsevents-news-NYLC_Offers_Free_Webinars_to_Support_Learn_and_Serve_Challenge?oid=9016

    November 13, 2009

    In honor of the UN International Day for Democracy, the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2 http://www.iap2.org/) released the Executive Summary of the Findings of the IAP2-Kettering Foundation (http://www.kettering.org/) Report.

    This report focuses on public-government decisionmaking in 12 countries.

    The final compendium, complete with reports for each country, will be available later this
    year or early 2010.

    November 11, 2009

    Pew's Election Work Featured on National Public Radio

    Doug Chapin, director of Election Initiatives for the Pew Center on the States, was recently interviewed for NPR's All Things Considered about efforts to modernize the voter registration process. Learn more about Pew's Election Initiatives, which work to increase accuracy, convenience, efficiency and security in election systems.

    For more go to: http://www.pewtrusts.org/news_room_detail.aspx?id=55968 and http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_detail.aspx?id=488

    October 5, 2009

    The Social Capital Foundation announces its 2010 International Conference, "Social Capital in Practice", to be held in Mellieha, Malta.

    The conference will take place from Friday, 7 May 2010, 5 p.m. (welcome cocktail, local time) to Monday, 10 May 2010, noon (local time). Registration is now open and will close February 28 at 6 p.m. CET

    For detailed information including guidelines, topics, submission and registration go to: http://www.socialcapital-foundation.org/conferences/2010/TSCF%20International%20Conference%202010.htm

    October 2, 2009

    New Book: Engaging Young People in Civic Life

    Edited by James Youniss and Peter Levine, Engaging Young People in Civic Life has been published by Vanderbilt University Press. In the forward, former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton describes it as "tough-minded, data-driven, and unsentimental" and "full of concrete policy proposals for schools, municipalities, service programs and political parties."

    For more go to: http://www.civicyouth.org/?p=347

    September 30, 2009

    Special Issue call for papers for the journal Education and Training: Student Learning from Community Engagement

    Guest editors: Tom Bourner and Juliet Millican, University of Brighton

    There is growing recognition in recent years of the value of university-community engagement. This has brought increasing interest in areas such as service learning and student-community engagement and its significance for students' learning and development and community benefit. While this work has been active in the United States for some time there are many new, more recent initiatives in other parts of the world, leading to an increase in knowledge and understanding of its relevance to different discipline areas and cultural contexts.

    This call for papers concerns a special issue of Education and Training focused on a critical assessment of all aspects of the developing field of student-community engagement with particular attention to student learning from community engagement.

    Submissions that report new and innovative practice within student-community engagement will be particularly welcome although no restriction is placed on what we mean by innovation in this context. As appropriate to the nature of the paper, contributions should demonstrate a critical approach to practice and sound a conceptual or evidence base.

    Anyone interested in contributing to this Special Issue to contact the editors with a statement of intent. This should be a short outline (100-200 words) indicating what the paper is about (including a working title), the nature of the paper (research paper, case study, critical account of practice, development of theory etc) and how it will contribute to our understanding of student learning from community engagement. Please forward this outline (and any queries about the Special Issue) to tom.bourner@ntlworld.com or juliet.millican@brighton.ac.uk.

    Outlines must be submitted by 30th October 2009.

    The deadline for the receipt of full papers is the end 1 February 2010.

    The deadline for the receipt of final version of accepted papers is the end of August 2010.

    Guidelines for full papers are online at: http://infor.emeraldinsight.com/products/journals/author_guidelines.htm?id=jeit

    September 21, 2009

    The Public Education Network's (PEN) online Weekly NewsBlast announces the following:

    The 2009 GreatNonprofits Youth Thrive Awards recognize youth-oriented organizations of all sizes that receive the most positive reviews on GreatNonprofits and on Guidestar, a site for philanthropic research on the Web. GreatNonprofits is a website similar to Yelp or TripAdvisor where people can post reviews of nonprofit organizations. The contest asks clients, donors, volunteers, and board members to write reviews of these nonprofits, which will then automatically be visible on GuideStar.org. Nonprofits with the most positive reviews in their category will be announced as winners.

    Maximum award: media coverage and promotion on GuideStar.org for the organization.

    Eligibility: youth-oriented nonprofits. Deadline: September 30, 2009.

    For more go to: http://www.greatnonprofits.org/youth

    September 15, 2009

    The National Conference on Citizenship has released its annual Civic Health Index Report for 2009, entitled Civic Health in Hard Times.

    The NCoC summarizes the main findings as follows: “As economic distress continues through the summer and into the fall, Americans are suffering from a ‘civic foreclosure’ that is limiting the range and depth of their civic engagement. The survey’s results reflect the hard choices Americans have made during the downturn, with 72 percent of respondents saying they have cut back on time engaged in civic participation, which includes time spent volunteering, participating in groups or performing other civic activities in their communities. Public perception supports this finding, as 66 percent of Americans say they feel other people are responding to the current economic downturn by looking out for themselves, with only 19 percent saying people around them are responding to the recession by helping each other more.”

    For more go to:http://www.ncoc.net/

    August 11 - Sept 14, 2009

    No postings on What's New

    August 10, 2009

    The 2009 Service-Learning Leadership Practitioner Award was presented to Beverly Hiott at the National Youth Leadership Council's National Service-Learning Conference. Hiott oversees service-learning programs for all 22 schools in the Richland Two School District whose superintendent, Dr. Stephen Hefner, is a member of the NCLC Executive Board and the District Leaders Network.

    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CM1172

    August 7, 2009

    The National Schools of Character Awards identify exemplary schools and districts to serve as models for others, and helps schools and districts improve their efforts in effective character education. Maximum award: $2,000. Eligibility: To be eligible, a school must have been engaged in character education for a minimum of three full years, starting no later than December 2006 for the 2010 awards. Districts need to have been engaged in character education for a minimum of four full years, starting no later than December 2005. Smaller administrative units that maintain a separate identity within a large district may apply in the district category, e.g., a school pyramid or cluster.

    Deadline: December 1, 2009.

