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

 

September 30, 2003

• Take part in a National Teleconference on Student Civic Engagement and The New Student Politics document on February 19, 2004 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (EST). Whether you are directly involved in the Raise Your Voice Campaign or not, the Midwest Collaboration is offering and requesting your help in a nationwide event. The Midwest Collaboration (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio Campus Compacts) along with Michigan State University (MSU) will be hosting a national Teleconference titled The New Student Politics. The best news is there will be no cost to your state or campus for the Teleconference.

  The Teleconference will consist of a panel of professionals, administrators, faculty, staff and students, sharing their thoughts on civic engagement and responding to your phone calls and emails. Join them at Michigan State University or via satellite from your own institution.

  For more information, contact Allison Treppa, Assistant Director for Student Engagement at Michigan Campus Compact at atreppa@micampuscompact.org.
  

  September 29, 2003

• All undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit papers for the twelfth annual Illinois Conference for Students of Political Science at http://www.politicsandgovernment.ilstu.edu/conference. Proposal deadline is February 13, 2004. Papers are welcome on any topic related to government and/or politics. All subfields and political perspectives are also welcome. Panelists at last years' conference included 55 students attending 15 universities representing 5 states.

  This conference provides a rare opportunity for students of political science to present their work in a public forum and receive feedback on their ideas. The best three undergraduate and graduate student papers will be awarded a cash prize. In addition, exceptional papers may be considered for publication in the Spring 2004 issue of the electronic journal, Critique: an online student journal of politics (http://lilt.ilstu.edu/critique). Registration for the conference is free.

  If you are interested in participating, please complete the online proposal submission form or submit a cover letter, containing your contact information (including email address), your school, and the name of the faculty member with whom you are working, and an abstract of your paper (or the actual paper) by February 13, 2004 to: Dr. Gary Klass (gmklass@ilstu.edu); Department of Politics and Government; Illinois State University Normal, IL; 61790-4600.

  If you would like to serve as a discussant on a panel, please send a letter stating your interest and main areas of scholarly knowledge. Email submissions are welcome. If you have any questions, email Dr. Klass at gmklass@ilstu.edu, or call (309) 438-8638. Online submission is available at http://www.politicsandgovernment.ilstu.edu/conference/.
  

• The Generational Shift in American Politics Winning elections increasingly depends on winning support from younger, more open and more volatile voters. Campaigns and Elections by Dick Dresner and Bob Wickers, August 31, 2003 http://www.pewtrusts.com/news/news_subpage.cfm?image=img5&content_item_id=1776&content_type_id=13&page=nr2

  September 24, 2003

• "Making Good on Our Promises" By Richard C. Harwood

  9/11 is now two years behind us. Rather than look back, what should we expect of our nation, of ourselves, as we move ahead?

  After 9/11 we heard promises that politics would improve, news media coverage was to become more serious, and citizens were to be more involved. It's fair to say that after an initial surge of activity, such long-term changes haven't come about.

  I have spent the last two years crisscrossing America talking with ordinary citizens, civic leaders, politicians, news media and others about the state of our nation. Divergent views exist on different issues, but one message is clear: we missed an opportunity after 9/11 to change our nation...

  Richard C. Harwood is president of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization located in Bethesda, Md. http://www.theharwoodinstitute.org

• The Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA), based in Minneapolis has officially launched the search for an Executive Director to lead their dynamic, growing educational organization committed to social justice and civic engagement. They are seeking a highly creative educator and organizational leader who works collaboratively with a strongly committed staff and board to cultivate and advance HECUA's mission of fostering intentional learning and collaborative action that equips students to become engaged in civic action.

  See http://www.hecua.org/programs/jobs.html for the job posting and job description. The deadline for applications is October 31.
  

