What's New in Civic Education and Youth Civic Engagement Work .... (June 2003 Archive Section)

June 30, 2003

• The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) announces three new updates on its website:
  - New Guide for Measuring Civic and Political Engagement is designed and tested by leading researchers, "A Guide to the Index of Civic and Political Engagement" provides an easy-to-use and flexible tool for gathering data on levels of civic and political engagement within a community or a program. The Guide includes 19 different items for measuring engagement, the dimensions that they capture, and the different ways they can be used. Download a free copy of the Guide as well as its companion report "The Civic and Political Health Of the Nation: A Generational Portrait" from CIRCLE's Web site http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/youth_index.htm
  - Literature Review on Civic Skills is written for youth program administrators, educators, and researchers, a new CIRCLE literature review by Mary Kirlin summarizes the existing literature on civic skills. It examines the definition of civic skills as well as how these skills may help young people become active in civic life. The paper, "CIRCLE Working Paper 6: The Role of Civic Skills in Fostering Civic Engagement" also discusses the four dominant categories of skills: organization, communication, collective decision-making, and critical thinking. The paper can be downloaded from CIRCLE's Web site at http://www.civicyouth.org/research/areas/civic_know.htm
  - The Facts on Youth Volunteering is a new CIRCLE fact sheet, "Volunteering Among Young People," presents information on the frequency of volunteering, trends in volunteering, and the organizations for which young people volunteer utilizing data from many sources. The fact sheet can be found at http://www.civicyouth.org/research/areas/comm_partic.htm
  

• The New York Times Learning Network Lesson Plan, developed in partnership with The Bank Street College of Education in New York City, presents "Action? Affirmative!: Reviewing the June, 2003 Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action." In this one hour lesson plan, based on The New York Times article "Justices Back Affirmative Action by 5 to 4" by Linda Greenhouse, students learn about and discuss the implications of the June 23, 2003 Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action. They then research other cases, initiatives, propositions and acts regarding affirmative action in the United States in order to prepare for a series of debates. 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/20030623monday.html

  June 27, 2003

• Two articles regarding the AmeriCorps issue are in today's Washington Post:

  Save AmeriCorps, Mr. President - "National service has always been a laudable idea that supplies politicians with selfless and patriotic flourishes for their speeches. But who knew that the AmeriCorps program had -- as we like to say here -- such a deep political base? Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat who came to politics through neighborhood activism, said this discovery is the one good thing to come out of the funding crisis confronting the nation's great, federally supported volunteer program. 'It is really shining a spotlight on the program's enormous grass-roots support, as well as its enormous corporate support,' she says…" by E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post, 6/27/03.

  AmeriCorps Money Woes Jeopardize Area Groups: Programs Stand to Lose Hundreds of Volunteers - "AmeriCorps Funding for hundreds of young workers who perform such tasks as tutoring children, feeding the homeless, picking up trash, building affordable housing and recruiting volunteers for Washington area nonprofits could be slashed soon because AmeriCorps, the national service program that oversees their efforts, is struggling with big budget cuts of its own. Unless Congress comes up with more funding for AmeriCorps, officials warn, the troubled federal program will have to slice thousands of positions nationwide, hurting programs in this area and elsewhere that rely on AmeriCorps participants to fill out their pinched staffs…" by Jacqueline L. Salmon, Washington Post, 6/27/03.

• Come lend your voice to future generations of Americans… Join The Content of Our Character Project (CoC) in writing to the next generation in their upcoming book, Dream Again, America. What core principles, values, and ideals do you want future generations to honor, respect, and practice? CoC is asking Americans to reflect on this question and respond by writing brief "Letters to the Next Generation." Founded in 1998 and housed at Duke University's Kenan Institute for Ethics, The Content of Our Character Project is a nationwide initiative designed to facilitate substantive, public deliberation on ethics and leadership. Over the past five years, tens of thousand have been involved in this initiative either visiting the project on-line or participating in the twenty-seven public forums CoC hosted around the nation. To participate, visit CoC online and click on the "Letters to The Next Generation" link (http:www.contentofourcharacter.org)

