RE: Citizenship in a Democracy

I agree with Jinky Gardner and others that educating our students to be active citizens is at the core of what we're about - and that it doesn't just happen.  There are lots of resources out there for learning "how to participate between elections," such as the League of Women Voters and many single-issue organizations that have an educational arm. The Secretary of State's office has a C.I.V.I.C.S. program to engage middle and high school students in civic participation.

Another great resource is the Center for Civic Education, which sponsors We the People . . . Project Citizen, in which students in grades 6 through 9 identify a local public policy problem, research it, and work out a plan of action to solve it. They are encouraged to present their solution to their local city council, board of supervisors, etc. What a great way to learn by doing!  The Center also has a high school program on the Citizen and the Constitution.

How can we integrate the training all these programs offer into the classroom?  Isn't this kind of hands-on approach something all our children should experience?