  September 23, 2003

• There have been several youth related stories recently that may be of interest:
  - "College kids as the swing vote"
  http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=57897&ran=175738
  
  - "Rock the Vote" in the LA Times
  http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-et-rosenblatt11aug11181416,1,2782509.story

  - "And the recall.."
  http://fresnobee.com/columnists/esparza/story/7272473p-8198505c.html

  - "Hip Hop as the bridge"
  http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1060605011123000.xml

  - "The Dean Campaign"
  http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10003246&BRD=2318&PAG=461&dept_id=484045&rfi=6

  - "Philly's Hip Hop Summit"
  http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/6535910.htm
  

  September 22, 2003

• Moving Ideas Network, a project of The American Prospect, presents resources on the magazine's Special Report on Youth and Politics. In this special addition of The American Prospect believes that it was worthwhile to put on their website a summary of the essential needs of the next generation and what is required of the political system to enhance the chances that our youth will fully participate in American life. For example, "A Contract with America's Youth" indicates that supports a change in the fact that neither major political party in the United States pays enough attention to the young. Additional articles include:

  - "New Generation, New Politics: As generation Y steps into the polling booths, how will political life change?" by Anna Greenberg

  - "Virtual Politics: How the Internet is transforming democracy" by Garance Franke-Ruta

  - "Schools of Thought: The liberal-conservative divide on college campuses" by Richard Just

  - "Daughters of the Revolution: Today's young women have profited from feminism, but will they defend it?" by Noy Thrupkaew

  - "Doing Disservice: The benefits and limits of volunteerism" by Drake Bennett

  - "The Students' Rep: Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin knows how to represent - and turnout - young people" by Heidi Pauken

  They are asking for other thoughts and suggestions. Please send any ideas to youthcontract@prospect.org. For example, "A Contract with America's Youth" indicates that supports a change in the fact that neither major political party in the United States pays enough attention to the young. To read more go to http://www.movingideas.org/youthpolitics.html.
  

  September 18, 2003

• The Editors of Critique welcome submissions from undergraduate and graduate students for the Fall 2003 edition of the journal. They encourage articles from any field of political science, especially those that consider new possibilities for democracy and justice, as well as national and international public policy. Critique is an online journal of critical analysis by students of politics. It is hosted by Illinois State University's Department of Politics and Government. The electronic format of Critique provides an alternative venue that expands political debate by creating space for the emergence of new ideas. Such a medium broadens the horizon for undergraduate and graduate publications and serves to lift typically unheard voices in academia. The editors firmly believe that budding scholars introduce valuable ideas that must be heard in order to understand the changing nature of our global community.

  Guidelines for Submission: All submissions will be considered. All submissions will be referred by the editors prior to publication. Students should use the online Submission Form to submit work for consideration. Manuscripts should be single-spaced, right margins not justified, and not longer than 20 pages in length. Students can submit online at
  http://lilt.ilstu.edu/critique/writers.htm>http://lilt.ilstu.edu/critique/writers.htm.
  

  September 17, 2003

• Phi Delta Kappan's September 2003, Vol. 85, No. 1 issue features a Special Section on Democracy and Civic Engagement. Joel Westheimer and Joseph Kahne serve as guest editors to this special section that explores what constitutes an appropriate role for schools in a post-9/11 world. Articles and authors include:
  - "Reconnecting Education to Democracy: Democratic Dialogues," by Joel Westheimer and Joseph Kahne;
  - "So What Does It Take to Build a School for Democracy?," by Deborah Meier; More Than a Symbol of Freedom: Education for Liberation and Democracy, by Charles M. Payne;
  - "Civic Education and Political Participation," by William A. Galston;
  - "Teaching Democracy: What Schools Need to Do," by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer;
  - Educators' Roundtable responds to "What should teachers and schools do to educate good citizens?" by Roger Soder, Timothy J. Stanley, Terri Camajani, Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, Rod Paige, Kim Westheimer, and Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn; and
  - "A Guide to Organizations, Programs, and Resources" by Joel Westheimer and Joseph Kahne.
  

• As you may know, because of a fluke in the law, 16 year olds will be voting in the upcoming Baltimore mayoral election. Mark Hugo Lopez, at CIRCLE, reports: 16-year olds and 1,566 17-year olds have registered. This is especially good for 16 year olds, he writes "since only 16 year olds born in November or December are eligible to vote...given that there are 9100 16 year olds, and assuming an equal distribution of birthdays, that means, by a back of the envelope calculation, that there are about 1500 16 year olds who are eligible to vote, implying a registration rate of over 50%."