    For more go to: http://www.character.org/nsocapplicationprocess

    August 4, 2009

    The National Center for Learning and Citizenship's 100 District Leaders for Civic Engagement and Service-Learning is currently accepting APPLICATIONS FOR NEW MEMBERS of the network. This cadre of district superintendents and school board members from across the nation is selected based on leadership and commitment to integrate and sustain high-quality citizenship (or civic) education and service-learning in their districts, and to increase awareness of this important teaching and learning method with peers in their states and throughout the nation. To access application information, please click on the link - http://www.ecs.org/00CM1165

    July 27, 2009

    Reminder: The National Youth Leadership Council is sponsoring its sixth annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute - a two-day event to be held in Philadelphia on August 6-7 - that focuses on applying the principles of service-learning in urban environments. This event brings together community members, young people, and school leaders to discuss service-learning outreach and application techniques that help urban students achieve academic excellence and become strong community leaders. Participants have an opportunity to explore current trends and topics affecting urban communities, and to share and learn from colleagues from other urban districts.

    For more go to: http://www.nylc.org/pages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Institute?oid=7496

    July 24, 2009

    The National Center for Learning and Citizenship at ECS announces the following:

    At a meeting in New Delhi, over 100 people met to discuss youth development and ways to nurture active citizenship. Attendees from India, Nepal, South Africa and the United States examined challenges and opportunities in supporting youth engagement.

    Youth Development through Civic Engagement: Mapping Assets in South Asia is a working document published by ICICP. According to the paper the research "seeks to provide a framework to better understand the field of youth civic engagement in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India."
    http://www.ecs.org/00CM1178

    July 22, 2009

    Education Week announces the following:

    "U.S. History Textbooks' Omissions"

    "Because of what is missing from U.S. history textbooks, history teachers should ensure that their students understand their textbook's interpretation of events is only one possible perspective on what happened, concludes Michael H. Romanowski in a study of how those texts present the topics of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the war on terror.

    Romanowski is an associate professor in the college of education at Qatar University in Doha, Qatar. He conducted a content analysis of nine U.S. history textbooks by major U.S. publishers, including Pearson/Prentice Hall and Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

    Most textbooks that Romanowski studied did not provide clear information that would enable students to understand the complexities of the attacks of 9/11, according to his analysis.

    He found, for instance, that only two of the nine textbooks provided a comprehensive explanation of why 9/11 might have happened, which he writes, "encourages teachers to raise questions that enable students to grasp not only 9/11 but also how American values, lifestyles, and policies are viewed by those outside Western culture."

    Likewise, Romanowski found that most of the textbooks avoided providing a space for students to critique the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He writes that they simply stated "facts," or presented controversies as resolved…" Posted by Mary Ann Zehr on June 22, 2009, Curriculum Matters, Education Week

    To read more to or to respond, go to: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2009/06/us_history_textbooks_omissions.html


    July 16, 2009

    The Civic Learning Blog connects current constitutional issues to classroom instruction. Written for teachers, each blog entry contains either a link to one of the National Constitution Center's lesson plans or a suggested classroom activity with a constitutional connection. The blog is updated by the Center's education team, with occasional guest blog posts from scholars. Looking at timely issues such as same-sex marriage, clean coal, women's rights, and the president's cabinet positions, the blog encourages deliberation and debate about these issues among students and provides resources to help educators effectively teach current events with a constitutional connection. Check out the blog and other resources at the Center's website, www.constitutioncenter.org.

    July 14, 2009

    The National Service-Learning Partnership announces the release of Information for Action: A Journal for Research on Service-Learning for Children and Youth, Volume I, Number 2.

    The Journal is a peer-reviewed publication that features relevant, methodologically sound studies of service-learning impacts and examples of innovative instruction written by experts, scholars, practitioners, and youth. The Journal is filled with important reports from a variety of perspectives and includes information that contributes to the growing literature on service-learning research. In it, you will find studies from collegiate researchers, practitioners, and youth.
    Volume I, Number 2 includes the following articles:

    Academic Articles
    - Service-Learning as Creative Productivity, Jane Newman and Larry Bailis
    - Cultural-Based Service-Learning as a Transformative Learning Experience for Undergraduate
    Students and Community Recipients, Lori Simons, Elizabeth Williams, Nancy Hirshinger-Blank, Kimyette Willis, Cassandra Dry, Courtnery Floyd, and Brittany Russell

    Practitioner Articles
    - Service-Learning: What Motivates K-12 Teachers to Participate In and Sustain Service-Learning Projects, Marjori M. Krebs, Ed.D
    - Nuestros Ninos: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Educate Latino Migrant Children and Youth through Service-Learning .Rubén P. Viramontez Anguiano, Ph.D., CFLE, José P. Salinas, Ed.D., and Walter Garcia Kawamoto, Ph.D.

    Youth-Led Articles
    - Youth-Led Action Research, Planning & Evaluation (Youth REP): A Vehicle for Service-Learning and Community Change, Tee J. Tagor and Sergio Cuellar

    Book Review
    - Youth Participatory Evaluation: Strategies for Engaging Young People. Reviewed by Robert Shumer

    For more go to: http://www.service-learningpartnership.org/site/PageServer

    July 10, 2009

    Reminder: The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) announced its Call for Proposals for the 2010 Annual Conference to be held April 9-13, at the San Jose Fairmont in San Jose, CA. Deadline to submit a proposal is July 15. For more go to: http://www.aspanet.org/scriptcontent/2010conference.cfm

    July 8, 2009

    The National Center for Learning and Citizenship at EDC announces the following "Good Reads" in its most recent online edition:

    Growing to Greatness 2009 is now available from the National Youth Leadership Council. Bill Hughes, NCLC Executive Board and District Leader Network member, and Bill Erickson, District Leader Network member, co-authored the chapter titled "From Program to Policy: Institutionalizing Service-Learning in Urban Schools from and Administrator's Perspective." http://www.ecs.org/00CM1161

    Transforming Urban Education: Implications for State Policymakers, looks at four possible scenarios for the future of urban education and details three recommendations to state policymakers which could have a positive effect on urban school districts. Service-learning stands out as one of those recommendations, incorporating learning that is relevant and engaging youth in activities that improve the community. http://www.ecs.org/00CM1163

    Also new from America's Promise Alliance is Cities in Crisis 2009 Closing the Graduation Gap highlights graduation rates, 10-year trends and the economic outlook for high school dropouts. http://www.ecs.org/00CM1164

    July 6, 2009

    New Book by CIRCLE Grantee Carmen Sirianni on Collaborative Government

    Brandeis University Professor Carmen Sirianni has published "Investing in Democracy: Engaging Citizens in Collaborative Government" (Brookings Institution Press, 2009). In his book, Sirianni details three examples of how government and citizens can collaborate on problem solving. CIRCLE helped to fund his chapter on youth civic engagement programs in Hampton, Virginia.