  June 26, 2003

• "Executives Seek More Funds for AmeriCorps: Letter to Bush and Congress Urges Action to Avert Job Cuts" - "Corporate supporters of financially strapped AmeriCorps programs are asking President Bush and Congress for $200 million to rescue hundreds of service programs across the country that were devastated this month by unexpected federal funding cuts. In an open letter to Bush and Congress, more than 200 corporate leaders wrote: 'AmeriCorps programs are closing. Young people who want to serve their country are being turned away. Communities, schools and children are losing their AmeriCorps mentors, tutors, teachers and builders . . . Please save these essential AmeriCorps programs that have done so much good for our communities.' The letter was published in a full-page ad that the executives took out in today's editions of the New York Times…" by Christopher Lee, 6/6/03, The Washington Post

• The World Movement for Democracy is gathering information for the next issue (July-August 2003) of the "What's Being Done?" section of the World Movement Web site. The theme will be "Democracy and Civic Education." They will focus on those groups working at the local, regional, and international levels to incorporate democracy into civic education. We are specifically interested in projects concerning the following three areas: "Teaching Civic Education in School and Out," "Combating Political Extremism with Civic Education," and "Democracy Education in Difficult Cultural and Political Environments." The importance of civic education was discussed during the World Movement's Second Assembly in Sao Paulo. To review the workshop reports, go to: http://www.wmd.org/second_assembly/topical/w-t16.html and http://www.wmd.org/second_assembly/functional/w-f7.html.

  Please submit any information (a brief description of the activity, contact information, a Web address, etc.) by e-mail (world@ned.org) or fax (+1-202-293-0775) by June 30, 2003. They hope to launch the next issue of the "What's Being Done?" on the World Movement Web site in mid-July. Go to the "What's Being Done On . . .?" section of the World Movement's Web site at: http://www.wmd.org/action/may-jun03.html to explore previous issues, including the current section on "Peace Building and Democracy" and archived issues on "Strengthening Local Governance," "Increasing Women's Participation in Politics," "The Internet and Other Media," "Breakthrough Elections" and "Cross-Border Assistance."

  For additional information the World Movement for Democracy, National Endowment for Democracy, 1101 Fifteenth Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005, USA. Tel: +1 (202) 293-0300; Fax: +1 (202) 293-0755; Email: world@ned.org.

  June 25, 2003

• "President Must Act to Save AmeriCorps" - Congress scrambled this week to head off a looming crisis in AmeriCorps, America's full-time national service program. By unanimous consent in the House and the Senate, legislation was approved that lessens the deep cuts in AmeriCorps by resolving a dispute over the accounting procedures that govern the use of its education Trust Fund. However, friends of national service should not be under any illusions that this alone will solve the problem. The president praised the passage of the legislation as an "essential first step toward maximizing enrollment this year," but declined to say what other steps he was willing to support…" By Marc Magee, Progressive Policy Institute, Online 6/20/03.
  http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=115&subsecid=145&contentid=251780
  

• Summit Collaborative is gathering information from 14 to 24 year olds in the United States through a Youth and Internet Survey to learn what types of online activities could help them be more civically or politically active. What they mean by 'politically or civically active' is any activity that seeks to influence decisions in schools, communities, or government. They are testing these ideas for a group of foundations who want to support young people in having a voice at many levels of society, from the local to global. They want to know: What interests you online? What do you need to be more politically or civically active? The deadline is June 27th. For more information about the survey or project contact Heather McQueen at hmcqueen@summitcollaborative.com. You can fill out the survey at: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?FD7JY58M2KYT8JB4CKCSSYE0

  June 24, 2003

• "Lip Service, National Service"- "President Bush speaks with passion and eloquence about the importance of volunteering. Especially since 9/11, the president has mad creating a 'new culture of service' a centerpiece of his domesitc agenda. He has called for expanding AmeriCorps, teh cneterpiece national service program, from 50,000 to 75,000 volunteers. But that lofty rhetoric is colliding with a grim budgetary reality that could devastate AmeriCorps programs this year...." Editorial, The Washington Post, 6/20/03.

