What's New in Civic Education and Youth Civic Engagement Work .... (July 2004 Archive Section)

July 30, 2004

• Heads Up, a nonprofit based in Washington, DC, helps young people from elementary school to college develop the skills, confidence, and relationships to succeed in school and to pursue lives that help further social change by providing extra academic support, instruction, and mentoring to children in low-income communities and service, learning, and employment opportunities for university and high school students who serve as Heads Up tutors and mentors.

  Currently, Heads Up is seeking both a Program Director and a Development Director to join its senior management team. Each of these directors will take a leadership role in helping Heads Up improve operational systems at ten DC Public Schools and expand its program further, ensuring its place as a national model and the leading regional provider of out-of-school programs and youth-related undergraduate service opportunities.

  To see the full position description for the Program Director, please visit: http://www.nonprofitprofessionals.com/heads_up_program.htm. To see the full position description for the Development Director, please visit: http://www.nonprofitprofessionals.com/heads_up_development.htm

  To receive additional announcements of job openings and helpful articles filled with tips for job seekers, please sign up for their newsletter at: http://www.nonprofitprofessionals.com/newsletter_sign_up.htm.
  

• Reminder, the 2005-2006 Fulbright Scholar Program grants in the traditional program deadline is August 1. For more information on the grants available, eligibility requirements, and complete application materials go to http://www.cies.org. Also, a new online application available. Request materials by email: apprequest@cies.iie.org.

  July 29, 2004

• The CivicMind announces its award to The September Project. On September 11, community-based groups around the world are organizing public events, discussions, and performances to foster open exchanges about democracy, citizenship, and patriotism. The September Project is made possible by the University of Washington's Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities, UW's Dean's Office of the College of Arts and Sciences, Humanities Washington, and Washington Medical Librarians Association. Go to http://www.CivicMind.com/wsept.htm to see a list of participating organizations and locations.

  Also, The CivicMind is offering a new workshop for individuals to explore how they learned about civic participation throughout their lives, factors that influence their civic motivation, and how they make the decision to become engaged in community activities. If you would like to hear more, please Wendy Bay Lewis at http://www.CivicMind.com/qshops.htm or TheCivicMind@aol.com.
  

  
  
• The American Political Science Association invites political scientists and graduate students to participate in the second annual Conference on Teaching and Learning in Political Science. This year's meeting will take place in Washington, D.C., on February 19-21, 2005. APSA hopes to continue the significant progress made at its pilot conference in promoting greater understanding of cutting-edge approaches, techniques, and methodologies that can be applied in the political science classroom. This meeting will provide a forum to develop models on teaching and learning as well as to discuss broad themes and values affecting political science education.
  The deadline to submit a proposal to present is September 22, 2004. Advance registration will close on September 22, 2004. All individuals who submit a proposal will be eligible for the lower advance-registration fee regardless of whether they register before or after September 22. For more information, please contact teaching@apsanet.org or visit the Teaching and Learning Conference webpage at http://www.apsanet.org/tlc. To register for the meeting or submit a proposal, go to the Teaching and Learning Conference webpage at http://www.apsanet.org/tlc.
  

  July 28, 2004

• The following items on youth voting have been added to The Pew Charitable Trust's website. If you are interested in receiving regular email alerts from Pew go to: http://www.pewtrusts.com.

  - A Drive to Mobilize Voters: An article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. 07/22/2004

  - Bush's Agenda Rocks: An editorial from USA Today. 07/19/2004
  
  - Kerry Connects with Youth: An editorial from USA Today. 07/19/2004
  

  - Old Thinking by Kerry, Bush Tunes Out Youngest Voters: An editorial from USA Today. 07/19/2004
  
  - P. Diddy Puts a Twist on Voting: An article from the Miami Herald. 07/21/2004
  
  - Teen Political Opposites See Their Attraction: An article from the Rocky Mountain News. 07/22/2004
  
  - The A-list Meets the Voter Rolls: An article from the New York Daily News. 07/21/2004
  

  - The Hispanic Electorate in 2004: A fact sheet from the Pew Hispanic Center. 07/22/2004
  

  - The Junior Varsity: An article from Newsweek on young voters. 07/12/2004
  

  - Young Agents of Change: An article from the Rocky Mountain News. 07/19/2004

  - Young People Answer Call of Political Action, Run for Office: An article from USA Today. 07/14/2004
  

  July 27, 2004

• The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) invites applications to its Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program. Established in 2001 to enable activists, scholars, and journalists from around the world to deepen their understanding of democracy and enhance their ability to promote democratic change, the fellowship program is based at NED's International Forum for Democratic Studies, in Washington, D.C.

