Inaugural Massachusetts Civic Learning Week, April 26-30, 2021
Organized by the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition, Massachusetts Civic Learning Week will feature 45+ free virtual events to build broader awareness of and support for civic learning
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS [April 21, 2021] -- Between April 26-30, educational organizations, policymakers, K-12 administrators, educators, parents, students, and museums in the Commonwealth, will host a series of online civic learning events as part of the first-ever Massachusetts Civic Learning Week.
The events, which have been organized and hosted by the Massachusetts Civics Learning Coalition (MCLC), are designed to build broader awareness of and support for civic learning, amplify and celebrate youth voice, and empower participants to envision themselves as changemakers in Massachusetts and as part of our larger democracy. All of the events will be virtual, free to attend, and open to the general public.
Massachusetts has been at the forefront of combatting a national civic education crisis that has seen our education system fail to provide students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need in order to participate in our democracy. In 2018, the state legislature passed An Act to Promote and Enhance Civic Engagement, which requires that all students in Massachusetts take a civics course and complete a student-led civics project in order to graduate. That same year, the state revised its History and Social Science Curriculum Framework for the first time since 2003 to incorporate a renewed emphasis on civic education.
Civic Learning Week builds on and contributes to the state’s efforts to improve civic education in Massachusetts by highlighting the importance of civics and showing how it can be approached in a way that is engaging to 21st century learners.
“We are envisioning this week as an opportunity for our member organizations and the broad-reaching communities we support and partner with, to come together and engage in the wide range of programs, experiences, and opportunities that are all part of civic learning in Massachusetts,” Natacha Scott, Director of the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition, said. “We hope that through this collective action, we can reach more students, teachers, school leaders, parents, legislators, and the broader community.”
Throughout the week, participants will be able to take part in events such as Civics related trivia nights, youth-led panel discussion on a key issue of interest to them, inspiring discussions with changemakers, and story hours on topics such as, “Zoom with a Judge!”, “Podcasting the Future: Empowering Young People through History” and “ How to use the Mock Town Meeting Format to Create a Platform for Student Civic Engagement.”
“The enthusiasm and leadership of today’s youth demonstrate that they are fully committed to reinvigorating and strengthening our democracy. I am proud that Massachusetts has been a national leader in civics education – giving our students the tools they need to shape their futures,” noted Representative Linda Dean Campbell. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the great work of the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition to further civics education here and across the country.”
A full schedule of events can be found at: https://www.macivicsforall.org/clw2021
For more information, contact Mike Wasserman to speak with the MCLC or other event organizers at mwasserman@bostondebate.org.
ABOUT THE MASSACHUSETTS CIVIC LEARNING COALITION
The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition is a non-partisan coalition of 36 nonprofits, educators, think tanks, universities, and other partners committed to preparing all students to become more civically aware and involved. Its goal is to make Massachusetts the national leader in ensuring that civics is a core component of every young person’s educational journey. The MCLC’s mission is to advance civic education and engagement in Massachusetts by convening a broad range of stakeholders committed to building support for innovative legislation, funding, and policies that facilitate high quality and equitable learning opportunities for students, teachers, and the wider public. We envision a Commonwealth where all students have equitable opportunities for high quality civic education that prepare them to be thoughtful, informed, and engaged members of their communities locally and beyond.