What's New in Civic Education and Youth Civic Engagement Work .... (December 2005 Archive Section)

December 23, 2005

• The final CivicMind Award for 2005 goes to the National School Boards Association which fosters excellence and equity in public elementary and secondary education and advocates local school boards as the ultimate expression of grassroots democracy. For more about the award and the CivicMind go to: http://www.CivicMind.com .

  December 21, 2005

• Educating for Democracy: The California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, has released The California Survey of Civic Education, an assessment of the state of civic education in California schools.  

  The survey, developed by Professor Joseph Kahne of Mills College, examines the civic knowledge, skills, and commitments of graduating high school seniors throughout the state and assesses the prevalence and impact of various educational practices.  The survey was conducted of 2,366 students who had completed a U.S. government course. Participating schools represented different geographic areas and were selected for a range of demographic and academic performance factors. Findings include:

  - Young people have a strong desire to help their communities as evidenced by their involvement as volunteers and their commitment to charity work.

  - Young people express considerably less of a commitment to other forms of civic and political engagement that relate to the policies and practices of schools and government. Lest than half (only 47 percent) of high school seniors agreed that, “Being actively involved in state and local issues is my responsibility.”

  - Despite taking a course in U.S. government in their senior year, students' knowledge of structures and functions of government and of current political issues is modest, at best. Students only averaged a little over 60 percent correct on the commonly used survey items designed to test civic content knowledge, a low “D” on common grading scales.

  - There is much schools can do. The school and classroom practices emphasized in The Civic Mission of Schools report and related strategies were associated with greater civic capacities and commitments.

  - Yet, access to school-based opportunities to develop civic commitments and capacities are uneven. Those intending to go to four-year colleges have significantly more access to these opportunities than others.

  The entire survey can be found in .pdf format on our website at http://www.cms-ca.org/civic_survey_final.pdf .

  More information about the campaign can be found on the campaign website: http://www.cms-ca.org

  December 20, 2005

• Approximately $40 Million Grant Fund Available for Service-Learning Projects
  

  - Learn and Serve America, part of the Corporation for National and Community Service, has released a Notice of funding Opportunity for grant funds to support school-based, community-based, higher education, and tribal and U.S. territory service-learning projects.  Funding is anticipated for the 2006-2007 school year, with possible continued funding for two more years.

  For more information go to: http://www.learnandserve.gov/for_organizations/funding/nofa.asp

  December 19, 2005

• The Florida Association for Service-Learning in Teacher Education announces a call for paper for the inaugural peer-reviewed journal dedicated to exploring the many aspects of service-learning programs and pedagogy in use in pre-K, elementary, secondary, alternative education, vocational education, and teacher education programs throughout Florida as well as across the country.
  
  Specifically, they are seeking manuscripts that meet one of the following
  categories of academic research:
  
  1. Research—academic papers that define and outline a body of research in service-learning programs on the pre-K, elementary, secondary, and/or higher education level.
  
  2. Perspectives—academic papers that present a worldview and/or editorial perspective about a service-learning issue relevant to teacher education theory and practice.
  
  3. Voices—first-person voices and/or creative portraits about service-learning projects that involve students in elementary, secondary, and/or higher education settings.
  
  All papers should be: Double-spaced; no more than 20 pages; APA style; and no more than 5,000 words
  
  If interested in reviewing or writing for this new journal, the Florida Journal of Service-Learning in Education, please send an inquiry to Dr. Jeffrey S. Kaplan, Educational Studies, College of Education, Suite ED 122B, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32816 - jkaplan@mail.ucf.edu .

  December 16, 2005

• CiviConnections is a three-year teacher grant program funded by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service and National Council for the Social Studies . From 2003-2006, CiviConnections will involve more than 297 teachers and 7,425 3rd-12th grade students nationwide in linking local history inquiry with community service-learning activities. A team of three teachers can apply for a $7,500 grant to cover their costs for attending a summer workshop, implementing the program during the 2006 - 2007 school year, and attending the 2006 NCSS Annual Conference in Washington , D.C. Dr. Rahima Wade, Professor at The University of Iowa , is the project director. Dr. Wade and Dr. Linda Levstik, professor at The University of Kentucky , will co-facilitate the summer workshops. The deadline for applications is February 26, 2005.
  