    For more information and to buy the book, please visit http://www.amazon.com/Investing-Democracy-Engaging-Collaborative-Governance/dp/0815703120

    July 1, 2009

    The Gallup Student Poll National Report, which details results of a poll of students in grades 5 - 12, is now available. A collaboration of Gallup, America's Promise Alliance and the American Association of School Administrators, the survey measures student levels of hope, engagement and well-being.

    For more information, visit the America's Promise Alliance website.

    June 26, 2009

    Character Education Partnership: National Schools of Character

    The National Schools of Character Awards identify exemplary schools and districts to serve as models for others, and helps schools and districts improve their efforts in effective character education. Maximum award: $2,000. Eligibility: To be eligible, a school must have been engaged in character education for a minimum of three full years, starting no later than December 2006 for the 2010 awards. Districts need to have been engaged in character education for a minimum of four full years, starting no later than December 2005. Smaller administrative units that maintain a separate identity within a large district may apply in the district category, e.g., a school pyramid or cluster.

    Deadline: December 1, 2009.

    For more go to: http://www.character.org/nsocapplicationprocess

    June 24, 2009

    The National Center for Learning and Citizenship at ECS announces the following:

    "What States are Doing"

    South Carolina, Wyoming, and Virginia are home to teachers who have received 2009 American Civic Education Teacher Awards. Sponsored by the Center for Civic Education, The Center on Congress at Indiana University and the National Education Association, the awards honor elementary and secondary teachers who have done an outstanding job of preparing their students to become active, principled citizens.

    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CM1160

    June 22, 2009

    Sixth Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute

    The National Youth Leadership Council is sponsoring its sixth annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute - a two-day event to be held in Philadelphia on August 6-7 - that focuses on applying the principles of service-learning in urban environments. This event brings together community members, young people, and school leaders to discuss service-learning outreach and application techniques that help urban students achieve academic excellence and become strong community leaders. Participants have an opportunity to explore current trends and topics affecting urban communities, and to share and learn from colleagues from other urban districts.

    Featured Speakers include:
    - Margaret Beale Spencer, University of Pennsylvania, internationally known education researcher and developmental psychologist
    - Colonel Robert L. Gordon, III, Senior Vice President of Civic Leadership at City Year
    - Joan Lennon Liptrot, Executive Director of the Institute for Global Education and Service-Learning
    - Maura Nugent, Chicago Public Schools Service-Learning Teacher of the Year (2008)

    Daylong Seminars include:
    - Administrators Academy*
    - Breaking the Silence: Ushering in Courageous Conversation About the Impact of Race on Student Achievement
    - Classroom Reflection and Community Action: Social Justice Service-Learning and Successful Community Partnerships in an Urban Neighborhood School
    - Closing the Achievement Gap: Youth-Inspired, Youth-Driven, Youth-Led
    - Cultivating a Cadre of Youth Trainers
    - Second Annual Urban Service-Learning Research Symposium
    - Youth as Evaluators

    *The Academy will consist of two workshop sessions on Thursday, August 6, and a choice of an all-day seminar and lunch meeting on Friday, August 7.

    For more go to: http://www.nylc.org/pages-newsevents-events-The_Sixth_Annual_National_Urban_Service_Learning_Institute?oid=7496

    June 19, 2009

    Grants for Redwood Education

    The Save-the-Redwoods League, a nonprofit organization that works to protect the ancient redwood forest from destruction, will grant funds to schools, interpretive associations, and other qualified nonprofits engaged in quality redwood education. Grants are designed to foster and encourage public awareness of redwoods, redwood ecology, and forest stewardship. Maximum award: $5,000.

    Eligibility: schools and 501(c)3 organizations.

    Deadline: June 30, 2009.

    For more go to: http://www.savetheredwoods.org/education/edgrants.shtml

    June 16, 2009

    The National Center for Learning and Citizenship at the Education Commission of the States announces the following:

    Readers of Citizenship Matters may remember a Guest Column written by Doug Hart when he was teaching in Ramallah on the West Bank. He's now teaching in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky, attempting as he says, to integrate "authentic civic engagement, service and the WORLD OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL to my 10th-grade civics and history classes."

    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/80/60/8060.doc

    June 11, 2009

    The National Service-Learning Partnership announces the release of Information for Action: A Journal for Research on Service-Learning for Children and Youth, Volume I, Number 2.

    The Journal is a peer-reviewed publication that features relevant, methodologically sound studies of service-learning impacts and examples of innovative instruction written by experts, scholars, practitioners, and youth. The Journal is filled with important reports from a variety of perspectives and includes information that contributes to the growing literature on service-learning research. In it, you will find studies from collegiate researchers, practitioners, and youth.
    Volume I, Number 2 includes the following articles:

    Academic Articles
    - Service-Learning as Creative Productivity, Jane Newman and Larry Bailis

    - Cultural-Based Service-Learning as a Transformative Learning Experience for Undergraduate Students and Community Recipients, Lori Simons, Elizabeth Williams, Nancy Hirshinger-Blank, Kimyette Willis, Cassandra Dry, Courtnery Floyd, and Brittany Russell

    Practitioner Articles
    - Service-Learning: What Motivates K-12 Teachers to Participate In and Sustain Service-Learning Projects, Marjori M. Krebs, Ed.D

    - Nuestros Ninos: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Educate Latino Migrant Children and Youth through Service-Learning, Rubén P. Viramontez Anguiano, Ph.D., CFLE, José P. Salinas, Ed.D., and Walter Garcia Kawamoto, Ph.D.

    Youth-Led Articles
    - Youth-Led Action Research, Planning & Evaluation (Youth REP): A Vehicle for Service-Learning and Community Change, Tee J. Tagor and Sergio Cuellar

    Book Review
    - Youth Participatory Evaluation: Strategies for Engaging Young People. Reviewed by Robert Shumer

    For more go to: http://www.service-learningpartnership.org/site/PageServer

    June 8, 2009

    The Public Education Network's weekly NewsBlast announces the following

    Disney/YSA: Minnie Grants for Youth-Led Service Projects

    Disney Minnie Grants fund children's efforts to improve their communities via youth-led service projects that address the issues of poverty, hunger, education, environment, global citizenship, sustainable community development, and disaster prevention and relief. Funded projects must take place between September and November 2009. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: children between the ages of 5 and 14, or the organizations that engage them. Applications are accepted from all over the world. Applicants from India, China, and Russia are especially encouraged to apply.

