By Ace Parsi, Director of Coalition Engagement at iCivics
National Civic Learning Week is here, and we must use it as an opportunity to lean in. Why? Consider this. If we had literature majors who couldn’t interpret basic texts, chemists who lacked a basic understanding of the periodic table, or accountants who failed basic math, we’d have some existential questions we’d wrestle with in K-12 and higher education. Given both K-12 and higher education have a public mission to our democracy, we should be having a similar moment.
During National Civic Learning Week, campuses nationwide will showcase efforts, appreciate contributions, and spark discussions on how higher education strengthens our nation’s social and civic fabric. This builds off existing work reflected in reports such as “A Crucible Moment” and, more recently, “Every Student, Every Degree.” The collective statements in these publications highlight both traditional and new opportunities to reaffirm higher education’s public mission, from coursework to campus-community partnerships, from explicit and practical opportunities for developing bridge-building and complex problem-solving skills to public-focused research. There’s nothing random about these efforts and what happens on your campus throughout the year: They speak to the questions of current and emerging faculty and students, who are increasingly asking what they can do to positively contribute to their community, nation, and world.
This doesn’t have to be just a moment of dread, but one of hope. And if you are reading this, chances are you are already part of this moment of hope. Across our institutions and campuses, students and faculty are stepping up to work across divides to tackle entrenched problems, understanding and appreciating each other on and off campus across differences in viewpoints, and facilitating powerful learning that enhances the knowledge and skills to be effective civic actors in our communities, state, nation, and world. Let’s find creative opportunities to celebrate those contributions and aspire to be even greater in the coming year. This cover letter and marketing kit provides ideas on how, but we welcome your creativity!
Civic learning in practice
Read these stories from across the country that illustrate the different ways institutions are advancing civic learning
Tulane senior champions civic engagement and community impact
Tulane student & Newman Civic Fellow Barclay Zislin helps design, implement and evaluate initiatives aimed at promoting bipartisan understanding and civic engagement among the student body through the Civic Engagement Fellows program.More →
Stanford launches ePluribus Stanford to bolster civic engagement and constructive dialogue
The initiative will offer further opportunities for students to learn about democracy and civic values across the Stanford experience and put those skills and knowledge into practice.More →
Community Colleges recognized for civic learning efforts
Kingsborough Community College and Piedmont Virginia Community College, are recognized for existing civic learning and democracy engagement approaches as framed by the CLDE Coalition’s “Every Student, Every Degree” report.More →
University of Richmond alumni share the long lasting impact of participation in civic engagement activities
At a recent panel event, University of Richmond alumni share the value of undergraduate civic engagement experiences and how these experiences shaped the work they do today.More →
Illinois State offers faculty assistance in redesigning courses for civic engagement
Participants will get support integrating civic engagement into a course they have previously taught. The program encourages innovative approaches that instill an understanding of civic engagement as a lifelong responsibility in students.More →
Get involved: civic learning
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Join us in celebrating Civic Learning Week! As part of Civic Learning Week, iCivics and its partners have organized a number of events and resources that can help you advance civic learning efforts on your campus. Visit civiclearningweek.org for more!
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Don’t miss Campus Compact’s event celebrating Civic Learning Week! This Friday (3/14) at 1:00 PM Eastern, we’ll host “Creating Civic Cultures on Every Campus,” which will feature an inspiring showcase of civic education initiatives at a diverse group of campuses across the country.
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Find practical approaches and strategies for developing students’ capacity to engage in collaborative, public problem-solving in the classroom using the free-to-access toolkit from Nick Longo, Practicing Democracy: A Toolkit for Educating Civic Professionals.
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Learn more about civic learning efforts taking place across the country in the CLDE Coalition’s report, “Every Student, Every Degree: College Civic Learning for Today’s Students & Tomorrow’s Democracy”
Join Campus Compact
To leverage the full benefits of Campus Compact at your institution, join our coalition. Campus Compact membership offers valuable information, powerful networks, and opportunities to work collectively with peers across the country.