  CiviConnections will engage selected teachers and their students in the following sequence of activities: 1) Students and teachers choose a current issue of concern or need in the local community, 2) Students become inquiring historians as they investigate the issue through their community's history, 3) Students compare their local findings with learning about the selected issue in our nation's history, 4) Students look at how the issue is impacted by one or more government documents, such as the Bill of Rights, 5) Students design and conduct quality service-learning activities to work on the issue and strengthen their community, and 6) Students create a public display to educate the community and celebrate their collaborative service projects. Teachers will develop and adapt these activities based on their students' interests and abilities, the needs or problems in the local community, and their local social studies. For more information go to: www.civiconnections.org

  December 15, 2005

• “Study: Internet Aids Civic Action” by Julie Feit

  ”A new study suggests the Internet is used as a resource for influencing participation in civic affairs more often than general media and face-to-face communication.  Conducted by University of Wisconsin journalism and mass communication professor Dhavan Shah, the study tested the change in media exposure over time. Shah's work analyzed various forms of data conducted before, during and after the 2000 presidential election.  Shah focused on individuals' patterns of news consumption and engagement in public and civic life. He said he found evidence conflicting with the belief that the Internet may decrease engagement in civic affairs...Although younger people seem to be the most disengaged, Shah said they also exhibit the most Internet activity - a good means of civic participation. December 12, 2005, The Badger Herald.

  To read the full article go to:
  http://badgerherald.com/news/2005/12/07/study_internet_aids.php
  

  December 14, 2005

• The Brookings Institution announces the p ublic launch of the "Citizenship, Involvement, Democracy" (CID) survey, which was conducted in the summer of 2005 for Georgetown University 's Center for Democracy and the Third Sector (CDATS). The event will take place on Wednesday, December 14 at noon – 2:00 p.m in the Choate Room, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington DC . RSVP to cidsurvey2005@yahoo.com.

  December 12, 2005

• CALL FOR NOMINATIONS for 5th ANNUAL CCPH AWARD! JANUARY 20, 2006, DEADLINE
  
  The Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) Annual Award recognizes exemplary partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions that build on each other's strengths to improve health professional education, civic engagement, and the overall health of communities. The award recognizes partnerships that others can aspire to, and embody the CCPH principles, use multiple partnership strategies, involve a full range of partners and achieve significant outcomes. Read about past CCPH award recipients at: http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/awardsrecipients.html
  
  The award will be presented during Community-Campus Partnerships for Health's 9th conference, "Walking the Talk: Achieving the Promise of Authentic Partnerships," May 31-June 3, 2006, in Minneapolis , MN USA . http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/conf-overview.html
  
  Nominations are due on or before January 20, 2006. Partnerships may nominate themselves and need not be members of CCPH. Nominations are welcome from any country or nation. The call for nominations is available at http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/awards.html  

  December 8, 2005

• Judith Torney-Purta has been awarded the Landmark Award, given for exceptional and enduring achievements in support of international life at the University of Maryland. Dr. Torney-Purta received the award for her long-term leadership and accomplishments in the field of behavior research, including her direction of the International Steering Committee for the IEA Civic Education Study. She was also recognized earlier this year as one of five national recipients of the Decade of Behavior 's 2005 Research Award for her work with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement and its IEA Civic Education Study. http://www.education.umd.edu/news/news2005/wnr0511.TorneyPurta.html

  December 7, 2005

• The Public Education Network announces the following:  
  
  “National & Global Youth Service Day"
  - Youth Service America (YSA) and Youth Venture are teaming up again to make every day National & Global Youth Service Day, giving young people the opportunity to create sustainable projects for N&GYSD 2006, April 21-23. Maximum Award: $1,000. Eligibility: young people (ages 12-20) who want to create new, sustainable and civic-minded organizations, clubs or businesses ("Ventures"). These Ventures must be youth-led and designed to be a lasting asset to the community. Deadline: December 19th, 2005. http://www.youthventure.org/index.php?tg=articles&idx=More&article=773&topics=76  
  
  "Youth Service America and Disney are offering the Disney Minnie Grants"
  - This grant program is designed for youth across the globe to engage them to implement service projects on National & Global Youth Service Day, April 21-23, 2006. Maximum Award: $500. Eligibility: youth (ages 5-14), or teachers, schools and organizations that oversee them. Deadline: January 13, 2006. http://www.ysa.org/awards/award_grant.cfm#nowavailable  
  