    Deadline: June 15, 2009.

    For more go to: http://ysa.org/MyYSA/YSAContent/YSANews/tabid/219/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/134/DisneyMinnieGrant2ndRound2009.aspx

    June 5, 2009

    Registration is now open for the 9th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement. The University of Ottawa and the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement look forward to hosting you in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, October 9 - 12th, 2009.

    Register online at: http://www.researchslce.org/files/2009Conference/Registration.html

    http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/els
    341B - 100 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, On, K1N 6N5, Canada

    Tel: 613-562-5800 x6959 | Fax: 613-562-5285
    Toll Free: 1-877-uOttawa x6959

    The University of Ottawa
    Canada's University

    June 1, 2009

    Youth Service America is launching its first annual Gladys Marinelli Coccia Awards to recognize young female social entrepreneurs whose initiatives serve the common good. Maximum award: $2,000 for the winner's social enterprise, travel to and registration for Youth Service Institute, an invitation to serve on the executive board of Girls Helping Girls, and access to YSA's resources to support and expand social enterprise. Eligibility: girls between the ages of 14 and 17 (as of December 31, 2009) who reside in the United States and have their own social enterprise.

    Deadline: June 15, 2009.

    For more go to: http://ysa.org/MyYSA/YSAContent/YSANews/tabid/219/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/147/TheGladysMarinelliCocciaAwards.aspx

    May 29, 2009

    The Dirksen Center announces the following:

    American Congress Government Simulation and Trivia

    In American Congress you get to play as a Representative, Mayor, or Governor. You basically simulate the wide-ranging and complex American government. It's in your hands whether you want to legalize abortion, declare war on a small country, or destroy your political rivals!

    Find American Congress Government Simulation at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Execbranch_pres_congress/2_pres_congress.htm

    May 26, 2009

    The Citizenship and Democratiitc Education Special Interest Group of the Comparative International Education Society welcomes scholars, education practitioners, and policy makers who are interested in citizenship and democratic education.

    The goal of the CANDE SIG is to create an active community of educators and researchers to share their views and encourage productive debate on various aspects of citizenship and democratic education in the United States and around the world.

    The Citizenship and Democratic Education SIG aims:

    - To create an open forum for opinion exchange and collaboration in international citizenship and democratic education;

    - To provide maximum opportunities for new scholars to have their voices heard and their scholarly efforts noticed;

    - To foster cooperation and collaboration between scholars and practitioners in the areas of citizenship and democratic education;

    - To identify, support, and promote outstanding scholarships and practical projects in citizenship and democratic education internationally.

    For more go to: http://cies.us/SIGS/CANDE/aboutus.htm.

    May 20, 2009

    The Democracy Imperative and the Deliberative Democracy Consortium are hosting "No Better Time: Promising Opportunities in deliberative democracy for Educators and Practitioners," July 8-11, 2009, in Durham, New Hampshire. The conference will focus on future directions for educators and practitioners in teaching, research and citizen-centered initiatives.

    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CM1153

    May 15, 2009

    The Florida Campus Compact Engaged Scholarship Fellows Program 2009-2010

    As part of an ongoing effort to improve the theory and practice informing collegiate service-learning and community engagement in the state of Florida, Florida Campus Compact invites research proposals from engaged scholars at our member campuses through this new fellows program. Researchers from all disciplines are invited to apply.

    Up to five Florida scholars will be chosen by a panel of qualified reviewers to receive this distinction. Fellows will have the opportunity to be part of an active community of scholars who will meet quarterly (either virtually or in person) to discuss strategies for research design and dissemination. Each scholar will receive a small amount of financial support for her or his research and will be invited to submit an article for publication in a special peer-reviewed volume of Florida Engaged Scholarship to be published in 2011.

    At least three of the five scholars selected will be tenure-earning. Projects focusing on community impacts of collegiate service-learning and community engagement will be favored. Interested researchers should complete the attached application and must include a project budget not to exceed $2500, with no more than $2000 to be spent on a faculty stipend. Funds will be available for distribution beginning July 15, 2009, and all deliverables will be due June 15, 2010. Deliverables will include a copy of a 25-30 page article on the research outcomes that may be submitted to our Florida publication or another appropriate forum, a short report/précis on the project based on an FL|CC template for inclusion in promotional materials, and an updated CV for the fellowship recipient that can be used in promotional materials. Participants will also be invited to present research at FL|CC events and may be invited to provide informal mentoring for emerging researchers in the state.

    For more go to: http://www.floridacompact.org.

    May 11, 2009

    Reminder: Habitat for Humanity Service-Learning Partnership Grants will close soon ( May 15). Grants include: the 2009–2010 Habitat for Humanity Service-Learning Partnerships; the 2009-2010 Youth United Urban Grants; and the 2009 HFHI National Youth Awards.

    For more go to: http://www.habitat.org/youthprograms/habitat_street_team/grants_street.aspx.

    May 8, 2009

    The Dirksen Center announced the following Internet Research Project Idea

    Have your students refer to the "Treasures of Congress Exhibit" Web site posted on AboutGovernment -- http://www.aboutgovernment.org/print_uscongress.htm. In 2000-2001, the National Archives created an exhibit featuring a sampling of the landmark documents created by or delivered to Congress. The essence of the exhibit is captured in this online resource.

    Ask your students to make a record of family treasures (books, tools, musical instruments, tickets, letters, photographs) using photographs, photocopies, drawings, recordings, or videotapes. Read the letters and then research the time and events surrounding the letters in other sources. Analyze the opinions and views of the letter-writer based on the time and events of the period. Put the treasures into the historical context of Congress. What was happening in Congress when ancestors were using the family treasures? How did those congressional events affect your family? What are your family's "landmark documents?

    Prepare a community time capsule with the class. What primary sources (the "landmark documents") will you include to describe your present-day community for future generations? Which primary sources will help get your message across? When should your time capsule be opened?