  The program offers two tracks: a practitioner track (typically three to five months) to improve strategies and techniques for building democracy abroad and to exchange ideas and experiences with counterparts in the United States; and a scholarly track (typically five to ten months) to conduct original research for publication. Projects may focus on the political, social, economic, legal, and cultural aspects of democratic development and include a range of methodologies and approaches. It is intended primarily to support practitioners and scholars from new and aspiring democracies. Distinguished scholars from the United States and other established democracies are also eligible to apply. Practitioners are expected to have substantial experience working to promote democracy. Scholars are expected to have a doctorate, or academic equivalent, at the time of application. The program is not designed to support students working toward a degree. A working knowledge of English is an important prerequisite for participation in the program.

  The fellowship year begins October 1 and runs through July 31, with major entry dates in October and March. All fellows receive a monthly stipend, health insurance, travel assistance, and research support through the Forum's Democracy Resource Center and Internship Program. Applications for fellowships in 2005-2006 must be received no later than November 1, 2004. Notification of the competition outcome is in April 2005. For more information and instructions on how to apply download the "Information and Application Forms" booklet available online at http://www.ned.org/forum/R-FApplication.pdf or go to: http://www.ned.org/>www.ned.org and follow the link to Fellowship, or email: fellowships@ned.org.
  

  July 26, 2004

• The National Service-Learning Partnership announces:

  - Young Voices for $55 in '05. Youth members from the Partnership's board of directors, and "Learn and Lead" Interns from the Youth Innovation Fund sites in eight states are teaming up with young people from around the country to support the $55 in '05 advocacy campaign. Policy

  - House Releases New Youth Policy Bill. Recently, Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE), along with Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) and Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN) introduced the Federal Youth Coordination Act (H.R. 4703) in the House of Representatives. Should the bill pass, it will establish a Federal Youth Development Council composed of select administration members (including the director of the U.S.A. Freedom Corps and the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service), along with representatives from community organizations, foundations, universities, nonprofit organizations, and youth service providers. Supporters believe this legislation could prove to be a real asset for service-learning because specific council tasks would include assessing federal programs that help youth in their educational, social, emotional, vocational, and civic development. The legislation also calls on federal agencies to collaborate on projects that involve young people in service programs.
  

  July 23, 2004

• The Corporation for National and Community Service will offer grants of $30,000 to $100,000 to support AmeriCorps Professional Corps programs that address, among other issues, community shortages of qualified professionals in education and related fields like health care, child development, and social work. Professional Corps organizations bring thousands of teachers, health workers, and other vital professionals to communities that face critical shortages and/or growing demand. Eligible applicants include a wide range of nonprofit organizations, and city and local government entities. The application deadline: 8/17/2004.

  July 22, 2004

• Accounting for Citizenship "In an era of tests and standards, how do our schools score in preparing citizens? Are any superintendents worrying about their jobs because of low civic scores on state assessments? There is no more central purpose to schools in a democracy than the preparation of citizens, yet you would hardly know it from how we hold these key public institutions accountable. Questions about the health of our civic life underlie many of today's central campaign issues, from taxes to foreign policy. What sort of democracy are we, and what do we expect every citizen to be able to do?…" July 14, 2004, Education Week.

