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Welcome to the 3rd Annual Massachusetts Civic Learning Week (March 6-10, 2023)!


Civic Learning Week 2023 seeks to highlight the importance of civic education in sustaining and strengthening constitutional democracy in the United States.

By highlighting the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that provide the foundation for an informed and engaged populace, Civic Learning Week seeks to further energize the movement for renewed civic education across Massachusetts and the nation.

Join us! Register for the special events here in Massachusetts and on the national stage.

NOTE: Are you confused on how to navigate this platform? Please click here to see a detailed guide on how to add sessions to your schedule and access event meeting links.
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Principle 5: Practice of Constitutional Democracy and Student Agency [clear filter]
Monday, March 6
 

9:30am EST

Making Change for a Living: How to Find a Career in Civic Action
This event is organized by Generation Citizen.

This session is designed to create a space for students to explore careers in civic action. Panelists will include community organizers, activists, and elected officials. They will speak with students about career paths and best practices, skills, and mindsets for getting started in a role focused on civic action, and what they’ve learned about civic action over the course of their work. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, share their experiences, and give and gain context and advice from panelists.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
CO
AV


Monday March 6, 2023 9:30am - 10:30am EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)   Educators   Administrators

10:00am EST

Zoom with a Judge: Grades 3-5
This event is organized by Discovering Justice.

This session will allow students to discuss justice in the US court system looking at a case study alongside a real judge. Students will identify what they believe justice looks like and justify their thinking. Judges will answer student questions and discuss how students can seek justice in their own lives.
Teachers of students in grades 3-5, login and stream during your class time to provide students with this engaging civic learning opportunity!

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.


Speakers
CM
JD
avatar for Victoria Suri


Monday March 6, 2023 10:00am - 10:30am EST
Virtual
  Students (K-5)

1:00pm EST

Taking Action for Climate Change: Students Speak
This event is organized by Mass Audubon.

Many students know that climate change is a problem, and they want to help, but they aren't sure how to get started or what they can really do. Hear from current high school students about what they are doing to propose legislation, raise awareness, educate their peers and lobby for meaningful policy change. This session is presented by students, for students. You will have a chance to ask questions and hear directly from students about how to truly influence our state's policies on climate change.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
SK
JF
avatar for Brittany Gutermuth


Monday March 6, 2023 1:00pm - 1:30pm EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)

2:30pm EST

Civic Identity Development through Deeper Civic Learning: The Democratic Knowledge Project’s “Civic Engagement in Our Democracy”
This event is organized by the Democratic Knowledge Project.

This session will provide educators and administrators with an experiential orientation to an approach to civic learning and a set of resources aligned with the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap and the MA History/Social Studies framework. During this session, participants will engage in and reflect on a hands-on activity from the Democratic Knowledge Project (DKP) curricular resources. They will learn about the DKP, its pedagogical approach to Deeper Civic Learning, and how the DKP resources have been experienced by Massachusetts educators and students over the past four years.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
AB
TB


Monday March 6, 2023 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST
Virtual
  Educators   Administrators

3:45pm EST

Teaching Civics Through Advocacy for Bills Before the Massachusetts Legislature
This event is organized by the League of Women Voters of Needham.

This session will present materials and strategies for high school teachers to use to enable students to select an issue, research bills before the legislature, and develop and execute an advocacy plan. These materials include a Student Advocacy Guide and a set of short videos.
We will also present a structure for a civics showcase where students can make their pitch to state legislators, town officials, and the general public. We will also discuss the successful school / community collaboration with the League of Women Voters for this project.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
KP

Karen Price

League of Women Voters of Needham
CD


Monday March 6, 2023 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
Virtual
  Educators   Administrators   Community Organizations

4:30pm EST

Five Ways to Integrate Civics into Everyday Classroom Practice
In this session, K-12 educators will have an opportunity to explore five different ideas for integrating civics into your regular classroom routines. From classroom principles to morning meeting to problem solving to classroom rules, civics is and can be everywhere. In this session, educators will have the chance to imagine and try out some basic activities for building civics into existing classroom practice and curriculum.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
avatar for Kelley Brown

Kelley Brown

Teacher, Professional Development Coordinator, Easthampton Public Schools
LR

Monday March 6, 2023 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Virtual
  Educators   Administrators
 
Tuesday, March 7
 

4:30pm EST

Hosting a Local Civics Project Showcase
This event is organized by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Generation Citizen.

