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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.
Student Voice [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.



Monday March 6, 2023 9:30am - 10:30am EST
Virtual

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.





Monday March 6, 2023 10:00am - 10:30am EST
Virtual

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.



Monday March 6, 2023 1:00pm - 1:30pm EST
Virtual

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



Monday March 6, 2023 3:45pm - 4:30pm EST
Virtual

5:30pm EST

Engaging Students for an Informed Democracy: The Role of K-12 Schools in Growing Voters
This event is organized by the Tufts University Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

Young people want to learn about elections in school and, when they do, they're more likely to vote, engage in their communities, and become engaged and informed members of our self-governing society. Join us for a brief 20 minute research presentation and 25 minute Q&A hosted by CIRCLE on how K-12 schools can play a role in preparing young people for participation in our nation's constitutional democracy. We will share major findings and recommendations from the CIRCLE Growing Voters report about teens' civic learning experiences, or lack thereof, and the role of schools in a paradigm-shifting framework for supporting young people's civic development. We will examine how multiple stakeholders in the K-12 schools ecosystem, including students, teachers, and administrators can work together to support young people's democratic education and participation and outline the practical steps they can take to ensure each and every student, especially those from disadvantaged or marginalized communities, receives a high-quality civic education that prepares them to be engaged members of their community and our democracy.

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



Monday March 6, 2023 5:30pm - 6:15pm EST
Virtual
 
Tuesday, March 7
 

10:00am EST

Teaching and Learning Indigenous History: Why Wasn't I Taught This?

This event is organized by the Upstander Project.

The purpose of this workshop is to engage with the hidden history of scalp-bounty laws in colonial and post-revolutionary Massachusetts history. Participants will watch a short documentary film, BOUNTY, and learn about the origins of dehumanization of Indigenous peoples, and the impact of historical and intergenerational trauma on Indigenous students and their families. Receive use-tomorrow tools to help teach this disturbing history.

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
WM

Wren Marie Gallant

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School



Tuesday March 7, 2023 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Virtual

10:30am EST

Welcoming Words: Her Right Foot Story Hour

This event is organized by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.

The Kennedy Institute invites K-3 classes to join us for our virtual story hour program, Welcoming Words. This one-hour program introduces young students to an important American symbol, the Statue of Liberty, and the welcome that she represents to immigrants. Together we will read Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, a non-fiction children's book with a powerful message about the Statue of Liberty and her striding right foot. We will discuss how Lady Liberty welcomes diverse neighbors into our American communities and students will then be encouraged to create their own symbols of welcome for new friends.

Please note that this event requires an additional registration step. Please register for the Zoom link here. Once you complete the form, Zoom will automatically send you a unique Zoom link to your email.

Speakers


Tuesday March 7, 2023 10:30am - 11:30am EST
Virtual

3:30pm EST

How Can Community Research Enhance Civic Engagement?

This event is organized by Massachusetts Envirothon.

Research is a necessary step in the development of responsible, relevant civic engagement projects. The Massachusetts Envirothon has focused for decades on encouraging high school teams to engage in deep and wide ranging environmental community research. In the process, we have gained insights into community partnerships, student initiative and teamwork, interviewing skills, and more. This workshop will provide examples from these research experiences, including video clips of student presentations, and invite participants to share their own experiences with community research.

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


Tuesday March 7, 2023 3:30pm - 4:30pm EST
Virtual

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
 
Wednesday, March 8
 

12:00pm EST

Preparing Staff to Facilitate Class Discussions of Politics, Identity, and Current Events

This event is organized by Lindsay Lyons.

Civics projects are opportunities for students to take action in pursuit of justice. Issues that matter to students and our larger society involve politics, identity, and sometimes shocking current events. Students are capable of grappling with these topics, but adult discomfort may be holding students back. This session will help school and district leaders equip teachers with the necessary skills for these conversations using a protocol that teachers can also use with students.

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


Wednesday March 8, 2023 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Virtual

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.


Wednesday March 8, 2023 12:30pm - 1:30pm EST
Virtual

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.



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



Thursday March 9, 2023 10:00am - 10:30am EST
Virtual

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.



Thursday March 9, 2023 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Virtual

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

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
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



Thursday March 9, 2023 1:00pm - 1:45pm EST
Virtual

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
avatar for Lisa Morde

Lisa Morde

Associate Director, Civic Engagement, Northeastern University



Thursday March 9, 2023 3:00pm - 3:45pm EST
Virtual
 
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