"Action Civics" Days and How You Can Get Involved
When was the last time a sixteen-year-old inspired you to stop everything and push for grassroots legislation change? You’re probably picturing Greta Thunberg right, but you don’t actually need to go that far to encounter youth who are blazing trails and making a difference.
Students and Advisors gathered at the New York Bar Association in Midtown for Civics Day.
This morning, Engines for Change Founder Kirsten Midura spent some time as a “Community Advisor” for Generation Citizen’s (GC) Civics Day in New York. Generation Citizen is a nonprofit organization devoted to ensuring that every student in the U.S. receives effective action civics education. Twice a year, GC offers “Civics Days” around the country, which are opportunities for students to present their projects to people working in these fields. Think science-fair-meets-Civics-class.
So, what is action civics, you ask? Well, you may remember Civics classes from your own high school experience - learning about the rights and obligations of citizenship at varying levels. While it may sound dry, DeNora Getachew - GC’s New York Executive Director - jokes that once you put “action” in front of it, it’s no longer that stuffy old Civics. Now, it’s something real that can allow Civics students to put boots their on the ground.
Keynote speaker DeRay Mckesson spoke about the importance of awareness and education in activism.
Indeed, the projects that we saw today were not students simply musing about what could be done to change the world. Rather, these students were doing it. For instance, one group was already in the process of filling out grant applications to have solar panels installed on their school. Another group was figuring out how to implement sexual harassment educational curricula in classrooms, so that children would grow up knowing what to watch out for. Students were encouraged to consult not only to their schools’ administrations, but also their local law/policy-makers, experts in the field, and other decision-makers who could help them enact these projects. Overall, these students were putting the “action” in action civics, and we had the opportunity to help guide them.
GC’s Civics Days happen bi-annually at the end of each semester in six cities around the world. The students are doing such a great job of being the change they wish to see - it makes sense that we should take time to help them achieve these goals. If you’re interested in getting involved or being a Community Advisor at an event, reach out to Generation Citizen. We’ll see you at the next Civics Day!
Generation Citizen has a number of programs dedicated to ensuring that all students receive Civics education across the U.S.
Got a story or update on your own volunteer work, community building, or activism? Let us know!