What's New in Civic Education and Youth Civic Engagement Work .... (July/August 2006 Archive Section)

December 22, 2006

• No new updates will be posted on What's New until early January 2007.

  December 20, 2006

• A recent Kettering Foundation report, "Public Thinking about Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role"  highlights the public's thinking when deliberating the importance of community life and civic skills, the role of religion and moral values in a democratic society, and barriers and opportunities for fuller citizen engagement in the political system. More than 949 average Americans took part in the nonpartisan forums and deliberated over broad approaches to the problems facing the nation's democracy.  In many forums, people saw themselves as part of the audience, bystanders in the democracy instead of active members with a sense of ownership. Others saw themselves as participants at the local level but not nationally. Citing their involvement with community organizations, some felt like citizens in their community, but not in the democracy. Some felt that Americans have become consumers in the democracy instead of its citizen-proprietors. Participants felt that Americans today focus far too much on their rights and not enough on their responsibilities. On the whole, these results suggest that a national dialogue focused on public involvement about this deeply troubling issue might be the key to reducing the alienation, mistrust, and cynicism that are so widespread. Public deliberation just might rejuvenate the hope and public-mindedness that typify the nation at its best.

  For more go to: http://www.kettering.org/readingroom/focus_detail.aspx?catID=2&itemID=2469.

  December 19, 2006

• The National Center for Citizenship and Learning at the Education Commission for the States continued promoting citizenship education in 2006, producing a policy brief that reviewed current data and recent state action in support of citizenship education, highlighting eight states with standards that go beyond the teaching of knowledge and extend to skills and dispositions. For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CN3268.

  December 18, 2006

• The Civic Mission of School Libraries issue of Knowledge Quest, the Journal of the American Association of School Libraries, is now available on the web. Among the articles are the following:

  - Social Responsibility: What is the “First Sales” Doctrine?
  - Civic Mission of Schools Libraries
  - Encouraging Civic Virtues
  - Celebrate “18” The Right to Vote  

  To access this free issue go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqarchives/volume34/344main.htm.

  December 15, 2006

• The Center for Democracy and Civic Society first Occasional Paper, "Citizenship Norms and Political Participation in America : The Good News Is ... the Bad News Is Wrong," by Professor Russell J. Dalton (UC Irvine), is available at http://cdacs.georgetown.edu/occasionalpapers.htm.

  December 14, 2006

• The Constitutional Rights Foundation – Chicago announces new on-line resources for civic learning

  The Illinois Civic Mission coalition's new website, www.crfc.org/civicmission.html , is designed to infuse civic learning opportunities into existing classes as well as to create new democratic experiences for students. Instead of developing a separate democracy “course,” the Coalition believed it would serve Illinois teachers and student better by proving modules and resources to be incorporated into existing classes and programs. The website features:

  - Modules for laws and government classes on civil liberties, national security, the right of juveniles, the rights of non-citizens, diversity in a democratic society, and public safety

  - Democratic education resources including classroom “tools” and reading on discussion of controversial issues, service-learning, simulations and connection with community partners

  For more go to: www.crfc.ofg/ProjectCitizens.html.

  December 12, 2006

• Reminder: Grants for Youth Sustaining Community Change - Deadline December 18.
  
  - The YSA Youth Venture Program uses the Youth Venture model and incorporates resources and materials from Youth Service America to help create an emerging network of young people leading sustainable community change. Maximum Award: $1,000 per team. Eligibility: youth ages 12-20.

  For more go to: http://www.youthventure.org/index.php?tg=articles&idx=More&article=773&topics=76

  December 11, 2006

• Service-Learning Advances, the online monthly newsletter of the National Service-Learning Partnership ( http://www.service-learningpartnership.org ) announces:

  - Service-learning supporters gathered in Washington , D.C. to participate in the Service-Learning United Capitol Hill Day. Service-Learning United, 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 of service-learning, organized this one-day event to further cultivate relationships between service-learning advocates and their federal legislators.

  - Service-learning advocates visited approximately 23 offices of Members of Congress to explain how service-learning boosts student achievement, solves real-life issues in the community, and builds partnerships among community groups. The day included visits to the offices of key Appropriations Committee members in both chambers such as Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Representative David Obey (D-WI).

