42
BECOMING ACTIVE CITIZENS
Action Civics in Action So, what does action civics actually look like in action? In this section, we explore student projects from various action civics programs representing students from diverse demographics and geographic locations.
Generation Citizen Projects
In another powerful example, a class at Lowell High School in Massachusetts sought to address the gun violence issue by advocating for a local gun buyback program (Generation Citizen, n.d.e). Students conducted further research on the issue and also petitioned local leaders to pass a red flag bill, a type of legislation that “temporarily remove[s] firearms from those who may be a harm to themselves or others” (Vasilogambros, 2021). Reflecting on the experience, one of the students, a refugee from Iraq, proclaimed that: When I have an idea or care deeply about an issue, I can speak up. . . . We . . . have the opportunity and responsibility to act—to speak up about the issues that affect our communities, to raise our voice, to become leaders. . . . I am only a student, but if I see an issue that needs fixing, I can work on it, indeed it is my responsibility to help fix it. (Generation Citizen, n.d.e)
The following interview with Jeff Grifka, social studies department chair at Kickemuit Middle School in Rhode Island and advocate for action civics programs, provides insight regarding how action civics programs can get up and running in K–12 schools.
©️2022 by Solution Tree Press
As discussed previously, Generation Citizen engages students in impactful learning experiences that transcend traditional civics curricula and can lead to meaningful action and change in students’ local communities. For example, Willard Middle Schools’ eighth-grade class sought to address the homelessness crisis in its community of Berkeley, California, by advocating for funding of a youth shelter (Generation Citizen, n.d.c). The students reached out to city officials and advocated to pass a resolution funding youth homeless shelters. After several rounds of advocacy, a key city official visited the class to hear the students’ proposal directly and engage in a conversation with them. He agreed with the students but informed them that he alone could not make the decision. Instead, they would need to persuade a majority of city council members. The proposal was eventually introduced to the full city council, as students published correspondence to all council members in support of the policy proposal (Generation Citizen, n.d.c).