  July 21, 2004

• Forum Focus, July/August 2004, Volume 2, Issue 3. There is a common perception among policy makers, educators, social service professionals and funders that race and racism are increasingly less relevant in shaping individual outcomes. But race and racism are far from irrelevant in the daily lives of youth of color, white youth and all youth who struggle with or benefit from internally or externally reinforced stereotypes and institutionalized policies and practices that lead to differential expectations and treatment. Young people need safe places to explore the personal impact of race and racism on their identity and choices, deepen their understanding of the historical and current realities, and determine individual and collective strategies for action.

  In the July/August issue, Forum Focus continues to explore how youth activism can be used as a powerful tool for increasing both personal development and collective engagement around the issues of race and racism. Forum Focus hopes that this issue can be used as part of an ongoing effort to generate dialogue within the field about the roles and responsibilities of youth organizations in addressing structural racism. To download a copy of this issue go to: http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org.
  

  July 20, 2004

• The International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) is currently accepting applications for American participants for its US-Russia Volunteer Initiative (USRVI). The deadline is July 26, 2004. The goal of the US-Russia Volunteer Initiative (USRVI) is to engage both Russian and American citizens, organizations, and businesses in cooperative volunteer activities through short-term bilateral exchanges. USRVI provides an opportunity for young Americans to volunteer for approximately six weeks in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and/or governmental service centers throughout Russia. The volunteers will be placed with one of two types of organizations: those committed to HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention or those working to narrow the digital divide through the expansion of information and communication technologies (ICT). Those selected will be offered pre-service training and orientation in Moscow prior to beginning their volunteer assignments. Immediately after completing their assignments, volunteers will be invited to a capstone conference with their Russian counterparts to share their experiences. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to compete for small grants to support HIV/AIDS and ICT projects in their own communities after returning home. Russian language ability is not required of American participants. Applications can be downloaded at http://www.irex.org. For more information contact Chris Peterson, Program Officer, or Oksana Kaluh, Program Coordinator, at USRVI@irex.org or 202-628-8188.

  July 19, 2004

• This year's Service-Learning Research conference will be held in Greenville, South Carolina on October 10-12, 2004. It will be hosted by Clemson University and The International Center for Service-Learning in Teacher Education. Early-bird registrations are now being accepted. A registration form is available on the website - http://www.clemson.edu/servicelearningresearch/. To make hotel reservations call Hyatt in Greenville directly at 864-235-1234 (Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00pm Eastern Daylight Time) and say that you are with the Service-Learning Research Conference to obtain the special conference rate of $93/night, single or double occupancy or $103/night for triple or quad occupancy.

  Also, if you are considering submitting for a poster session for this year's conference, abstracts must be received by July 23, 2004. Instructions for submitting your abstract can also be found on the conference website.

  July 16, 2004

• The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) President Jesus Garcia has released a letter strongly supporting the NAEP civics assessment. Responding to the recommendations of the National Assessment Governing Board's (NAGB) report, Garcia says that although the "report does acknowledge the importance of student's knowledge of civics and history, the recommendations in the report do no adequately reflect a serious commitment." More specifically, he is concerned with that the recommendation to only "assess the these subjects [social studies, particularly U.S. history and civics] 'if resources permit' does not square with the revitalization of concern in our nation over students' civic awareness and knowledge." Furthermore, he indicates that the lack of state-by-state comparison in U.S history and civics, as well as the other social studies "is unacceptable" and that NCSS was "appalled to learn that the governing board did not recommend state-by-state comparisons for grade 12 social studies assessments, and in fact recommended to continue testing these subjects only as a national representative sample and only if resources permit." Garcia points out that in a time when the civic mission of schools is paramount especially with increasing numbers of people who "are coming from nations without strong democratic traditions [the] NAGB plan will only encourage many more states to disband what remains of their civics assessments." To read the entire response please go to: http://www.socialstudies.org/advocacy/nagbresponse2004/.

  July 15, 2004

• State Superintendent To Lead ECS Citizenship Center - Two-year Agenda Announced. "Elizabeth (Libby) Burmaster, Wisconsin state superintendent of public instruction, became chairman of the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) during its meeting here on Sunday. Bill Cirone, superintendent of schools in Santa Barbara, California, was chosen chairman-elect..." July 13, 2004, Education Commission of the States.