  September 16, 2003

• Shelley Berman authors an article in the September edition of Educational Leadership (ASCD) on the Hudson (MA) Schools implementation of reforms that build participatory democracy. He quotes studies of social development that show that creating a sense of community in classrooms and schools has a powerful impact on adolescents' social development - dividing 1,000 high school students into eight smaller communities. In the past their service-learning program for upper grades centered on classrooms, now each clusters' students and teachers work on more extensive and varied service-learning projects that related to the clusters' theme.

  Students are offered hands on practice in democratic governance, clusters meet for discussions as the principle governing unit in the school. "These democratic clusters build rich relationships between faculty and students, a meaningful instructional program, a stimulating professional culture for staff, and a respectful and responsible student body. But most important, participating in a democratic community enables young people to enter the adult world with the skills, values, and commitment to actively participate in our civic community." (page 38). To read the article go to: http://www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/index.html
  

  September 15, 2003

• The Center for Democracy and Technology (http://www.cdt.org) in Washington, is co-sponsoring the second annual Democracy Day at George Washington University on Wednesday, September 17th. Democracy Day is a full day student leadership conference that celebrates the signing of the U.S. Constitution. For more information go to the conference website at: http://www.cdt.org/democracyday.

• The International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) is pleased to announce the 2004-2005 grant opportunities for US scholars. IREX's U.S. scholar programs are funded by the United States Department of State Title VIII Program, the National Endowment for the Humanities, John J. and Nancy Lee Roberts, and IREX's own Scholar Support Fund. IREX supports the following programs:

  - INDIVIDUAL ADVANCED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM (IARO)
  Deadline: November 1, 2003

  - THE CAUCASUS REGIONAL POLICY SYMPOSIUM
  Deadline: December 1, 2003

  - SHORT-TERM TRAVEL GRANTS PROGRAM (STG)
  Deadline: February 1, 2004

  - JOHN J. AND NANCY LEE ROBERTS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
  Deadline: March 15, 2004

  - CALL FOR CONSULTANTS
  Deadline: Open

  Eligibility requirements vary by program. Please contact IREX for applications and more information on these and other programs by e-mail at irex@irex.org, by phone at 202-628-8188, or visit http://www.irex.org. A pdf file describing the grants is also available at IREX grants.
  

  September 12, 2003

• William Galston, Stern Professor of Civic Engagement and director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, thinks both political parties might be underestimating the voting power of the bloc of young and unemployed voters. "According to Galston, Americans between 18 and 21 represent the smallest slice of the U.S. demographic pie since 18-year-olds were first granted the vote, back in 1972. Yet, Galston believes this group could exert an influence disproportionate to their numbers, especially if their anxieties and concerns mirror those of their parents. He thinks both President George W. Bush and the Democratic field have largely ignored this potential one-two punch." See: Business Week, September 8 at http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2003/nf2003098_1354_db016.htm.

• The International Conference on Civic Education (to be held November 16-18, in New Orleans) will draw together researchers with a common interest in civic education, and contains eighty panels and seventy-five informal roundtables with almost five hundred people on the program. This research includes work on service-learning, moral education, character education, as well as policy research and work on the civic capacity and skills of citizens. The conference is inter-disciplinary and includes faculty from Education, Political Science, Sociology, Public Policy, Psychology and Evaluation, as well as practitioners. It is relevant to scholars from other countries including research from many different countries.

  The preliminary program is available at http://www.indiana.edu/~civiced/preliminaryprogram.rtf . For more information on the conference, including hotel information, travel information, registration information, presentation formats and to submit a proposal on-line, please go to the website: http://www.indiana.edu/~civiced. To register for the conference go to the conference website at: http://www.indiana.edu/~civiced/registration2003.pdf. The registration fee includes two breakfasts and two lunches. Registrations received after October 15th will be charged an additional $50, so be sure to register early.

