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

March 31, 2006

• The following article has been added to Pew Charitable Trust's “Supporting Civic Life” website:

  - GW's Young Voter Strategies Announces Winners of Multi-Million Dollar Voter Registration Competition: Winners announced in competition to develop projects to encourage youth participation in voting. March 22, 2006

  March 30, 2006

• The Education Commission of the States (ECS) e-Connections (an online newsletter) announces the following:

  - Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour last week signed legislation authorizing school districts to make civil rights and human rights a part of the curriculum in all grades, and creating a state commission to help them do so. For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CN2959

  - The 100 District Leaders for Citizenship and Service-Learning Network will hold its first meeting April 7 at the National School Boards Association's annual conference in Chicago . The network was created by ECS' National Center for Learning and Citizenship. For more go to: http://www.ecs.org/00CN2968

  March 28, 2006

• To recognize teachers who are doing exemplary work in preparing young people to become informed and engaged citizens, the Center on Congress is partnering with the Center for Civic Education and the National Education Association to establish the American Civic Education Teacher Awards (ACETA).

  The Awards will be given annually to elementary and secondary teachers of civics, government and related fields who have demonstrated special expertise and dynamism in motivating students to learn about the Constitution, Congress, and public policy.

  "We all remember with admiration and respect those teachers who made significant and lasting contributions to our education. These are the types of teachers who will be selected for the ACETA," said Lee H. Hamilton, Director of the Center on Congress.

  Each year the ACETA program will select and showcase three teachers whose students represent the diversity of the American public and private school systems. Applicants must be full-time classroom teachers of grades K-12. The honored teachers will travel twice to Washington , D.C. , to attend special activities in connection with the ACETA. Travel and lodging expenses for the teachers will be provided by the sponsoring organizations.

  April 15 is the application deadline for the 2006 Awards. There is no fee to apply. In addition to a two-page "self-portrait" essay, applicants must submit three letters of recommendation -- two from teaching colleagues and one from their school principal. The application form is at www.centeroncongress.org

  In September, the ACETA winners will participate in a three-day educational program in the nation¹s capital that will include attending floor sessions and committee hearings in Congress, meeting members of Congress and other key officials, and visiting sites such as the National Archives and the U.S. Supreme Court.

  The awardees will be recognized at a special program during the Congressional Conference on Civic Education, to be held Nov. 17-20 in Washington .

  Civic education is essential to the preservation and improvement of representative democracy," said Hamilton . "The ACETA program will recognize the 'best of the best' in American civic education, and call public attention to the fact that many teachers across the nation are doing an excellent job molding the civic character of young people and training them to assume the obligations of citizenship."

  March 27, 2006

• Position Announcement: Campaign Manager

  The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools was launched in March 2004 by a coalition representing over forty organizations determined to elevate and renew the schools' important responsibility to educate students for democracy. The Campaign works with coalition partners to promote the enactment of state, local and federal policies that encourage civic learning in schools, supported with sufficient resources and appropriate standards and accountability, and to facilitate access to high quality civic learning resources and materials.
  
  The responsibilities of the position include: overall management and administration of the campaign; governance relations with the Steering Committee and its Executive Committee; direction and coordination of other campaign staff; major fund-raising duties and donor relations; budgeting; supervision of state grants and state activities; supervision of communications and public affairs; coordination with the AED team regarding its educational resources work; collaboration with CEG colleagues as needed as a senior CEG staff member.
  
  Experience in coalition or association management and in political campaign management and background in educational policy are highly desirable. Salary will be commensurate with background, skills and experience.  Preferred start date: May 15, 2006. Please send a letter of interest and resume by April 15, 2006, to Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, Council for Excellence in Government, 1301 K Street NW Suite 450 West, Washington DC 20005, or to cms@civicmissionofschools.org . To read more about the position go to: CMS position.

  March 22, 2006

• Reminder: Applications for the Dirksen Congressional Center's Congress in the Classroom a national, award-winning education program are due March 30. The workshop is dedicated to the exchange of ideas and information on teaching about Congress. 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 from throughout the country will be selected in 2006 to take part in the program.

  The 2006 program will feature a broad overview of Congress with special attention to the mid-year elections of 2006. More information about the content is available at

  http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm

  March 21, 2006

• The Public Education Network announces the following: Public Schools are Hotbeds of Democracy
  
  - Democracies don't materialize out of thin air. They are created – and maintained and deepened – by citizens. If citizens are to safeguard civil liberties, elect wise officials, become wise officials themselves, make sense of the news and negotiate public policy with other citizens in an ever more diverse society, "their minds," as Thomas Jefferson said, "need to be improved to a certain degree." Public schools are ideal sites for this work. They are public places, so they possess the essential assets for cultivating democratic citizens: a diverse student body, shared problems and a curriculum. When aimed at democratic ends and supported by democratic means, schools can help children enter the public consciousness needed for citizenship, or what the ancient Greeks called puberty. This includes the habits of reasoning and caring necessary for public life: the cosmopolitan respect, the insistence on fair play, and the knack for forging public policy with others whether one likes them or not. The opposite is what the Greeks called idiocy – absorption in one's private affairs. Public schools are good places to help young people grow from idiocy to puberty, writes Walter Parker. Schools can't do it alone, to be sure; families and faith communities must do their part. But schools have the key ingredients that make them the most fertile sites in society for this work. Aren't the stakes too high to let the opportunity pass?
  http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/262189_democracy09.html

  March 20, 2006

• Community Schools Awards Program

  - To highlight the expansion and effectiveness of community schools, the Coalition for Community Schools is establishing a national awards program.  Awards will be given at their National Forum in Baltimore, MD, June 14-16, 2006.  Two individual schools and two communities will be honored.  Applications must be submitted by fax (202)-872-4050 or email to ccs@iel.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it no later than April 15, 2006.  To download the application, go to: http://www.communityschools.org/AwardsNominationForm.doc.