  July 14 , 2004

• A Rally Try for Young Voters. "No hip-hop was playing that afternoon, but the church gym was packed anyway. Young people who had come from as far away as San Francisco and as near as the projects across the street filled the folding chairs. Dozens more lined the walls, waiting to query a panel of activists about how to get the hip-hop generation interested in politics.
  
  At the first National Hip-Hop Political Convention, held here last month, the 2,000 or so attendees came armed with ideas for registering young voters and ready to draft a national political agenda to present to the presidential candidates at their conventions. Yes, music was part of it. Big-name hip-hop artists such as Wyclef Jean and Busta Rhymes played four straight nights. But for four straight days, what everyone kept talking about was making politics hip for the hip-hop generation.…" July 4, 2004, The Washington Post.
  

  July 13, 2004

• Papers Reach Out to A New Generation. "Faced with increasing competition from the Internet, mobile phones and other modern distractions, major European newspapers are joining forces to attract the youth audience - and teachers are more than willing to help. .In nearly 29,000 classrooms in Italy this past school year, students spent an hour a week comparing how different dailies covered the news, and the initiative, called "a newspaper in the classroom," looks set to spread to other European countries. The aim is to hone critical skills through the comparative study of newspapers and to bring teenagers closer to the print media…." June 28, 2004, International Herald Tribune.
  
  
• The following item on youth voting has been added to The Pew Charitable Trust's website. If you are interested in receiving regular email alerts from Pew go to http://www.pewtrusts.com.
  
  - A Rallying Try For Young Voters. "Disparate groups are working for the same goal this election year: to engage and register young voters..." July 6, 2004, The Washington Post.
  

  July 12, 2004

• The Fulbright Scholar Program for Faculty and Professionals is offering a lecturing or combined lecturing-research award in civic education in Bosnia-Herzegovina for academic year 2005-06. This award offers a unique opportunity for specialists in civic education to assist in the development of new academic programs and in the preparation of new curricula as well as teach at the university level and conduct research. For general information about application requirements, visit the CIES Web site. For more information about the Fulbright program in Bosnia-Herzegovina, email Senior Program Officer Jennifer Skulte-Ouaiss or by phone at (202) 686-6246. Application materials can be downloaded from the Web site or requested via e-mail. The application deadline is August 1, 2004.

  July 9, 2004

• The Center for Cultural Understanding and Change at the Jane at the Addams Hull-House Museum (The Field Museum Lower East Side Tenement Museum) is sponsoring "Using the Past to Shape the Future: Addressing Civic Issues at Historic Sites, Museums, and Cultural Centers." On November 18-19, 2004, "Using the Past" will present successful models of civic dialogue at museums, historic sites, and cultural centers. Participants will learn how their institutions can help individuals and communities address the issues most central to their lives today. For more information go to http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/2004conference/ or contact pegs@uic.edu.
  

  July 8, 2004

• The following item on youth voting has been added to The Pew Charitable Trust's website. If you are interested in receiving regular email alerts from Pew go to http://www.pewtrusts.com.

  - Key State Election Laws Can Boost Youth Voter Turnout. The voter turnout rate among young Americans has dropped by a third in the three decades since 18-year-olds were first eligible to vote. But a new analysis released today shows that some key state election-law reforms can raise youth voter turnout rates by up to 14 percentage points. Many states have recently enacted a variety of reforms to make it easier for citizens to register to vote and subsequently cast a vote. These range from allowing election-day registration to mailing sample ballots and information on the location of polling places. Using two studies it commissioned, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) examined the impact certain laws have on turnout among young voters, between the ages of 18-24… Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and & Engagement.
  