  September 11, 2003

• As the 2004 election cycle approaches, attracting swing voters becomes a key concern for the political world. Amid all the discussions of how to attract "security moms" and "NASCAR dads," emerges another powerful voting bloc--their kids. A new report from Yale University details how campaigns can successfully engage and turn out young voters. The report, "The Challenge of Bringing Voter Mobilization 'To Scale': An Evaluation of Youth Vote's 2002 Phone Banking Campaigns," provides a blueprint for successfully conducting phone banks aimed at increasing turnout among young voters.

  The report is part of efforts by the Youth Vote Coalition to research what activities are most successful in turning out young voters. The researchers focused on commercial and volunteer phone banks targeting 18 to 25 year-old registered voters in a variety of locations, including Boston, Boulder, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Little Rock, Minneapolis and St. Louis.

  View the report-- The Challenge of Bringing Voter Mobilization 'To Scale': An Evaluation of Youth Vote's 2002 Phone Banking Campaigns at http://www.youthvote.org/press/index.htm
  

  September 10, 2003

• A new CIRCLE fact sheet is now available. "How Young People Express Their Political Views," [http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/expressviews.pdf] by Michael Olander, draws from the Civic and Political Health of the Nation [http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/youth_index.htm] report to provide detailed statistics about how young people contact elected officials, boycott products, raise money for causes, and otherwise express their views.

• The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College and USA TODAY are planning America's Youth Forum 2004 - a nationwide civic engagement project that seeks to engage thousands of voting age high school and college students in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary.

  America's Youth Forum 2004 will provide students an opportunity to study public policy issues they find important and ask questions of the presidential primary candidates. Classes will receive copies of USA TODAY and utilize online resources to research the candidates and the issues. Teachers are given flexibility in how they incorporate this project into their curriculum. The forum with the candidates is scheduled for November
  20, 2003.

  Space is limited to 200 classes and teachers (not students) must register. Please visit http://www.americasyouthforum.org to learn more and to register. Register online by this Friday, Sept. 12, 2003

  September 9, 2003

• Citizenship 2003: Resurgence & Reflection, National Citizenship Day 2003 and the National Conference on Citizenship 50th Anniversary is holding its very special meeting of leading civic educators & citizenship activists from across the country to commemorate on:

  Tuesday, September 16, 2003
  8:30am-12:30pm
  Hyatt Regency, Capitol Hill
  400 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, DC
  (free registration includes breakfast & a closing reception)

  Keynotes by:
  Hon. Lamar Alexander, U.S. Senator (Tennessee) & Mr. John Bridgeland, Executive Director, USA Freedom Corps

  Panel Discussions include:
  The Role of the Media in Civic Renewal or Decline - with Dr. Larry Sabato (confirmed), Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia; Mr. David Broder (invited), Columnist & Political Correspondent, Washington Post

  Paying it Forward: The importance of Youth Civic Education to the Citizenship Movement - with Dr. Peter Levine (confirmed) - Moderator, Co-Chair, Civic Mission of the Schools Project
  Deputy Director, CIRCLE, Research Scholar, Institute for Philosophy & Public Policy, University of Maryland; Ms. Susan Griffin (confirmed), Teacher & Executive Director, National Council for the Social Studies; and Mr. Gregory Werkheiser (confirmed), President & Co-Founder, Virginia Citizenship Institute & Vice-Chair, Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership

  Also: Swearing In Ceremony for New Citizens - Remarks & Swearing in by: Michael Petrucelli (confirmed) Deputy Director, Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services, Dept. of Homeland Security

  Registration is free online: http://www.ncoc.net/2003. For more information, contact Martin Haley, Conference Director; tel: 703-997-3006; fax: 703-995-4890; email: events@ncoc.net
  

• The August 2003 National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) Policy Update on Civic Education is a very useful summary and online at http://www.civicmissionofschools.org/nasbe.pdf.