  March 17, 2006

• Study: One in 1,000 Know First Amendment
  'Simpsons' Known Better Than First Amendment
  
  By ANNA JOHNSON Associated Press Writer
  
  CHICAGO (AP) - Americans apparently know more about "The Simpsons" than they do about the First Amendment.
  
  Only one in four Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances.) But more than half can name at least two members of the cartoon family, according to a survey.
  
  The study by the new McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that 22 percent of Americans could name all five Simpson family members, compared with just one in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms.
  
  Joe Madeira, director of exhibitions at the museum, said he was surprised by the results.
  
  "Part of the survey really shows there are misconceptions, and part of our mission is to clear up these misconceptions," said Madeira , whose museum will be dedicated to helping visitors understand the First Amendment when it opens in April. "It means we have our job cut out for us."
  The survey found more people could name the three "American Idol" judges than identify three First Amendment rights. They were also more likely to remember popular advertising slogans.
  
  It also showed that people misidentified First Amendment rights. About one in five people thought the right to own a pet was protected, and 38 percent said they believed the right against self-incrimination contained in the Fifth Amendment was a First Amendment right, the survey found.
  
  The telephone survey of 1,000 adults was conducted Jan. 20-22 by the research firm Synovate and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
  
  To read the report go to: http://www.mccormicktribune.org/mccormickmuseum/pdf/Survey_Results_Report.pdf

  March 16, 2006

• City Year's annual convention, cyzygy '06: Be the Change – Advancing Global Citizen Service will be held on June 13-17 to unite more than 1,500 City Year corps members, staff, and alumni with hundreds of corporate, civic, and community leaders to demonstrate the power of citizen service and its potential to change our world - one child, one neighborhood, one country at a time.

  Visit the cyzygy web site for the most up-to-date information on speakers and events.

  For more information on cyzygy, please contact Kristin Walega at kwalega@cityyear.org .

  March 15, 2006

• The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) announces the following new updates:
  
  - Youth Sports: A Boost for Democracy? A new CIRCLE Fact Sheet and Working Paper
  explore the effect that sports participation can have on the civic engagement of young people. The research finds that young people who are involved in sports report higher levels of voting, volunteering and engagement in their community than those who do not participate.
  
  In particular, the data show that young people who participated in sports activities during their high school years were more likely than non-sports participants to have: volunteered (32 percent vs. 21 percent); registered to vote (58 percent vs. 40 percent); voted (44 percent vs. 33 percent in 2000); and followed news closely (41 percent vs. 26 percent).
  
  - The press release, new Fact Sheet "Participation in Sports and Civic Engagement" and Working Paper by Robert Fullinwider entitled "Sports, Youth and Character: A Critical Survey" can be found here: http://www.civicyouth.org/research/areas/group_membership.htm#sports
  

  March 14, 2006

• Reminder: The Library of Congress is now accepting applications for its summer 2006 Teacher Institutes. The Institutes provide educators from grades 4-12 across the nation with the opportunity to engage in intensive study and exploration of a specific topic using the staff expertise and facilities of the Library of Congress.
  
  The deadline to apply for the Summer Institutes is April 14, 2006. For more information go to: http://memory.loc.gov/learn/summerinstitute/
  

  March 13, 2006

• The Public Education Network announces the following:

  "Do Something Grants for Community Building , Health, and the Environment"
  Do Something will award grants to young people who submit creative
  proposals for solving local problems in three areas: community building,
  health, and the environment. Maximum Award: $500. Eligibility: Applicant
  must be 25 or younger on May 1, 2006 to receive a 2006 Do Something grant.
  Applicant must also have a mentor to apply. Deadline: May 15, 2006.
  http://www.dosomething.org/awards/grants/apply/

  March 10, 2006

• The March 2006 CivicMind Award goes to the American Library Association for their steadfast advocacy for access to information for all.

  The American Library Association represents 16,000 libraries nationwide which insure free and equal access to information for all, protect intellectual freedom under the First Amendment, and promote the highest quality library services. According to a national survey announced by the Association last month, Americans "overwhelmingly are very satisfied with their public libraries, agree more public library funding is needed and believe public libraries will be needed in the future
  
  Please send your announcements to Wendy Bay Lewis at: TheCivicMind@aol.com .

