PARTICIPATE! An Urban, Civic Education Curriculum Promotes Active Citizenship

• In Event: 63.078 - Analyzing Perceptions, Negotiating Identity, Eliciting Voice, Measuring Success When Participating in Experiential and Service-Learning

Abstract

Public Act 099-0434 was passed in August 2015, mandating that all high school students complete a semester long civics course. Thus, Illinois became the 39th state to require civics in order to graduate. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) had already rolled out a collaboratively-designed civic education curriculum to a limited number of schools, which meshed well with the new law, offering opportunities for teachers to facilitate simulation, implement service-learning, and support controversial discussions. With the statewide mandate, CPS revamped their curriculum, launching Participate!, providing both structure and flexibility, and emphasizing active engagement by students to develop the knowledge, skills, habits, and dispositions of citizens. This paper reports on the experiences of the teachers and students as they navigate Participate!

Authors

• Todd Alan Price, National Louis University

• Jon Schmidt, Loyola University Chicago