  September 8, 2003

• The Michigan House Civics Commission (MHCC) at was created to give students a voice in the Michigan Legislature. The Civics Commission is a bipartisan group of lawmakers who enable students to present testimony on various issues that the students deem important. Since December of 2002, the Civics Commission has held fourteen public hearings within Michigan's K-12 schools. As a result of a hearing at Forest Hills Middle School in Grand Rapids House Resolution 28, a resolution to proclaim October as "Student Backpack Safety Month," was recently signed by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. To read more go to MHCC. More information on the Michigan House Civics Commission (http://www.civicscommission.com) can be obtained by contacting the MHCC Coordinator, Drew Buchholz, at 888 414 3684.

  September 5 , 2003

• The Southern Regional Council is building a new movement of young people. Youth are overwhelmingly disengaged, with nearly 75 percent of youth ages 18 to 24 choosing not to vote. SRC is focusing its work on high school juniors and seniors because eighteen-year-old first-time eligible voters reflect the greatest deficit in youth voting. The Youth Empowerment Program seeks to equip, empower and engage youth to increase their interest in voting, nurture leadership development among young people and get them involved in their communities. The program recruits young people to be Youth Council members. Once equipped, Youth Council members will empower their peers by identifying issues of concern to their generation and helping them to realize their potential to create social change. The ultimate goal of this project is to increase youth interest in civic life through leadership development activities that eventually lead to increased voting among youth. The Southern Regional Council believes that laying this groundwork over a number of years will engage a solid interest in voting for the November 2004 elections. For more information go to: http://www.southerncouncil.org/news/voting-rights.html.

  September 4, 2003

• With kind permission of State Legislatures magazine, Gary Boulard's article entitled "Citizens in Training" is now available on the Civic Mission of Schools website, at http://www.civicmissionofschools.org/statelegislature.pdf. The article discusses the Civic Mission report and other recent developments.

• At a recent meeting with civic educators in Philadelphia, John Patrick shared the following resource he created titled "Teaching Democracy Globally, Internationally, and Comparatively: the 21st Century Civic Mission of Schools." Professor Patrick provides several propositions and in the two Tables identifies student competencies. In addition, he offers ways of thinking about more robust concepts of citizenship education in the global context. For more information go to: http://www.civiced.org/articles_patrick_global.pdf.
  

  September 3, 2003

• Appealing Mix for Young Voters "They grew up watching reruns of Diff'rent Strokes,'' relished the Terminator series and think it's funny that porn stars are on the recall ballot. Better yet, at least six of the gubernatorial candidates are their own age. But will young voters, who typically shun the polls, show up in droves Oct. 7? Probably not, political experts and young activists say. The unusual mix of celebrity and politics in the bid to oust Gov. Gray Davis may be impossible to ignore -- especially for a generation weaned on TV -- but it's not likely to energize a generation of disaffected voters. In an election that is expected to be won by a very narrow margin, voters younger than 25 have the potential to be a significant force because they make up about 14 percent of the state's adult population. But less than half -- 42 percent -- are registered, the lowest percentage among voters."… By Tracey Kaplan, Mercury News, August 29, 2003.

• Schwarzenegger May Ride Surfer Dude Wave "Keep an eye on Eddie Castillo. In California's recall election, he and voters like him could play a decisive role -- if they decide, for once, to show up at the polls. Castillo was among a throng of young men in surfer shorts and sunglasses following actor Arnold Schwarzenegger's every move when he campaigned in a beach town near here recently. They had come for the sand and the waves, not gubernatorial politics. But their talk changed after the "Terminator" star arrived. Dude, they said, this time we might vote. "I've never voted," said Castillo, 23. "But this is kind of really motivating me."… By Rene Sanchez, The Washington Post, August 29, 2003
  

• Voting for Kids "In his book, "Dispatches From the Culture Wars," record executive and civil liberties champion Danny Goldberg says Democratic pols are missing the chance to connect with young people. At its core, "Dispatches" is a broadside against Goldberg's allies on the progressive left, and more specifically the Democratic Party, for squandering what the author sees as a natural constituency among young voters. "I'm sick and tired of watching the ideas that I believe in lose political ground," he writes in his introduction. "A political ideology whose purpose is to help and empower ordinary people is often directed by leaders and strategists to whom the public is an alien beast and to whom young people seem to be, astonishingly, irrelevant…" by Ann Hornday, The Washington Post, August 29, 2003.