• The New York Times Learning Network Lesson Plan, developed in partnership with The Bank Street College of Education in New York City, presents "Managing or Meddling?: Considering the Role of Foreign Powers in Nation-Rebuilding or Restoration." In this one hour lesson plan, based on The New York Times article "Rare Bosnia Success Story, Thanks to U.S. Viceroy," by Mark Landler, students examine Bosnian and Herzegovinian society before and during American involvement, focusing on the successes in Brcko. They then write a reflective essay considering the role of "helper countries" in foreign affairs and applying lessons learned from Brcko to current nation-building efforts. 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/20030618wednesday.html

  June 23, 2003

• The Quote of the Week in Public Education Network's "Weekly NewsBlast" - "Schools are being forced to focus on what's tested versus what's important, and the civic soul of public education is being further eroded. To remedy this, education must include a very serious civic component...one that promotes adhering to a set of civic-minded values and acting upon those values...one that doesn't just teach 'civics,' but strives to develop engaged citizens." -Terry Pickeral, executive director, National Center for Learning and Citizenship. For access go to: http://www.parss.org/weekly_newsblast/2003/2003_june_20.asp
  

• U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander's (R-TN) "American History and Civics Education Act" passed the Senate by a vote of 90-0 on June 20, 2003. The Alexander's bill, S.504, creates summer residential academies for teachers and students based on the successful Governor's School program in Tennessee that Alexander implemented as governor. The academies will focus on the key ideas, key documents, key events and key people who created our institutions and democratic heritage. "This legislation will help put the teaching of American history and civics back in its rightful place in our schools, so our children can grow up learning what it means to be an American," Alexander said. "Civics is being dropped from many school curricula. More than half the states have no requirement for a course in American government. And American history has been watered down, textbooks are dull, and their pages feature victims and diminish heroes. Because of politically correct attitudes from the left and right, teachers are afraid to teach the great controversies and struggles that are the essence of American history."

  The bill establishes pilot program grants for up to 12 Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics. K-12 teachers would attend these academies for two weeks in the summer to strengthen their knowledge of American history and civics and to explore different ways to teach the subject. Up to 12 Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics are also called for in the legislation. Outstanding incoming high school juniors and seniors would attend these academies for four weeks during the summer to broaden and deepen their understanding of the subject.

  A new National Alliance of Teachers of American History and Civics would be established as part of the bill. Each year one national grant would be awarded to facilitate the sharing of ideas among teachers and encourage best practices in the teaching of American history and civics. Lead co-sponsor Harry Reid (D-NV) said, "We're not just going to authorize this legislation. We have support, and we are going to appropriate the money."

  The bill authorizes $25 million each year for the pilot program grants. The program would last four years and require further legislation to continue or expand. The grants would be for two years, after which an educational institution could re-apply for a second two-year grant. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) would award the grants after applications are subject to a peer-review process. Each grant would be subject to rigorous review by the NEH after three years to determine whether the overall program should continue or expand.

  Alexander introduced the "American History and Civics Education Act" in his "maiden speech" on the Senate floor on March 4. Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) sponsors the legislation in the House. Sent by: Laura Lefler, Constituent Relations Director, Office of Senator Lamar Alexander. Phone: 202-224-4944; Fax: 202-228-3398.
  

  June 20, 2003

• Last week the Board of The Pew Charitable Trusts awarded 4 grants to civic education among its grants programs. Recipients of the grants included: The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE); The Declaration of Independence Road Trip; NextGen Voting Project; and Project 540. For more information on these grants and to access the programs, go to: http://www.pewtrusts.com/ideas/most_recent_grants.cfm.

• The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development will be moving to our new offices in Takoma Park, Maryland. Due to the move, their website may be unavailable from Sunday, June 22nd through Tuesday, June 24th. They will continue to have access to emails and phone calls at the current location until the move is complete. As of July 1, 2003, they can be reached at: Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development, Suite 502, 6930 Carroll Avenue Takoma Park, MD 20912-4423. Phone 301-270-1700; Fax: 301-270-5900 (fax). Online contact is: http://www.theinnovationcenter.org and Email: info@theinnovationcenter.org.
  

  June 19, 2003

• The Center for Civic Engagement and Project Pericles have developed College Convention 2004 (CC2K4) to bring a large group of politically informed, motivated college (and high school) students together in a convention atmosphere featuring all of the potential presidential candidates as well as scores of consultants, staffers, interest groups, media and entertainment personalities and sponsors. From January 7th to 10th, 2004 more than 1000 students from across the country will convene at the Center of New Hampshire Holiday Inn in Manchester, New Hampshire where they will become immersed in the New Hampshire primary through an unprecedented event. Three full days of candidates, workshops, seminars and receptions are planned with live national media, entertainers and campaign excitement. For more information go to: http://www.nec.edu/cc2k4 or email CC2K4@nec.edu.

