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“My vote doesn’t count” is often heard in our communities. However, if community members understood how our democracy works, they would understand that each vote counts. But unfortunately, many do not, and the struggle to convince many of them to engage in the electoral process by voting and advocating for causes that are important to them is an ongoing one. How can Americans who know of the struggles of African Americans, women, and other marginalized groups to win the vote doubt the importance of their vote? If individual votes do not count, why were so many black Americans brutalized when they attempted to exercise their constitutional right to vote? The answer is simple. EVERY VOTE COUNTS.
This is the message that every student who participates in Civics 2.0 hears regularly. Per Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools Executive Summary, students who receive effective civic education are more likely to vote; four times more likely to volunteer and work on community issues and more confident in their ability to speak publicly and communicate with their elected representatives.
Unfortunately, most CMSD students do not have time to receive high-quality civic learning because of high stakes testing. So, in 2020 Gayle Gadison, with the support of former CEO Eric Gordon, created Civics 2.0, an after-school grant-funded program designed to provide high school scholars with opportunities to learn and enhance the knowledge, behaviors, skills and confidence necessary to effectively participate in civic life. Students from as many as 21 high schools have participated in this program from 2020 to the present. Each team has 10-15 students, who receive a stipend for their work and are supervised by a teacher/supervisor. The program’s objectives: create a new generation of voters, model a protocol to peacefully advocate for or against issues important to scholars and their communities, reinforce the principle that a free press and civil discourse are the fourth pillar of our democracy.
All Civics 2.0 activities support the program objectives and are introduced at student conferences, an essential component of this program. Participants collaborate, receive, and disseminate information, engage with community partners, and develop action plans that inform their work at their individual schools throughout the year.
Students conduct year-long voter registration drives and get out the vote campaigns. They post on social media, develop public service announcements, and use old-fashioned posters to encourage voter registration. They engage with candidates during auditorium programs and conduct phone banks to remind people to vote on election day. Many students are also trained to be election workers. Program participants attend the annual YMCA Youth and Government Assembly in Columbus, Ohio and are immersed in the legislative process and learn how to work with elected officials to build communities they
envision. They campaign against gun violence and provide support to surviving family members of gun violence. They share their opinions, interviews and thoughts about issues that are important to them on Unsilenced Voices of CMSD, a Civics 2.0 student blog. They have learned the importance of holding those in power accountable by seeking answers from city leaders and other elected officials to questions they encounter while doing their work.
Students who participate in this program are prepared for active citizenship because they are immersed in a civics “laboratory” where they learn, practice, and apply their knowledge of civic engagement. In Civics 2.0, students do not just learn civics, they live civics.
Description of Project
A grant-funded program that took Civics education to new heights. Civics 2.0 is a grant-funded after-school program designed to prepare students for active citizenship by involving them in a comprehensive civics experience, where they learn, practice, and apply their knowledge of civic engagement. The program is designed to involve students in politics by highlighting the importance of laws, fostering an understanding of the legal system, and demonstrating its significant impact on individuals and their communities.
Primary Objectives/Goals
The primary aim is to diminish the disparity between the uncertainty surrounding the government’s effects and the acknowledgment of its impact on society and individuals’ everyday lives. The goal is to enhance students’ comprehension through hands-on activities, creating and developing initiatives, and engaging in youth and government conferences.