    Examples of primary sources: family photographs (of ancestors and their homes), memorabilia, souvenirs, recipes, ancestors' clothes, ancestors' papers, oral histories, local historical societies, genealogical information.

    May 6, 2009

    If Legislation is the Problem, Civic Engagement is the Solution

    In a recent post on Alexander Russo's This Week In Education blog, frequent contributor Margaret Paynich writes that she came away from Jay Mathew's recent book "Work Hard. Be Nice" with several conclusions. In the first place, she feels that our school systems and school structures "were designed for educating students from hundreds of years ago," and are no longer geared toward helping teachers and students achieve to their fullest, despite our claims. In her view, legislation that is "passed without proper attention to those who have to carry it out" makes up a large part of the problem, and public engagement is a way to fix things. "I believe that the public needs to demand a solution from their legislators," she writes. "Education professionals have been doing the best they can -- but I don't think they can do it alone anymore." For her part, Paynich will be involved in a pilot project in Rhode Island, in which she will be "walking door-to-door this summer introducing individuals to the school committee, showing them after-school and mentoring programs they can volunteer for, and hoping to inspire individuals to take a better responsibility for their role as citizens."

    Read more: http://scholasticadministrator.typepad.com/thisweekineducation/2009/04/paynich-the-message-of-kipp.html

    May 4, 2009

    K-12 Service-Learning Research Works in Progress program

    NEW APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, May 11, 2009

    There are just a few spots left in the national K-12 Service-Learning Research Works in Progress program. This program is for emerging scholars conducting research on K-12 service-learning issues who are interested in receiving feedback on their work from senior scholars. Participation expenses (airfare, hotel, etc.) are covered by the program. Applications are accepted from emerging scholars investigating issues in K-12 service-learning who wish to participate in the 2009 Emerging Scholars in Service-Learning Works in Progress Seminar, to be held June 14-16, 2009 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    Established in 2007, the Works in Progress Seminar is a program that provides support and encouragement for a new generation of diverse service-learning researchers. The Seminar teams emerging scholars with experienced researchers and practitioners to develop and advance the development of new scholarly work in field of K-12 service-learning. The Works in Progress seminar is a national program co-facilitated by the University of Minnesota, Brandeis University, and Tufts University and is funded by a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to the National Service-Learning Partnership.

    Please address all inquiries about the program or application process to Michelle Kuhl (at public@umn.edu) or Andy Furco (at afurco@umn.edu) at the University of Minnesota.

    April 29, 2009

    The National Center for Learning and Citizenship at ECS announces the following:

    Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett convened the inaugural State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council in February. Chosen from hundreds of applicants, the 50 students range from freshmen to seniors and represent geographic diversity and school size. The council members initially met with Superintendent Garrett to discuss the dropout problem and possible solutions.
    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CM1145

    The Alabama Department of Education is partnering with America's Promise Alliance and Gallup to conduct the first ever Gallup Student Poll. Students in 5th through 12th grade will be surveyed about their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors to identify key supports needed to stay engaged and succeed in school. Results will help communities develop more effective and relevant solutions to America's dropout crisis.
    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CM1146

    April 27, 2009

    A report from the Pew Hispanic Center highlights a growing dilemma in the immigration debate, according to The Associated Press. Growing numbers of children of illegal immigrants are born in this country, and are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty as those with American-born parents. These children struggle and face uncertainty alongside parents who fear deportation, toil largely in low-wage jobs, and suffer layoffs in an ailing economy. Pew's analysis estimates that 11.9 million illegal immigrants were living in the United States as of March 2008 - 5.4 percent of the U.S. work force. In 2003, 2.7 million children of illegal immigrants, or 63 percent, were born here. Children of illegal immigrants hold a delicate place in the United States. On the one hand, the Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that these children, citizens or not, were entitled to a public school education. On the other hand, immigrants and their families are among the poorest in the country, easily exploited by employers and subject to arrest at any time. Children who are U.S. citizens cannot petition for their parents to become legal U.S. residents until they are at least 21.

    Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-illegal-immigration,1,5791776.story

    To see the report: http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=107

    April 24, 2009

    Downward Trend in High School Volunteering

    CIRCLE's new fact sheet provides a 50-state breakdown of volunteering rates for teenagers, young adults, and the population over 25. Vermont, Utah & North Carolina show the highest rates; New York and Nevada among the lowest.

    According to the report, "Fewer high school age (16018) Americans stepped up to volunteer their time over the past two years, new research reveals. Traditionally, teenagers have volunteered at slightly higher rates than other age groups, but in 2007 people 25 or older were more likely to volunteer than were those 16 to 18.

    Overall trends showed a 6 percentage point decline in volunteering among 16-to-18 year-olds since the rate peaked in 2005 at 33 percent. Meanwhile, volunteer rates for the population aged 19-25 (18 percent) and 25 years and older (28 percetn) both changed very little (2 percentage points or less) since 2002…"

    For more go to: http://www.civicyouth.org/

    April 22, 2009

    The Dirksen Center announces the following:

    14 Units to Learn How a Bill Becomes a Law

    The legislative process is a fascinating, important, and complex set of actions whose excitement and variability are not fully captured in the standard "a bill becomes a law" chart. While the formal stages in the legislative process are a good place to start, it is important to recognize alternative routes. Legislation passes or fails both on the quality of its content and the strategies of its opponents and proponents. This module uses text, graphics, and video to enliven students' understanding of the legislative process and to allow them to explore in-depth its various facets.

    Find 14 Units to Learn How a Bill Becomes a Law at: http://www.dirksencenterprojects.org/#14units

    April 20, 2009

    The National Center for Learning and Citizenship at ECS announces the following:

    Meet JoAnn Henderson, new NCLC executive director, and read her reflection on the National Service-Learning Conference and how she sees her previous experience blending with future NCLC work.

    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CM1144

    April 17, 2009

    Youth Award for Outstanding Activism in Environmental and Social Justice

    The Earth Island Institute Brower Youth Award recognizes young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy.

    Maximum award: $3,000, a trip to California for the awards ceremony, and a wilderness camping trip.

    Eligibility: youth ages 13-22.

    Deadline: May 15, 2009.