  March 9, 2006

• The Library of Congress is now accepting applications for its summer 2006 Teacher Institutes. The Institutes provide educators from grades 4-12 across the nation with the opportunity to engage in intensive study and exploration of a specific topic using the staff expertise and facilities of the Library of Congress.
  
  Participants in the summer institutes will:
  
  - Discover Library of Congress primary source materials
  - Develop strategies for using primary source digital content in teaching
  - Engage in inquiry learning in hands-on workshops
  - Learn from Library of Congress subject matter experts
  - Network with other teachers from across the country and share ideas and experiences
  - Leave with a plan for creating a lesson or activity to be used with your students.
  The four sessions include:
  - Session 1 (June 7-9) Incorporating Primary Sources into the Teaching Process
  - Session 2 (July 12-14) Teaching Across the Curriculum Using the Fine and Performing Arts
  - Session 3 (July 19-21) Women's History: Beyond Rosie the Riveter and the Suffragettes
  - Session 4 (August 16-18) Incorporating Primary Sources into the Teaching Process

  The deadline to apply for the Summer Institutes is April 14, 2006. For m ore information go to: http://memory.loc.gov/learn/summerinstitute/

  March 8, 2006

• The Practice of Public Scholarship in the State and Land-Grant University
  System (The Kettering Foundation Press)
  
  Edited by Scott J. Peters, Nicholas R. Jordan, Margaret Adamek, and Theodore
  R. Alter
  
  Colleges and universities are increasingly being called upon to deepen their engagement in the public work of addressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. How should they respond? Engaging Campus and Community examines the practice of public scholarship as a promising means for academic professionals and students to join with external partners in addressing our most pressing public problems. Based on four years of collaborative research by a team of scholars from six different institutions in the national state and landgrant university system, Engaging Campus and Community is the first-and only-qualitative study of public scholarship in American higher education. The book presents and analyzes eight in-depth case studies of public scholarship involving close community-university engagement in public work initiatives that address the economic, social, and environmental challenges of pursuing agricultural and food systems sustainability. The authors draw lessons from these cases that have broad relevance for the larger movement to renew higher education's civic mission and work.
  
  To order, call 800-600-4060, or email ecruffolo@ec-ruffolo.com .

  March 7, 2006

• The Marketplace of Democracy: A Conference on Electoral Competition and American Politics.

  Incumbents have won more than 98 percent of their races for the U.S. House of Representatives since 1998. The electoral advantages of incumbency have also grown for senators and in state and local elections. With rising concern about the dearth of competition, the Cato Institute and the Brookings Institution have come together to sponsor a conference that addresses several vital questions: Does the lack of electoral competition harm American democracy? Why are incumbents virtually certain to be reelected? Does campaign money or redistricting doom challengers? What might be done to increase competition in our elections?

  The keynote speaker will be Michael Barone, a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report and principal coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics. Among the academic experts speaking will be Bruce Cain, Gary Jacobson, Michael Munger, John Mark Hansen, Stephen Ansolabehere, Michael McDonald, Paul Herrnson, and former FEC chair Bradley Smith.

  Sponsored by the Cato Institute and the Brookings Institution this conference will be held on March 9, 2006 from 9:00 am – 5:30 pm at the Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC.   
  

  For more information and read the full agenda go to: http://www.brookings.edu/comm/events/20060309cato.htm

  March 6, 2006

• USA: University Students Helping Rebuild the Gulf Coast
  

  Five months after Katrina destroyed or rendered inhabitable hundreds of thousands of homes along the Gulf Coast, volunteer organizations turn to America 's youth to lend a hand.
   
  Launched in 2005, Opportunity Rocks is a public-service project of the Center for Promise and Opportunity, chaired by former senator John Edwards, that engages undergraduate students in the eradication of poverty throughout the United States .  On behalf of the 12.7% of Americans currently living in poverty today, Edwards has traveled to colleges and universities across the country, advocating for poverty alleviation through service at the grassroots, community level. 

  Opportunity Rocks and John Edwards are inviting students to be a part of “Rebuilding the Gulf Coast ” with New Orleans Habitat for Humanity, March 15-19.  For details visit http://www.opportunityrocks.org/springbreak/

  March 2, 2006

• The Community College National Center for Community Engagement is recognizing outstanding campus-based service learning and civic engagement programs that have developed partnerships outside their institutions. The Center seeks nominations for the following awards:
  
  - Collaborations with Social Agencies
  - Collaborations with Business and Industry
  - Collaborations with K-12 Schools
  - Collaborations with Universities
  - International Service Learning
  
  For more information go to: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/engagement .

  March 1, 2006

• The University of Minnesota recently held a forum on "Civic Engagement and Graduate Education", cosponsored by the Office for Public Engagement, the Graduate School, the Career and Community Learning Center, and Minnesota Campus Compact. The forum was a warm-up for the Wingspread Conference "Civic Engagement in Graduate Education: Preparing the Next Generation of Engaged Scholars".
  
  During the forum, Victor A. Bloomfield, Associate Vice President for Public Engagement at UMN presented an overview of his paper "Civic Engagement and Graduate Education: Ten Principles and Five Conclusions", which will serve as a basis for discussion at the Wingspread Conference. The paper is available online at http://www.academic2.umn.edu/grad_ed/index.htm