FL Civic Fellows: Bringing College Civic Education Programming to HS Students

• In Event: TLC at APSA: Civic Engagement Track Panel 2: Assessing the Immediate and Lasting Impacts of Civic Engagement Education

Abstract

According to data compiled for a recent Civic Health Index, Florida’s youth are known as the most disengaged group in one of the nation’s most disengaged states. In response, the Florida legislature enacted the Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act in 2010, which mandated civic education (K-12). More recently, the legislature added a new college-level civic literacy requirement. And in 2018, the Florida Legislature funded the development of the USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Program ($300,000 a year).
This partnership between the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and the YMCA Youth In Government Program is the first of its kind in the U.S. Selected high school students in the YMCA YIG Program earn six (6) college credits: three (3) in Political Science (Florida Politics and Government) and three (3) in Leadership (Community Leadership Practicum) for their participation in the Civic Fellows Program. All costs (tuition, housing and meals at the two week-long Civics Institutes that are organized on USFSP campus, etc.) are paid for through the legislative appropriation. By offering this experience, and six credits toward their college transcript, students from all socioeconomic backgrounds are able to reap the benefits of an immersive civics experience and also move closer to obtaining a college degree.
Bolstering this generation’s civic literacy is vital to maintaining and strengthening the foundation of our democracy. Overall goals of the Civic Fellows Program include 1) deepening understanding of government and impact, 2) improving the next generation’s levels of civic engagement, 3) increasing participation rates in volunteering, voting, and school events, and 4) providing hands-on experiences in government and public service.
In this paper and presentation, the author/Lead Instructor of the USFSP YMCA Civic Fellows Program will discuss curriculum development, program implementation, pilot year challenges and opportunities, and Year 2 adjustments. For example, the author will discuss designing and delivering civics curriculum to high school/incoming college students, how to create varied and engaging schedule of on-campus events/panels/speakers/field trips, how to anticipate and overcome logistical challenges presented by a 52-week program, and lessons learned from extensive student surveys. Moreover, best practices related to improving civic education for high school students, especially the development of opportunities to connect high school students with college-based civic education and civic engagement initiatives, will be explored.

Author

• Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, University of South Florida