This session will explore how Massachusetts schools and districts can host their own local civics project showcases. Often structured as “science fairs for civics,” the goal of these showcases is to celebrate student-led civics projects and to provide opportunities for students to share their work with an authentic audience. During this session, two teacher-leaders will share examples of school-wide and city-wide showcases they planned and hosted, covering topics both logistical and pedagogical! Attendees will leave the session with concrete resources for how to host their own civics project showcase events.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.


Speakers
RJ

Rebekah Judson

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
JJ

Joe Jussaume

Lowell Public Schools
FC

Faith Carbon

Generation Citizen
LM

Luke Maus

Lynn Public Schools

Tuesday March 7, 2023 4:30pm - 5:30pm EST
Virtual
  Educators   Administrators

5:30pm EST

Civic Learning, Social and Emotional Learning, and How Embodied Play Supports Both
This event is organized by the iThrive Games.

How we engage civically is a measure of our social and emotional skills. This session, designed for secondary school administrators, policymakers, and organizations, will explore how iThrive Sim’s award-winning simulation games elevate C3 Framework-aligned civics education into play-powered, social and emotional skill-building experiences for teens. As part of this informational session, participants will learn how iThrive Sim’s game-based and wellness-supporting approach to civics education, and the science that underpins it, is transforming how young people learn. Participants will also play a demo of a single-player game co-created by teens, iThrive Games, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a firsthand experience of how the self-regulation, stress management, peer connection, and real-world applications in an iThrive Sim game helps create transformative civic learning experiences in high schools and in teen-serving program.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
JL

Jane Lee

iThrive Games' Senior Director of Operations and Mental Health
EA

Tuesday March 7, 2023 5:30pm - 6:30pm EST
Virtual
  Administrators
 
Wednesday, March 8
 

10:00am EST

Zoom with a Judge: Trial by Jury (8-12)
This event is organized by the Discovering Justice.

A trial by jury is extremely rare in the criminal justice system; in 2018, only 2% of federal criminal cases went to trial. This is the norm. But why? Our panelists and students will explore the benefits and challenges of the American jury system as it is today. Join our Zoom with a Judge to explore this essential question: Does the American jury system bring about justice?

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
KB
avatar for Matt Wilson


Wednesday March 8, 2023 10:00am - 10:45am EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)   Educators   Students (6-8)

10:00am EST

Civil Rights, Civic Action
This event is organized by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

This program helps students make connections between the organized nonviolent actions of the civil rights movement and civic action for justice today. Students will "meet" three young people through primary and secondary source material and learn how they used the tools of democracy to fight for justice and equality. In a final activity, students reflect on a local, national, or international issue of concern and identify a civic action they can take to help address it.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
EK


Wednesday March 8, 2023 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Virtual
  Students (K-5)   Educators

12:30pm EST

Student Changemaker: Finding Your Voice in Our Democracy
This event is organized by the ACLU of Massachusetts and the Junior League of Boston.

Often times students feel like they do not have a voice in our democracy, especially when they are not yet of voting age. The purpose of this event is to highlight ways that students can use their own voices and their own experiences to advocate for the issues they care about beyond the ballot box. Students will have an opportunity to learn about issues that the ACLU is working on, identify issues in their own lives and communities, and ways they can can participate in public advocacy.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
OS
LR

Wednesday March 8, 2023 12:30pm - 1:30pm EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)   Educators

1:30pm EST

Progress and Opportunity: Taking Stock of the 2018 Civic Education Law
This event is organized by the MA Civic Learning Coalition (MCLC).

