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The Power of Action Civics and Authentic Experiences
You can find many examples of civic action projects (CAPs) curated by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Despite the difference in terminology, CAPs and action civics projects are essentially the same thing. The Civic Action Project (2019) offers the following collection of civic action projects.
A problem or issue that matters to students A public policy connection Discrete civic actions designed to engage civil society and other community stakeholders with their problem or issue The use of media to inform and engage their audience about their concern and suggested actions to support a solution
Topics include traffic safety, plastic bag bans, bus stops, public transportation, animal cruelty, and cyberbullying. Other examples focus on specific federal legislation such as the DREAM Act, which allows young people who arrived as undocumented children to apply for legal residency (Constitutional Rights Foundation, 2018).
One particularly impactful project called Inglewood Gentrification (Constitutional Rights Foundation, 2017) exemplifies how action civics programs engage students in the real work of active citizens. In this project, students began by researching gentrification and its effects on communities. They then began researching the new two-billion-dollar NFL stadium being built in Inglewood and studied its potential impacts on the surrounding areas. Their next step was to travel to neighborhoods in Inglewood to observe and engage in interviews with local residents. After conducting community polls, interviews, and outreach to local politicians, the students developed an online awareness campaign aimed at proposing rent control policies in Inglewood (Inglewood Gentrification Policy; https://iwgentrification2016 .wixsite.com/savethecity). Their initial research on gentrification eventually led to civic action through public policy advocacy for rent control legislation.
Mikva Challenge Action Civics Projects
The Mikva Challenge Action Civics Showcase is an opportunity for students to share their projects with local community leaders. Visit the Mikva Challenge website (https://mikvachallenge.org) to see one of the showcases in action that highlights student projects focusing on various issues which are meaningful and impactful to their community, such as Youth Safety Advisory Council, Gay and Straight Alliance, Youth and Police Officer Relationships, Building Healthy Communities, and Combatting Mental Health Issues (Mikva Challenge, n.d.c).