  December 8, 2006

• The Dirksen Center (http://www.dirksencenter.org/index.htm) announces the following:

  - The 110th Congress will be sworn in on January 3, 2007. It will be in session from noon on January 3, 2007, until noon on January 3, 2009. Caucus totals are 229 Democrats and 196 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and 2 Independents (who plan to caucus with Democrats) in the U.S. Senate.

  Find a complete list of the upcoming leaders for the 110th Congress on CongressLink .

  - The 1960s: A Multi-Media View from Capitol Hill documents the public policy challenges resulting from those tumultuous times using a unique body of records housed in The Center's historical collections- the minutes and press conferences (both print and audio) of the Joint Senate-House Republican Leadership, 1961-69. Listen to Dirksen's statement and link to the transcript of this audio at: http://dirksencenter.org/emd_audio/1963.htm#nov.

  December 7, 2006

• The 4th Annual American Political Science Association (APSA) Conference on Teaching and Learning in Political Science will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 9-11, 2007.
  
  Themes include: Program Assessment ; Internationalizing the Curriculum; Diversity and Inequality; Teaching Research Methods; Graduate Education; Simulations and Role Playing; Civic Engagement; General Education/Core Curriculum
  
  General Registration: December 2, 2006 - January 15, 2007. Member $ 190, Non-member $ 275. For more go to: https://www.apsanet.org/section_347.cfm.

  December 6, 2006

• Service-Learning Advances, the online monthly newsletter of the National Service-Learning Partnership (http://www.service-learningpartnership.org) announces:

  - The National Middle School Association is among the ranks of prominent national education associations speaking up in support of service-learning. "Service Learning and Literature: Creating a Dynamic, Engaging School Culture" was featured in the NMSA's October 2006 issue of Middle Ground, which is circulated to more than 30,000 principals, teachers, central office personnel, professors, college students, parents, community leaders, and educational consultants across the United States, Canada, and 46 other countries.

  Written by service-learning consultant Cathryn Berger Kaye, the article explains the benefits of service-learning and offers examples of how to integrate service-learning into instructional practice. Kaye, author of The Complete Guide to Service-Learning , provides in-depth and specific examples of strategies to engage students in service-learning activities in a range of academic subject areas-from biology to social studies. Kaye stressed that the use of literature is paramount to all service-learning applications. When books are "relevant and feature characters that reflect situations that [students] can understand or that illuminate issues and topics that concern them," Kaye said, "students become more enthused about service-learning."

  December 5, 2006

• So You Want to Be An American?

  “Our lives are divided into cultures and subcultures and circles -- our families, our schools, our jobs, our churches, our personal and collective history. Today Page Three offers a dispatch from the gateway to citizenship.

  Here in the land of the free and home of the brave, you need to know a little bit of our history and philosophy if you want to join our club. That's not Professor Marblemouth (Intro to American History 101) talking. That's your Uncle Sam, who just came up with 144 new, tough questions for the citizenship test.

  Surely, though, the test must be a cinch for those raised beneath the gaze of Old Glory and living in the shadow of the White House.

  Right?

  To find out, we turned to born and bred U.S. citizens in that most American of places: a shopping mall. At Tysons Corner Center , eight people bravely volunteered to prove their civic wisdom by submitting to a sampling of eight questions...” By Karin Brulliard, December 4, 2006, The Washington Post.

  December 4, 2006

• Reminder: The National Service-Learning Conference early-bird rates have been extended until December 8.

  - This year's theme is "Beyond Borders, Beyond Boundaries and will be held on March 27-31, 2007, New Mexico. This conference is the largest gathering of youths and practitioners involved in the service-learning movement. The 2006, conference drew nearly 2,800 attendees from across the United States and 10 other countries. The conference connects participants with service-learning leaders through three days of plenary sessions, featured forums, and service projects. It also provides access to new ideas and networking opportunities, with more than 200 workshops and countless opportunities for informal meetings.

  For more go to: http://www.nylc.org/conference.

  December 1, 2006

• The following has been added to the Pew Charitable Trust's Youth Voting website:

  Generation Next and Judy Woodruff (Trust magazine briefing): Veteran journalist Judy Woodruff traveled around the country in an RV, meeting young people and listening to their opinions.