Ignite Each Student’s Passion for Civic Engagement

“I now know that if we want change, we shouldn’t wait for an adult to fix it.”

Dr. Deirdre Doughty, a Bastrop, Texas Experiential Civics Teacher and 2020 Region 13 Secondary Teacher of the Year, integrates her classroom with the community to “ignite each student’s passion for civic engagement.” And the students love it! Click here to watch (thanks to Generation Citizen!)

Have school boards always been this controversial?

School boards have a role in shaping your child’s education, but why are their meetings catching headlines? And has civics taken a back seat to STEM? We joined former school board president Richard Mukamal for some perspective. Catch the recap here!

Think school board meetings are boring? Think again.

Let’s hear from the kids

To wear or not to wear – that continues to be the question facing many students these days. Masks continue to be a point of confrontation and nowhere are we seeing this playout more than in our nation’s schools. CBS This Morning recently did a story on how tense school board meetings have become these days.

The Seattle Times says the kids are doing okay – it’s the parents who may have lost it. This article breaks down where kids stand on issues such as mask mandates.

She’s running

You can affect real change at the local level and it doesn’t get any more local than your neighborhood school board. Have you or anyone you know ever considered a run for local office? Check out our conversation starter on running for local elected office and talk to your friends or family about it – it might not be as difficult as you may think.

We have swag

Want to tell the world you give a damn about democracy? Get a friend to take the pledge! After they sign-up, take a selfie and tag us with the hashtag #GiveADamnAboutDemocracy to enter to win some Franklin merch!