  June 17, 2003

• The New York Times Learning Network Lesson Plan, developed in partnership with The Bank Street College of Education in New York City, presents " Examining How Immigrant Groups Adjust to American Society." In this one hour lesson plan, based on The New York Times article " Is Spanish the Measure of `Hispanic'?," by Mireya Navarro, students research the adaptation and acculturation of immigrant groups in the United States. They then create "culture capsules" aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of new peoples in American society. 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/20030609monday.html.
  

  June 16 , 2003

• Two recent articles in The Washington Post, both by David Broder.

  Empty Promises for AmeriCorps(June 15, 2003). "Few subjects are addressed more frequently or more eloquently by President Bush than the challenge -- and opportunity -- of voluntary national service. In his two most recent State of the Union addresses and in dozens of speeches around the country, this president has urged Americans to devote time and energy to community projects. And he has pledged his best efforts to expand government programs of national service. His advocacy seems entirely sincere, which makes it even harder to understand how the main instrument of such service -- the Ameri-Corps program -- may well shrink on Bush's watch..."

  AmeriCorps Officials Are Told of Cutbacks (June 14, 2003). "Local directors of AmeriCorps, the community service program President Bush has repeatedly praised and promised to expand, said yesterday they have been notified of what they called "devastating" cutbacks in their allocation of volunteers for the coming year. Memos sent to the states by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the parent agency for AmeriCorps, indicate that dozens and perhaps hundreds of long-established programs, including some singled out for praise by the president and first lady Laura Bush, will lose their funding..."

  June 13 , 2003

• The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) has released a new fact sheet entitled "Volunteering Among Young People." This fact sheet presents information on the frequency of volunteering, trends in volunteering, and the organizations for which young people volunteer utilizing data from many sources. To access the fact sheet, go to: http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/frequency%20of%20volunteering.pdf.

• In "Those Lips, Those Eyes," Joe Phelan, Editor of Artcyclopedia, brings together great art with the story of philosophy and the American experiment through an examination of Jean-Antoine Houdon:Sculptor of the Enlightenment at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Phelan writes "Heroes are "hot" right now in America, whether they are firemen, soldiers or amateur singers. This show bring us face to face with some of the noblest heroes [men whose ideas and leadership created the modern world and the American nation: the philosophers of the Enlightenment: Denis Diderot, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the founders and early heroes of the United States: Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette, John Paul Jones and Robert Fulton] of thought and action that the modern world has ever known; men whose faces project the vision and determination to reject the bad old ways of Europe and build a new society in the new world. To read the article, go to: http://www.artcyclopedia.com.

  June 12, 2003

• The Education Commission of the States' (ECS) National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) announces the inaugural issue of its newest electronic newsletter, "Citizenship Matters". "Citizenship Matters" is a bimonthly newsletter focusing on ECS' efforts to improve citizenship education across the nation. Each issue of "Citizenship Matters" contains the following: Guest Column; What States Are Doing; Good Reads; New NCLC Publications; NCLC News; Meetings and Events; and Names in the News.

  The ECS National Center for Learning and Citizenship (NCLC) assists state and district policymakers and educators to develop policies that support the efforts of K-12 schools to provide students with the skills, knowledge and practice necessary to be effective citizens. NCLC identifies and analyzes policies and practices that support effective citizenship education, publishes and disseminates policy briefs, and convenes meetings to develop a collective voice for citizenship education and the civic mission of schools. To view and/or subscribe to "Citizenship Matters", visit the following website: http://www.ecs.org/nclc.
  

  June 11, 2003

• The South Carolina Civic Education Project is preparing to offer its third intensive summer Institute for middle and high school social studies teachers June 16-20, 2003. Sponsored by the University of South Carolina Department of Government and International Studies, in cooperation with the Institute for Public Service & Policy Research, the course is designed to educate teachers about state and local government in South Carolina and identify issues that are salient for citizens today.

  This year the project produced its first CD-Rom for the course which contains a wealth of supporting material, such as Powerpoint presentations and reference materials on South Carolina government, to aid the teachers not only during the course but throughout the year as well as they teach social studies and government.

  For more information contact Charlie Tyer, Department of Govt. & Int'l Studies, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 at (phone) 803-777-7764/803-777-3109; (Fax) 803-777-8255; or (email) tyer@sc.edu.
  
