Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy
Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action was recently released by the US Department of Education. It outlines nine steps the Department will take to advance civic learning across American education. Those step include the following:
- Convene and catalyze schools and postsecondary institutions to increase and enhance high-quality civic learning and engagement.
- Identify additional civic indicators to better help educators understand students’ civic strengths
- and weaknesses and lead to appropriate program design.
- Identify promising practices in civic learning and democratic engagement—and encourage further research to learn what works.
- Leverage federal investments and public-private partnerships to include civic learning and democratic engagement initiatives in federally funded education programs where permitted and feasible.
- Encourage community-based work-study placements tailored to student interests in federal, state, or local public agencies or private nonprofit organizations.
- Encourage public service careers among college students and graduates by using The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
- Support K-12 civic learning with a new grant program would assist states, local education agencies, and nonprofits in developing, implementing, evaluating, and replicating evidence-based programs that contribute to a well-rounded education—including civics, government, economics, and history.
- Engage Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions—including Hispanic Serving Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander–Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities—in a national dialogue to identify best practices.
Highlight and promote student and family participation in education programs and policies at the federal and local levels.
Download “Road Map Call to Action”
Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools
Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools, is an urgent call for action to restore the historic civic mission of our nation’s schools.
This new report provides research-based evidence of the decline in civic learning in American schools and presents six proven practices that should be at the heart of every school’s approach to civic learning. It also provides recommendations for education policymakers to ensure every student acquires the civic skills and knowledge needed for an informed, engaged citizenry.
Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools report was produced by the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, the Leonore Annenberg Institute of Civics of the Annenberg Center for Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania; the National Conference on Citizenship; the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement at Tufts University and the Public Education Division of the American Bar Association.
Download “Guardian of Democracy”
A Crucible Moment
A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future was recently released by the United States Department of Education and the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The report is the result of work by the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement. It calls on the nation to reclaim higher education’s civic mission and it pushes back against a prevailing national dialogue that limits the mission of higher education to workforce preparation and training while marginalizing disciplines basic to democracy. The Task Force calls on educators and public leaders to advance a 21st century vision of college learning for all students—a vision with civic learning and democratic engagement an expected part of every student’s college education. This important report is a must read for all who care about the civic mission of schools and Democracy’s future.
The Federal Budget: An Unsolvable Problem?
The Lou Frey Institute Symposium
Monday, March 19, 2012
University of Central Florida
Fairwinds Alumni Center
Program Schedule
9:15 Welcome
- Congressman Lou Frey (R-FL)
- Dean Michael Johnson, College of Sciences, UCF
9:30 Balancing the Budget and Reducing the Deficit: Can We Achieve Both?
- Ybeth Bruzual (Anchor, Central Florida News 13)
- Congressman Charles Melancon (D-LA, 2005-2011)
- Congressman Bob Clement (D-TN, 1987-2003)
- Congressman Bill Zeliff (R-NH, 1991-1997)
- Congressman Lou Frey (R-FL, 1969-1979)
10:45 Break
11:00 Principle and Priorities: The Concord Coalition Budget Exercise
- Phil Smith (National Political Director, Concord Coalition)
- Former Members of Congress move from table to table framing issues and supporting discussion
12:30 Concord Coalition Staff manages reports from selected tables
- Phil Smith (National Political Director, Concord Coalition)
- Congressman Lou Frey (R-FL, 1969-1979)