In 2018, the Massachusetts Legislature passed and Governor signed the Civics Education Law which prioritized civics learning in Grades K-12. Five years later, civic education has made a comeback in the Commonwealth with new updated curriculum and professional development to help guide our schools and teachers. Still, many school system continue to lag behind with students not having the opportunity to learn about our democracy and how to engage. Come listen to teachers and students tell the stories of their civics learning and the need for increased state investment to meet the needs of student's all across Massachusetts.

Please note this event is in-person at the Massachusetts State House in Room 428.
Speakers
avatar for Matt Wilson
SR
RV


Wednesday March 8, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm EST
Massachusetts State House
  Policymakers

7:00pm EST

Teach Disability History: We Can and We Must - An imperative for civics learning.
This event is organized by Emerging America.

Join educators and disability advocates as we share compelling stories of disability rights activists across 200 years of history and ways you can support disability history today.
The new Reform to Equal Rights: K-12 Disability History Curriculum offers free, online, 23 inclusive lessons with 200+ primary sources. Topics include Moral Reformers, Disability Rights Movement, and fully inclusive Civics Projects. A unit on disabled Civil War veterans and nurses who served them features Massachusetts stories, supported by the Expand Massachusetts Stories program of Mass Humanities. Learn about the grassroots Easterseals Massachusetts #TeachDisabilityHistory campaign.
Funded by a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Google Meet details.
Speakers
RC
GW
DF
RN
KS


Wednesday March 8, 2023 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Virtual
  Educators   Administrators   Policymakers   Community Organizations
 
Thursday, March 9
 

10:00am EST

Zoom with a Judge K-2
This event is organized by Discovering Justice.

This session will allow students to discuss justice in the US court system looking at a case study alongside a real judge. Students will identify what they believe justice looks like and justify their thinking. Judges will answer student questions and discuss how students can seek justice in their own lives.

K-2 teachers, login and stream during your class time to provide students with this engaging civic learning opportunity!

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
JJ
JD
avatar for Victoria Suri


Thursday March 9, 2023 10:00am - 10:30am EST
Virtual
  Students (K-5)

10:00am EST

Making Your Voice Heard Through Journalism
This event is organized by the New England First Amendment Coalition.

This event will focus on how students can use journalism practices to amplify their voices and the experiences of others. Students will learn the danger of news deserts and how they can help fill the void being left in local news coverage. Professional and student journalists will share with attendees strategies that can be used to shine a light on what matters most to them in their schools, neighborhoods and communities. Students will receive practical advice on how to begin reporting newsworthy events in their lives through traditional school publications, social media platforms and other channels.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
JM
HD
JS


Thursday March 9, 2023 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)   Students (college and beyond)   Educators

11:00am EST

Showcasing Civic Action Projects within your Community
Showcasing student led Civic Action Projects is the final step of this overall process. However, finding the format of how to accomplish this can be very complex. This presentation will allow participants to see a model of showcasing Civic Action Projects that is manageable, student centered and engaging for all participants.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
avatar for Patrick McGravey

Patrick McGravey

Grade 8 Civics Teacher, North Andover Middle School
I am a grade eight Civics teacher at the North Andover Middle School who is passionate about Civic education especially the student led Civic Action Project at the end of the year.

Thursday March 9, 2023 11:00am - 12:00pm EST
Virtual
  Educators

12:30pm EST

Seeking Racial Justice Today is the Legacy of Courage
This event is organized by Primary Sources.

