Guest Column
David Beaumont Smith is the founder and executive director of Mobilize.org, an all-partisan nonprofit dedicated to EDUCATING, EMPOWERING AND ENERGIZING YOUTH to become more involved in politics. In this excerpt from his keynote address to the Education Leadership Colloquium on July 10, 2007, he calls upon members of the Millennial Generation to not only contribute to, but build the democracy they hope to inherit.
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Back to top.What States Are Doing
The NEVADA Youth Legislative Issues Forum was created when Governor Jim Gibbons signed into law Senate Bill 247. The Forum, consisting of 21 students grades 9-12, must hold at least two public hearings each school year, review issues of importance to youth in the state and submit an annual report of the activities of the Forum.
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In MAINE, Governor John Baldacci signed HP 133 which adds a student member to the State Board of Education. The student's term of membership, which is nonvoting, is two years.
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MARYLAND Governor Martin O'Malley signed into law House Bill 2787 creating the Maryland Commission on Civic Literacy. Among commission members specifically mentioned are two students.
http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/bills/sb/sb0492e.pdf
Back to top.Good Reads
A new measurement tool is available for evaluating ADOLESCENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. CIRCLE Working Paper #55 provides measures that tap aspects of adolescents' civic behaviors, opinions, knowledge and dispositions.
http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/WorkingPapers/WP55Flannagan.pdf
Cathryn Berger Kaye has two new publications: "A Kids' Guide to Hunger & Homelessness" and "A Kids' Guide to Helping Others Read and Succeed." Each book is designed to help kids in grades 6 and up develop their SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES while having a successful service-learning experience. Teachers, parents and group leaders can use these workbooks in classrooms, youth-serving organizations, after-school settings or at home.
http://www.abcdbooks.org/hunger.helping.pdf
"Leadership and Governance," the second in a series of "Essential Guides" to Pilot Schools, is now available free from the Center for Collaborative Education. Pilot Schools are unique public schools within school districts, with negotiated union contracts, yet with autonomy from the district and the union in matters of budget, staffing, governance, schedule, curriculum and assessment. They place STUDENTS AT THE CENTER OF LEARNING, always involving families, the school staff and the community in planning their education.
http://www.ccebos.org/news.html#guide
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT is a two-way communication between a school district and the community it serves. This ERIC Digest examines how public engagement can foster student achievement, how school boards and administrators can facilitate the public engagement process, and how school leaders can solicit enduring support from key stakeholders.
http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/student.htm
Back to top.New Center Publications
The NCLC Learning That Lasts FIELD GUIDE has proven so popular that we had to reprint it. The guide is a companion to Learning That Lasts: How Service-Learning Can Become an Integral Part of Schools, States and Communities. It provides specific strategies to move service-learning from the margin to the mainstream in American schools.
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Back to top.NCLC News
The National Center for Learning and Citizenship welcomes new board member PRISCILLA HADEN. Haden is a member of the West Virginia State Board of Education and a committed advocate for citizenship education.
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The EXECUTIVE BOARD of the National Center for Learning and Citizenship met in Philadelphia on July 10. The board is determined to enhance its research and advocacy agenda by continuing its focus on the agenda of the chair-elect; and, in addition, by focusing their advocacy efforts on collaborations with national intermediary organizations.
Back to top.Meetings & Events
The 2007 Education Leadership Colloquium was held in Philadelphia, July 10-11. Focusing on civic education policy from a P-20 perspective, state teams -- which included youth and adult members -- worked together to craft a three-pronged agenda for citizenship education that includes civic education, service-learning and MEANINGFUL STUDENT ENGAGEMENT in decisionmaking in their respective states.
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The National Center for Learning and Citizenship designed two sessions at the 2007 Education Commission of the States (ECS) NATIONAL FORUM ON EDUCATION POLICY. The sessions focused on student engagement and on education reform in Mississippi.
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Northwest region members of the 100 DISTRICT LEADERS NETWORK spent two days together brainstorming, re-energizing and moving forward in their pursuit of advocacy for service-learning and civic engagement. By the end of the meeting three prominent outcomes surfaced.
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Back to top.Names in the News
Kansas GOVERNOR KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, 2006-08 ECS chair, has announced the selection of ROGER SAMPSON as the new president of the Education Commission of the States. Sampson is currently the Alaska Commissioner of Education and Early Development.
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/74/54/7454.pdf
TIMOTHY P. SHRIVER, chairman of Special Olympics, Inc. and NCLC Executive Board member, is the recipient of the 2007 Lions Humanitarian Award. Shriver, who is a charter member of the Washington D.C. Special Olympics Lions Club, was presented with this prestigious award at the 90th Lions Clubs International Convention in Chicago on July 3.
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Back to top.Updates from NACE
Citizenship Matters regularly features new information available on the NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR CIVIC EDUCATION'S (NACE) Web site. NACE comprises over 200 group and individual members committed to advancing civic knowledge and engagement.
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Back to top.Other Useful Web sites
August 8 is the application deadline for a new program from the Case Foundation which will award grants for "CITIZEN-CENTERED" approaches to making the world a better place that is more open and more inclusive. The Make It Your Own Awards are a direct response to research showing many people feel disconnected from public leaders and institutions and don't believe they have the power to make a lasting difference in their community. To learn more and apply today, visit their Web site.
http://www.casefoundation.org/make-it-your-own/awards?source=partnerNL_NCLC
The 6th Annual Hawaii INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION, January 5-8, 2008, will provide many opportunities for academicians and professionals from education-related fields to interact with members inside and outside their own particular disciplines. Deadline for submissions of papers/abstracts is August 16, 2007.
http://www.hiceducation.org
QuantumShift.tv is CHALLENGING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AT ALL K-12 SCHOOLS in the United States and Canada to document their work on a social or environmental project through a series of short videos over the 2007-08 school year. The winning schools will receive a prize package worth $50,000 in cash and educational resources. To participate in the "Be the Change! Share the Story!" contest, schools/classrooms/teachers/student clubs must choose and execute a social or environmental project and document their progress in four short videos that will be uploaded on QuantumShift.tv every two months from September-April. For more information and to sign up for the contest, visit their Web site.
http://quantumshift.tv/schools
Back to top.International Focus
Read highlights of the First International Conference on SERVICE-LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION, held July 5-7 in Brussels, Belgium.
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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown launched a debate this month on whether the voting age should be lowered from 18 to 16. In the past, Brown has expressed his support of votes at 16 as long as the move is linked into citizenship education. He also announced plans to establish a YOUTH CITIZENSHIP COMMISSION, which will focus on improving young people's understanding of Britishness.
http://www.participationworks.org.uk/NewsBlogs/NewsArchive/tabid/70/newsid618/262/Default.aspx
The latest report from the Department for Education and Skills-funded CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION LONGITUDINAL STUDY provides an overview and update on the state and status of citizenship education in secondary schools in England and it sets out key recommendations to ensure its future success as a curriculum subject.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR845.pdf
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