    For more go to: http://www.broweryouthawards.org/article.php?list=type&type=12

    April 15, 2009

    The Dirksen Center announces the following:

    Congress Defined

    Words and phrases that describe congressional processes
    Jefferson's Manual. JEFFERSON'S MANUAL is a book of rules of procedure and parliamentary philosophy. It was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1801 when, as Vice President, he presided over the Senate. The Senate does not use Jefferson's Manual, while the House uses it as a supplement to its standing rules.

    Source:http://www.c-span.org/guide/congress/glossary/jefferso.htm

    April 13, 2009

    The Education Commission of the States announces the following about the Federal Stimulus:

    A new Web site from the Council of State Governments provides summaries on how states are planning to spend their federal stimulus funds on areas relating to education.

    For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CN4300

    April 8, 2009

    The Dirksen Center announces the following:

    "People Who Served In Congress"

    Sketches of famous and not-so-famous Senators and Representatives Russell Long (D-LA) (1918-2003). When Russell Long was elected in November 1948 as a Democrat from Louisiana, he became the only person in U.S. history to have been preceded in that body by both his father and his mother. The son of Huey P. Long, the legendary populist known as Kingfish who as governor of Louisiana and a senator ran the state's political machinery with almost dictatorial power until he was assassinated in 1935, Russell Long was elected to the Senate, just days before reaching the constitutional minimum age of 30.

    Long was known for his knowledge of tax laws. In 1953, he began serving on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee and was the chairman from 1966 until Republicans assumed control of the Senate in 1981. When Hubert H. Humphrey was nominated for vice president in 1964, Mr. Long became the Democratic whip in the Senate, one of the most powerful posts in Congress.
    Sources:

    Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=L000428

    African-Americans in Congress: Robert Brown Elliott (1842-1884). A Republican from South Carolina, Brown served in the House from 1871-1874. Possessing a strong, clear voice "suggestive of large experience in outdoor speaking," Elliott fought passionately to pass a comprehensive civil rights bill in his two terms in Congress. However, his fealty to the South Carolina Republican Party led him to resign his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to serve the state government in Columbia.

    White colleagues received Elliott coolly when he arrived in the House. His dark skin came as a shock, as the two other African Americans on the floor, Joseph Rainey and Jefferson Long, were light-skinned mulattos. Described as the first "genuine African" in Congress, Elliott seemed to embody the new political opportunities-and southern white apprehensions-ushered in by emancipation. Elliott was given a position on the Committee on Education and Labor, where he served during both of his terms.

    Sources:
    Black Americans in Congress at http://baic.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=4

    Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=E000128

    Women in Congress: Edith Nourse Rogers (1881-1960). As a nursing volunteer and advocate for veterans across the country during and after World War I, Edith Nourse Rogers was thrust into political office when her husband, Representative John Jacob Rogers, died in 1925. During her 35-year House career, the longest congressional tenure of any woman to date, Rogers, a Republican from Massachusetts, authored legislation that had far-reaching effects on American servicemen and women, including the creation of the Women's Army Corp and the GI Bill of Rights.

    Sources: Women in Congress at http://womenincongress.house.gov/profiles/index.html

    Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000392

    April 6, 2009

    The Public Education Network's online "NewBlast" announces the following:

    "Youth Award for Outstanding Activism in Environmental and Social Justice"

    The Earth Island Institute Brower Youth Award recognizes young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy. Maximum award: $3,000, a trip to California for the awards ceremony, and a wilderness camping trip. Eligibility: youth ages 13-22. Deadline: May 15, 2009.

    For more go to: http://www.broweryouthawards.org/article.php?list=type&type=12

    April 3, 2009

    Reminder: CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM 2009

    * Deadline: April 15, 2009 *

    Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program now in its 17th year. Developed and sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, the workshop is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress.

    We designed Congress in the Classroom for high school or middle school teachers who teach U.S. history, government, civics, political science, or social studies. Forty teachers will be selected in 2009 to take part in the program. All online applications must be received by no later than April 15, 2009. We will notify individuals of our decisions by April 30, 2009.

    Although the workshop will feature a variety of sessions, the 2009 program will focus on two themes: (1) developments in the 111th Congress, and (2) new resources for teaching about Congress. The workshop consists of two types of sessions: those that focus on recent research and scholarship about Congress (and don't always have an immediate application in the classroom) and those geared to specific ways to teach students about the federal legislature.

    The 2009 workshop will be held Monday, July 27 - Thursday, July 30, at Embassy Suites, East Peoria, Illinois.

    The program is certified by the Illinois State Board of Education for up to 22 Continuing Education Units. The program also is endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies.

    Participants are responsible for (1) a non-refundable $155 registration fee (required to confirm acceptance after notice of selection) and (2) transportation to and from Peoria, Illinois. Many school districts will pay all or a portion of these costs.

    The Center pays for three nights lodging at the headquarters hotel (providing a single room for each participant), workshop materials, local transportation, all but three meals, and presenter honoraria and expenses. The Center spends between $30,000 and $35,000 to host the program each year.

    For more go to: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm

    March 30, 2009

    The Public Education Network's Weekly NewsBlast announces the following:

    Nokia/YouthActionNet: Global Fellows

    YouthActionNet Fellows are social entrepreneurs who participate in a week-long capacity-building workshop whose key focus is facilitating peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities. Participants develop a customized learning plan based on individual leadership learning needs and focused on six dimensions of leadership: personal, visionary, political, collaborative, organizational, and societal. Eligibility: youths 18-29 as of November 1, 2009; applicants should be founders of existing projects/organizations, or leading a project within an organization. Maximum award: all-expenses-paid retreat, November 1-8. Deadline: April 15, 2009.

    For more go to: http://youthactionnet.org/index.php?fuse=aboutfellowship

    March 26, 2009

    Senate Votes to Triple AmeriCorps, Bolster Service

    "The Senate voted Thursday to give tens of thousands of peo\ple more opportunities to mentor children, clean parks and help the poor, a sweeping call to national service in a time of need.

    The legislation would triple the size of the Clinton-era AmeriCorps and broadly expand incentives for students and seniors to give back to their communities, at a cost of $5.7 billion over five years. It also would create five groups to help poor people, improve education, encourage energy efficiency, strengthen access to health care and assist veterans.

    The vote was 79-19. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., changed his vote after the roll call to support the measure.

    President Barack Obama said in a statement that "our work is not finished when I sign this bill into law _ it has just begun."

    "It is up to each of us to seize those opportunities. To do our part to lift up our fellow Americans. To realize our own true potential," Obama said Thursday night. "I call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities, shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across this country."