Designed for middle and high school students, this session features the short documentary film, Legacy of Courage: Black Changemakers in Massachusetts Past, Present, and Future. Legacy of Courage traces the perseverance and agency of those who have sought and continue to seek racial justice in the Commonwealth since the 18th century. Revolving around questions of structural racism, civic action, and interracial alliances for equal rights and equity of educational opportunity, this session explores the long history of racial change and brings students into dialogue with each other regarding their role as civic agents today.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
DO
EM

Thursday March 9, 2023 12:30pm - 1:15pm EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)   Students (6-8)

1:00pm EST

“Civics For Us” Student Panel
This session will present examples of student civic engagement including the events or issues that inspired them, the policy solutions they may be pursuing, and the strategies they are employing to participate in our unique experiment in self-government. 
This session is presented by the Equity in Civics Youth Fellows. You will have a chance to ask questions and hear directly from students about how they engage their community and what opportunities may lay ahead. Following their conversation, our civic experts will answer questions from the Q&A.
The Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship (ECYF) brings together a talented group of high school students from around the country to think globally, act locally, listen to others, and build coalitions. Fellows will utilize their lived experiences to shed light on how civic education can include student voices and become more equitable. ECYF is a project of iCivics.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
MR

Michael Reyes

Youth Engagement Coordinator, iCivics
HK
avatar for Marcus McNeill

Marcus McNeill

Alumni Mentor, iCivics
Marcus McNeill broke barriers when he was appointed to serve on the Transition Committee and as an Advisor to the Mayor of the City of Boston, Michelle Wu. As the youngest person to ever be appointed to serve on a Mayoral Transition Committee in Boston, Marcus provided high-level... Read More →
avatar for Shreya Nallamothu

Shreya Nallamothu

High School Junior, University High School
avatar for Kimtee Kundu
DP


Thursday March 9, 2023 1:00pm - 1:45pm EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)

3:00pm EST

Student Representation and Civic Participation in Local School Districts
This event is organized by the Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives.

This webinar will provide an introduction to student representation within districts and on school committees for students that have no assumed prior experience. We will begin by providing an outline of what student representation is and what opportunities are available for students. We will then provide tested guidance and resources students can utilize to begin playing an active role in their school communities.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
JF
avatar for Lisa Morde

Lisa Morde

Associate Director, Civic Engagement, Northeastern University
SK
MY


Thursday March 9, 2023 3:00pm - 3:45pm EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)   Students (6-8)

5:00pm EST

Teaching for Racial Justice Today
This event is organized by Primary Sources.

This session is designed to bring educators into conversation with each other regarding the intersection between curriculum and pedagogy in the long struggle for racial justice in Massachusetts. Featuring the short documentary film, Legacy of Courage: Black Changemakers in Massachusetts, Past, Present, and Future, we will explore the setbacks, strategies, and accomplishments of those who have struggled for racial justice in the Commonwealth since the 18th century while contemplating the role of educators in contemporary, ongoing, and unresolved efforts to solidify and expand racial justice and educational opportunities for marginalized communities. Within these efforts, this session will situate civic agency and activism as a vehicle for meaningful instruction as well as a tool for social progress.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
DO
EM

Thursday March 9, 2023 5:00pm - 6:00pm EST
Virtual
  Policymakers   Administrators   Educators
 
Friday, March 10
 

9:30am EST

Play iThrive Sim: Leading Through Crisis With Other HS Educators!
This event is organized by the iThrive Games.

Groundbreaking legislation is about to pass, an international incident is on the horizon, and then, a crisis at home shocks the world. The clock is ticking, and the public wants answers. Step into the role of a presidential cabinet or White House staff member and find them in the tech-powered simulation game, iThrive Sim: Leading Through Crisis. Designed for high school educators, this interactive and connection-building session is an invitation into the immersive world of iThrive Sim. Participants who join will play the role-playing simulation game in groups of six via 1:1 devices and learn how they can bring iThrive Sim’s playful, civic learning experiences to their classrooms.

Please note that an additional registration step is required for this event. Please register for this event here to receive the Zoom meeting details.
Speakers
EA
SM

Friday March 10, 2023 9:30am - 10:30am EST
Virtual
  Students (9-12)
 
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