  

• The recent online article "Bush's Broken Promise on National Service" by The New Dem Daily, states "While thousands of young Americans wait anxiously on the sidelines, administration officials have spent the last five months arguing over just how badly the AmeriCorps program was hurt by the deep cuts the president signed into law as part of the 2003 omnibus appropriations bill. The GAO says the reduced budget for AmeriCorps can support only 13,000 new members for the upcoming year (a 75 percent cut from last year), the OMB says it can support up to 28,000 members (a 45 percent cut from last year). Either way, one thing is clear: Bush broke his promise to the young Americans he called upon to serve." With federal, state and local budget crisis, the article continues "While the White House is silent on how it plans to remedy this dramatic shortfall, last week Sens. Evan Bayh (D-IN) and John McCain (R-AZ) stepped forward with a new version of their bipartisan "Call to Service" bill. They also picked up a powerful new co-sponsor: Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), the ranking Democrat on the committee with jurisdiction over AmeriCorps." To read the entire article, go to: http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=251751&kaid=131&subid=192 For additional reading see:

  - Update on 2003 AmeriCorps Grants and Enrollments, AmeriCorps, June 6, 2003: http://www.americorps.org/03update.html
  - - "Senators Unveil New Bipartisan Bill, Decry Lack of Progress On Volunteer Initiatives," Offices of Sens. Bayh, McCain, and Kennedy, Press Release, June 5, 2003: http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=106&subid=122&contentid=251742
  

  June 10 , 2003

• The American Political Science Association's (ASPA) Political Communication Division and The Annenberg School are holding a free conference just prior to the APSA convention on August 27, 2003 in Philadelphia entitled, "Mass Communication and Civic Engagement." For more information, go to: http://cct.georgetown.edu/apsa/index.html.

• "Brave New Classrooms: Educational Democracy and the Internet" (tentatively titled), is soliciting articles on political theory of electronic education; commodification and marketing of electronic courses; critiques of intellectual content and educational value of electronic courses; privatization, emergent intellectual property regimes, the knowledge commons, and university copyright practices for electronic course content; experiential electronic teaching essays across a variety of disciplines; integration of progressive and democratic education concepts (e.g. Korczak, Freire) into electronic environments; restrictive portalization (e.g. Blackboard) and learning access; redesign and transfer of traditional courses to electronic formats; differential social access to Internet learning resources; monolinguism and multilinguism in electronic education; race, ethnicity, gender or sexuality in electronic course design; dialogism and equality as values in electronic education; visions of progressive education via computers and the Internet. International perspectives especially welcome. For more information contact: Joe Lockard, English Department, Arizona State University, POB 870302, Tempe, AZ 85287-0302, USA; (Email) Joe.Lockard@asu.edu

  June 9 , 2003

• The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) will host a symposium titled, "Who Chooses Our President Anyway?" on Monday, June 9, 2003 at the Marriott Metro Center Hotel, Ballroom A/B, 775 12th Street NW, Washington DC. This dialogue is part of the League's biennial Council of Leaders, being held June 7-9 in Washington, DC.

  Join the panel of distinguished scholars and election experts as they discuss the current presidential selection process, voter turnout and the influence of technology on campaigns. Panelists include: Carol Darr, Director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet at the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University; Stephen Hess- Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute; William Mayer - Associate Professor of Government at Northeastern University; and Tom Patterson - Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
  
  For more information contact Lyndsey M. Farrington at (Ph.) 202-263-1332; (Fax) 202-429-4343; or (Email) lfarrington@lwv.org.
  

• "Stand by Me," from Public Agenda examines the attitudes of America's public school teachers - about their jobs, the challenges they face and the reform proposals that may change what they do. They found teachers have a fierce loyalty to their profession, tempered with a sense that society expects far too much of them. They feel vulnerable to unjust accusations from students and parents, budget cuts and favoritism from administrators as well as ill-informed reform plans. Teachers see the flaws in unions and the tenure system, but they believe both are needed to protect them from the risks they face.