  "Civic Connections Program"
  - National Council for the Social Studies Civic Connections Program links local history inquiry with community service-learning activities. Teachers will develop and adapt these activities based on their students' interests and abilities, the needs or problems in the local community, and their local social studies curriculum requirements. Maximum Award: $7500. Eligibility: teams of three 3rd-12th grade teachers; members of the National Council for the Social Studies (or agree to join if application is accepted) and must partner with at least one local community agency. Deadline: February 26, 2006. http://www.civiconnections.org/

  December 6, 2005

• DART is now accepting applications for the 2006 DART Organizers Institute, the paid, four-month field school for people interested in launching a career in community organizing. The DART Organizers Institute combines a 7-day classroom orientation with 15 weeks of infield training at a DART host organization. This is a paid training program that includes: a $6,500 living stipend, transportation to the classroom orientation and host city, and mileage reimbursement during the infield training. Room, board, and tuition will also be paid by DART during the 7-day classroom training. After successful completion of the program, DART will work to place graduates into fulltime salaried positions.
  
  The program starts June 18, 2006 and runs through October 6, 2006. Host
  organizations are located in several cities throughout Florida , Ohio ,
  Michigan , Virginia , Kentucky , and Indiana . Applications are being accepted now.
  
  For more information contact: institute@thedartcenter.org or 785.841.2680. Also, you can download applications or view profiles from previous OTs at the DART website: www.thedartcenter.org . Deadline is January 1, 2006.

  December 5, 2005

• The Dirksen Center announces the new CongressLink feature - "The Civil Rights Documentation Project" available at http://congresslink.org/civilrights/index.htm .

  The landmark civil rights legislation of the mid-1960s has attracted considerable scholarly attention. Much of the analysis of this legislation has centered on the social and cultural conditions that gave birth to such laws as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

  Intended to serve the needs of teachers and students, "The Civil Rights Documentation Project" demonstrates that Congress is capable of converting big ideas into powerful law, that citizen engagement is essential to that process, and that the public policies produced forty years ago continue to influence our lives.

  December 2, 2005

• The International Health Conference at Yale University in April 2006 announces early bird Registration for "Empowering Communities to Bridge Health Divides" to be held April 1-2, 2006 at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. The goal of the conference is to empower conference attendees to identify health needs and to develop solutions to improve access to care for the medically underserved For more information on the conference go to: http://www.uniteforsight.org/2006_annual_conference.php
  To register go to: http://www.uniteforsight.org/2006_annual_conference.php

  December 1, 2005

• “Legacies of Leadership and Inspiration for Today's Civic Education”  
  
  - This issue paper developed by the National Center for Learning and Citizenship at ECS provides educators and policymakers with a framework for utilizing the legacies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar E. Chavez to inspire lifelong learning and civic action among today's youth. The paper presents lessons from the work of King and Chavez that illustrate the ways in which awareness and advocacy can be strengthened to support the civic mission of schools. It also provides specific examples of ways in which schools and communities are using the King and Chavez legacies, and offers recommendations to policymakers to build upon the King and Chavez legacies of leadership to create additional opportunities for effective civic education in American schools. For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/64/53/6453.pdf

  November 30, 2005

• Campus Compact seeks your help:
  
  If you have experience managing, leading, or participating in community service Federal Work-Study, you are invited to share your expertise, program models, reflections, and practical tools to be assembled in a new, on-line publication by Campus Compact. People are needed to:
  
  Review/critique one or more of the existing materials to be updated for inclusion in the publication ( http://www.compact.org/policy/detail.php?id=7 )
  • “Principles of Best Practice in Community Service Work-Study”
  • “Developmental Matrix for Community Service Work-Study”
  • “Building a Community Work-Study Partnership with Financial Aid: Background and Strategies for Campus Professionals Outside of the Financial Aid Office”
  
  Share materials and resources you've found helpful. These might include websites or written materials from other programs or institutions. In your own program, you might have created “tools” such as agreements, curriculum, websites, evaluation/research reports, or other useful items.
  
  Be interviewed for possible inclusion of your program in the next version of the “Principles of Best Practice.” Write a short essay or description of your program model or a specific element of your work that could benefit others.
  
  To volunteer your ideas or feedback, or with any questions, contact the project coordinator: Erin Bowley at erin@erinb.org