  July 7, 2004

• Forum Flash has announced the following:
  - Federal Youth Coordination Act Introduced. On June 23, Rep. Tom Osborne (R-NE), Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) and Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN) introduced bipartisan legislation which the Forum for Youth Investment (the Forum), along with other members of the National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), has been working on for the past several months in response to the White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth. In helping to inform the development of this bill, the Forum conducted significant outreach to the field and was successful in getting many recommended improvements adopted into the bill text. The Federal Youth Coordination Act (FYCA/HR 4703) establishes a federal Youth Development Council composed of the secretaries and heads of 16 federal agencies, as well as representatives of community- and faith-based organizations, child- and youth-focused foundations, universities, nonprofit organizations, youth service providers, state and local government, and youth in disadvantaged situations for a variety of goals. More information, including a press release from NCY with quotes from the bill's original co-sponsors, is available from the Forum's White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth Action Center at http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/whitehouse/actioncenter.htm. Significant coordinated efforts by groups within the allied youth fields will be needed to promote passage of the legislation. Check the Web site for news, alerts and the text of the proposed legislation as they are available.

  - Summer Learning Audio Conference. The Forum's next audio conference is just a few weeks away. The call will focus on the opportunities and challenges of summer learning and its influence on policy and practice in the U.S. Guest speakers for this second installment include Karen Pittman, the Forum; Ronald Fairchild, the Center for Summer Learning, Baltimore, MD; Jane Quinn, Children's Aid Society, New York, NY; and a representative from the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. Register for this audio conference, to be held Tuesday, July 13 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (ET), online at http://forumflash.c.topica.com/maacoMlaa71arbeK2kCbafpKXx/ or by phone at 303.928.3133.
  

  July 6, 2004

• The New York Times Learning Network Lesson Plan, developed in partnership with The Bank Street College of Education in New York City, presents "Red, Undecided, and Blue" In this lesson plan, based on The New York Times article, "A Nation Divided? Who Says? By John Tierney, students analyze voter preferences in past elections, and then write letters to a presidential candidate, recommending winning strategies drawn from their research. For the complete lesson plan, as well as other information on the site see http://www.nytimes.com/learning/. To read the article go to: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20040614monday.html.

  July 2, 2004

• The American Political Science Association (APSA) will host its second Conference on Teaching and Learning in Political Science on February 19-21, 2005 in Washington, DC to promote greater understanding of cutting-edge approaches, techniques, and methodologies that can be applied in the political science classroom. This meeting will provide a forum to develop models on teaching and learning as well as to discuss broad themes and values affecting political science education. Intended to be much larger than the pilot meeting, this year's conference will be open to a larger audience. Call for presenters will come out in July. For more information, visit the Teaching and Learning Conference webpage at http://www.apsanet.org/tlc or contact Michael Woodruff, Program Associate.

  July 1 , 2004

• The latest online edition of Citizenship Matters from the National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) at the Education Commission of the States (ECS) is now. This bimonthly newsletter focuses on ECS' work in improving citizenship education in our nation's schools. Among its contents are the following:

  - Dr. Stephen Hefner, superintendent of Richland School District Two in Columbia, South Carolina, and Beverly Hiott, lead teacher for service-learning and civic education at Richland Two, describe their district's efforts in citizenship education and service-learning.
  

  - Kentucky's Senate Joint Resolution 80, signed by Governor Fletcher, urges the Office of the Secretary of State, with the assistance of the Department of Education and the Administrative Office of the Courts, to establish a committee to convene a Summit for Civic Literacy with the goal of determining a strategy for enhancing long-term civic engagement and literacy, and to recommend a plan for improving civic engagement and literacy.
  
  - Utah's recently enacted House Bill 22 provides legislative recognition that civic and character education are fundamental elements of the public education system's core mission and constitutional responsibility that must be taught in connection with regular schoolwork.
  

  - The current issue of The Progress of Education Reform focuses on what some of the latest research says policymakers can do to improve citizenship education, as well as what the National Assessment of Educational Progress has found about nationwide student civics achievement.
  
  - Five schools have been selected to join the First Amendment Schools initiative, a multiyear reform effort designed to transform how schools practice and teach the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment and how they can help students become active and engaged citizens.

  - An issue paper examines the efforts of 14 school districts to provide a citizenship education to their students. The paper offers a series of recommendations targeted specifically for state policymakers, district leaders and school principals.
  
  - A new ECS NCLC Issue Brief gives an overview of the arguments for and against lowering the voting age, including recent policy actions and a list of pros and cons.