  Yet teachers also see virtues in many reform plans. They are strongly supportive of higher standards, although they have doubts about standardized testing. Teachers are open to some kinds of merit pay and to alternative teacher certification. There are significant differences between new and older teachers here, with newer ones more likely to support merit pay and less attached to unions. "Stand by Me" is available for free download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format to registered users of Public Agenda Online. You can get the free download at http://www.publicagenda.org/specials/standbyme/standbyme.htm. Print copies of the report are available for $10, plus $3 shipping and handling. A press release is also available at: http://www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/aboutpa_press_release_detail.cfm?list=53
  

  June 6, 2003

• The executive summary of the final report of the National Study Group on Citizenship in K-12 Schools is the National Center for Learning and Citizenship's (NCLC) advocacy statement and the blueprint for work over the past three years and into the future. It summarizes a framework and rationale for (1) articulating a pressing need to revitalize the civic mission of education, (2) advancing service-learning as a strategy that can challenge and guide students to meet their civic responsibilities and (3) engaging every student in activities that make a difference in their schools and communities. Find out the principles of best practices needed to support the development of the democratic self, challenges to current policy assumptions and recommendations for action at the school, district, community, state and national level. To read the executive summary go to http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/16/77/1677.pdf at Education Commission of the States; or go to the link on the NACE Advocacy Section.

• The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is looking for a Project Director for First Amendment Schools who is well-versed in educational topics and issues to join the Special Projects Unit of their Policy and Planning Work Group in Alexandria, VA. This person will be responsible for overseeing the work of the ASCD/First Amendment Center collaborative initiative, First Amendment Schools: Educating for Freedom and Responsibility, including design of grant criteria, school selection, planning for public awareness events, providing technical assistance to project schools and school affiliates, and project monitoring and reporting. The individual will also work in collaboration with the First Amendment Center's staff assigned to the project, approve major expenditures, represent ASCD at all meetings relevant to the First Amendment Schools project, and be responsible for developing products based on the project. For more information about ASCD go to http://www.ascd.org. You may also read a detailed job description at that website or at the PDF ASCD Project Director. To apply please send a cover letter and resume to: ASCD, 1703 N. Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311; email - HR@ascd.org; fax - 703-575-5402. M/F/V/D.

  June 5 , 2003

• The Spring 2003 issue of The Public Agenda includes the article "Public Agenda and the Constitution." This feature discusses the implications of the Constitution Education and Engagement Project (CEEP) high school and college curriculum. According to the article, " The curriculum uses various aspects of Public Agenda's research - including findings on people's attitudes toward voting rights, access to fair and equal judicial procedures, and application of the law to various segments of our society - to teach students about how the Constitution is an integral part of life in the United States. CEEP grew out of Public Agenda's recent study Knowing It By Heart: Americans Consider the Constitution and its Meaning. To read the article, go to page five of the Spring issue at: http://www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/pdf/springnewsletter03.pdf

• The recent article "Youth Demand a Voice and a Vote" by Alex Koroknay-Palicz for Wiretap Magazine discusses granting youth under 18 the right to vote will confer upon them the respect from lawmakers that they deserve. To read the article, go to http://www.wiretapmag.org/story.html?StoryID=15979

  June 4, 2003

• The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation has a number of new resources and opportunities on their community section:

  - New Essay on Public Dialogue Available
  - CivWorld Campaign Plans "Interdependence Day"
  - Support the 2nd Annual National Civic Participation Week
  - Tips for Building and Sustaining Online Communities
  - New Online Deliberative Democracy Newsletter for Educators
  - New BBC Project Helps Citizens Organize Online

  To find out more go to: http://www.thataway.org/dialogue/com/com_intro.htm
  

  June 3 , 2003

• "College students can be a potent political force in 2004, according to a national survey of undergraduates conducted by Harvard University's Institute of Politics. These 'Campus Kids', the offspring of the Soccer Moms and Office Park Dads, are a persuadable group who are not yet slanted to one major political party or ideology." See http://www.iop.harvard.edu/ for the full report, topline data, and a press release.

  June 2, 2003

• The Cooperative Civic Education & Economic Education Exchange Program (Federal Register (CFDA#84.304A) is now accepting applications for a grant to improve the quality of civic education through cooperative civic education exchange programs with emerging democracies. Eligible applicants include organizations in the United States experienced in the development of curricula & programs in civics and government education & economic education for students in elementary schools & secondary schools in countries other than the United States, to carry out civic education activities. Deadline for transmittal of applications: July 7, 2003; Estimated Available Funds: $2,007,618; Estimated Range of Awards: $2,007,618; Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,007,618; Estimated Number of Awards: 1. Additional information is available online at:
  http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2003-2/052303a.html