    The bill was named for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who is being treated for brain cancer but returned to the Senate to vote on legislation that he has long championed. Kennedy, joined by his son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., received a standing ovation from his Senate colleagues at the conclusion of the vote…" By Ann Sanner, Thursday, March 26, 2009, 9:12 pm, The Washington Post.

    March 23, 2009

    The Millennial Pendulum: A New Generation of Voters and the Prospects For a Political Realignment

    CIRCLE Director, Peter Levine, along with Constance Flanagan and Les Gallay of Penn State University, authored a new report "The Millennial Pendulum: A New Generation of Voters and the Prospects for a Political Realignment." The report was funded by the New American Foundation and was officially announced at an event on February 18, 2009 in Washington DC. The report finds that the Millennials (born after 1982) are starting their adult lives much more progressive on economic issues than any generation from the early 1960s to today. The historical analysis shows that each generation has held a fairly stable attitude toward economic issues that has remained durable even as major economic and political events have occurred. Each generation has grown somewhat more conservative as its members have moved through life. But the Millennials are starting to the left of previous generations and are therefore likely to move the country leftward for decades to come. To download the report, please visit: http://www.newamerica.net/publications/policy/millennial_pendulum

    March 20, 2009

    CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: CONGRESS IN THE CLASSROOM 2009

    * Deadline: April 15, 2009 *

    Congress in the Classroom is a national, award-winning education program now in its 17th year. Developed and sponsored by The Dirksen Congressional Center, the workshop is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress.

    We designed Congress in the Classroom for high school or middle school teachers who teach U.S. history, government, civics, political science, or social studies. Forty teachers will be selected in 2009 to take part in the program. All online applications must be received by no later than April 15, 2009. We will notify individuals of our decisions by April 30, 2009.

    Although the workshop will feature a variety of sessions, the 2009 program will focus on two themes: (1) developments in the 111th Congress, and (2) new resources for teaching about Congress. The workshop consists of two types of sessions: those that focus on recent research and scholarship about Congress (and don't always have an immediate application in the classroom) and those geared to specific ways to teach students about the federal legislature.

    Throughout the program, you will work with subject matter experts as well as colleagues from across the nation. This combination of firsthand knowledge and peer-to-peer interaction will give you new ideas, materials, and a professionally enriching experience.

    "Until now so much of what I did in my class on Congress was straight theory-this is what the Constitution says," noted one of our teachers. "Now I can use these activities and illustrations to help get my students involved in the class and at the very least their community but hopefully in the federal government. This workshop has given me a way to help them see how relevant my class is and what they can do to help make changes in society."

    The 2009 workshop will be held Monday, July 27 - Thursday, July 30, at Embassy Suites, East Peoria, Illinois.

    The program is certified by the Illinois State Board of Education for up to 22 Continuing Education Units. The program also is endorsed by the National Council for the Social Studies.

    Participants are responsible for (1) a non-refundable $155 registration fee (required to confirm acceptance after notice of selection) and (2) transportation to and from Peoria, Illinois. Many school districts will pay all or a portion of these costs.

    The Center pays for three nights lodging at the headquarters hotel (providing a single room for each participant), workshop materials, local transportation, all but three meals, and presenter honoraria and expenses. The Center spends between $30,000 and $35,000 to host the program each year.

    For more go to: http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm

    March 19, 2009

    From today's Washington Post:

    House Backs Bill to Increase Service Opportunities

    "Tens of thousands of Americans could see more opportunities to mentor children, help rebuild homes and participate in other national service under a measure passed by the House on Wednesday.

    The House voted 321-105 to expand AmeriCorps and other national service programs by 175,000 participants. It would also create new groups to help poor communities with education, clean energy, health and services for veterans.
    Supporters say the effort comes at a time when more people are interested in serving their communities and more people could use the extra help.

    The bill "reaches out to all Americans from all walks of life and asks them to commit to service," said Jared Polis, D-Colo. "During these difficult times, our nation needs the help of each and every one of us more than ever."

    A Senate committee approved an expansion Wednesday that was somewhat similar, adding 175,000 positions to the AmeriCorps alone. That bill, which triples the size of the program, could reach the Senate floor next week.
    President Barack Obama said he was pleased by the House's action and was eager for the Senate to pass the bill so he can sign it.

    'At this moment of economic crisis, when so many people are in need of help and so much needs to be done, this could not be more urgent," said Obama, who pledged during the campaign to provide government support for national service programs….'"By Ann Sanner, The Associated Press, Wed. March 18, 2009; 6:21 p.m.

    March 18, 2009

    The National Service-Learning Partnership's (http://www.service-learningpartnership.org/) initiative Service-Learning United provides information and seeks your support on a number of service-learning policies and issues:

    Service-Learning Legislative Updates

    - Check the blog for the latest Service-Learning Policy Update
    - Senate Conducts Hearing on National Service(3/10/09)
    - House Leaders Begin Conversations about National Service and Service-Learning Policy (2/25/09)
    - Senate Introduces New Legislation to Expand Service-Learning (1/16/08)
    - U.S. House of Representatives Expresses Support for Service-Learning (10/6/08)

    Reauthorization of the National and Community Service Act of 1990

    - Service-Learning United Recommendations for Reauthorization
    - GIVE Act, H.R. 1388 (introduced March 9, 2009)
    - Service-Learning United Letter of Support for H.R. 1388
    - Reauthorization Tips and Talking Points for Service-Learning Advocates

    Learn and Serve America Funding Update

    - 2009 Appropriations
    - 2010 Appropriations
    - Appropriations Tips and Talking Points for Service-Learning Advocates

    Serve America Act, S.277

    - About the Serve America Act
    - Full Bill
    - Serve America Tips and Talking Points for Service-Learning Advocates
    - Express Support for Serve America

    Service-Learning and the Obama Administration

    - The Obama Service Plan
    - Service-Learning United Statement to the Obama Transition Team
    - Service-Learning and the Stimulus (American Recovery Act)
    - Service-Learning Policy Agenda for the U.S. Department of Education

    About Serving-Learning United
    Service-Learning United is a growing alliance of state and national organizations working collectively to educate our nation's leaders, policymakers, and citizens about the positive and powerful impact service-learning has on our young people and the communities they serve. We are committed to increasing support, recognition, and resources for service-learning through public engagement and effective policy strategies.
    Federal Funding for Service-Learning
    Learn and Serve America is a national program that supports service-learning through grants to K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and community-based organizations. Since 1990, Learn and Serve America has engaged more than 15 million young people in service-learning.

    To learn more about each of the above bullets go to: http://www.service-learningpartnership.org/site/PageServer?pagename=advocacy_index

    March 16, 2009

    The following is in today's Washington Post:

    An Ideal that Crosses The Aisle

    Every politician speaks glowingly about service to country, but few see national service as an important political issue. The temptation is to dismiss service proposals made by someone in the other political party as trivial or part of some hidden agenda.
    When the first President Bush called for "a thousand points of light," Democrats chuckled at the metaphor and saw his calls for volunteerism as an inexpensive way to keep his promise to create a "kinder, gentler nation."

    When President Clinton pushed AmeriCorps, some Republicans denounced the idea of "paid volunteerism" and saw the national service program as an effort to create a new generation of progressive activists. Maybe one of them might become a Democratic president.

    As it happens, we do have a former community organizer as president, though funding for his early work came from a Catholic organization, not AmeriCorps. Both Barack and Michelle Obama have a passion for the service idea, and, with almost no fanfare, the United States is close to making its largest commitment to civilian service since the New Deal… By E.J. Dionne, March 16, 2009, The Washington Post

    March 13, 2009

    Street Law, Inc. and the Supreme Court Historical Society will sponsor the annual Supreme Court Summer Institute, June 25-30, 2009. The institute is open to secondary level social studies teachers and supervisors who will spend five stimulating days on Capitol Hill and inside the Supreme Court learning from top Supreme Court litigators and educators about the Court, its past and current cases, and how to teach about them. Participants also will be in the Court to hear the Justices announce the final decisions of the term and attend a private reception. The application deadline is March 20, 2009. For full information and to apply online (under the "Registration Info" tab), go to: http://www.streetlaw.org/en/CalendarEvent.6.aspx.

    March 11, 2009

    Friday, March 20, 2009, Nashville, Tennessee, 12:15 p.m. to 1:35 p.m. (room TBA).
    The Providers' Network will host an affinity group luncheon in conjunction with the 2009 National Service-Learning Conference. The luncheon will take place on Friday, March 20, 2009, 12:15 p.m. 1:35 p.m. (room TBA) in Nashville, Tennessee and will include a free lunch. This event will take place in lieu of a full-day retreat on Wednesday, March 18. Included are the following:

    - Networking. Interact and meet others from diverse organizations and geographies involved in service-learning professional development. Mix and mingle with different groups to maximize your opportunity to grow your professional network and learn from others.

    - Providers' Network Update and Brainstorming. Learn more about the progress of the Providers' Network and offer your ideas to further develop the initiative in the next year to support your work.

    - Professional Development Tools Exchange. Leave with cutting edge tools you can use to enhance your own professional development work. Access new materials and information developed by experienced providers and content area specialists to help you help others implement quality service-learning experiences.
    Cost: FREE, but you must register by noon on Friday, March 13. Register online today. Only online registrations will be accepted.

    March 9, 2009

    NEW DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) all proposals must be received via electronic submission.

    The University of Ottawa and the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement look forward to welcoming you to the Ninth International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community Engagement on October 9-12, 2009, at the Westin Ottawa hotel in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

    The theme of the conference is Research for What? Making Inquiry Matter. This conference will address the goals underlying the research on service-learning and community engagement, the most effective means of achieving them, and the implications of such goals for a wide range of constituencies.

    The Call for Proposals and additional conference information are available on the website: http://www.researchslce.org/2009Conference.html. All proposals must be received via electronic submission by the 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) Wednesday, March 11, 2009. If you have any questions, please contact the conference staff at ircslce2009@uottawa.ca.

    IARSLCE and the University of Ottawa are very pleased to announce its plenary speakers for the 2009 conference: Stephen Lewis, Chair of the Stephen Lewis Foundation; Reva Joshee, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Theory and Policy Studies of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto; and Joel Westheimer, University Research Chair in the Sociology of Education and Professor of Education at the University of Ottawa. For complete plenary speaker biographies, visit the conference website above.

    March 6, 2009

    Still Serving: Measuring the Eight-Year Impact of AmeriCorps on Alumni is a new study on the long-term effect of AmeriCorps service on former members. It suggests that Americorps provides individuals with immediate opportunities to serve, and also spurs these individuals to be agents of positive change in their communities after their service is complete.

    For more go to: http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/08_0513_longstudy_report.pdf

    March 4, 2009

    The Dirksen Center announces the following new resources:

    - Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching, published by Teaching for Change and PRRAC, provides lessons and articles for pre-K-12 educators on how to go beyond a heroes approach to the Civil Rights Movement.

    Link to Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching from The Center's Civil Rights Documentation Project (purple bar, left side) at: http://www.congresslink.org/civilrights/aboutproject.htm

    - The Civil Right Movement: Fight Segregation
    If you are a teacher looking for a free educational PowerPoint presentation about the civil rights movement and fighting segregation, Congress for Kids has something for you.
    For more go to: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Judicial_segregation/2_jud_segregation.htm




     

     

     

     

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The Importance of Civic Education

"Civic education" means the multiple processes through which children and young adults acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are needed for effective democratic citizenship. Civic knowledge and participation are not passed down through the genetic code - they require that each generation of students learn civic facts, explore democratic ideals and connect such concepts to the responsibility of citizenship.

Find out more ->

What Young People Know.

Today, young Americans are experimenting with exciting new forms of civic engagement and are volunteering in record numbers. However, young people know less about formal government and politics than their predecessors did at the same age. This lack of knowledge is a barrier to important kinds of civic and political engagement.

» On the NAEP Civics assessment conducted in 1998, 25% of the nation's students performed at proficient or advanced levels. However, the troubling news is that 75% scored at basic (39-48%) and below basic (30-35%).

» More precisely, at the 4th grade level, 74% of students knew that in the U.S. laws must be applied evenly but only 15% were able to name two services that the government pays for with taxes.

» At the 8th grade level, 81% of students were able to identify Martin Luther King as someone who was concerned about the injustice of segregation laws. Yet, only 6% were able to describe two ways that countries benefit from having a constitution.

Find out more -

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