What is Action Civics?
Mikva Challenge believes that the best means of training young people for their roles as citizens and leaders is actually to allow them a real chance to participate in authentic democratic activities—from elections to advocacy, from public debates to creation of new civic media. We believe that this is the best way to begin cultivating a vibrant democratic ethos in young people.
We facilitate this learning for students through an Action Civics process in which:
• youth voice is encouraged, valued, and incorporated to the fullest extent possible
• experiences, knowledge, perspectives, and concerns of youth are incorporated to the fullest extent possible
• students learn by doing, with a focus on collective action
• student reflection and analysis are central to the process
During this process, Dunbar students participated in an Action Civics project they felt would address problems in their schools or communities. The issue chosen was police brutality.
Mikva Challenge believes that the best means of training young people for their roles as citizens and leaders is actually to allow them a real chance to participate in authentic democratic activities—from elections to advocacy, from public debates to creation of new civic media. We believe that this is the best way to begin cultivating a vibrant democratic ethos in young people.
We facilitate this learning for students through an Action Civics process in which:
• youth voice is encouraged, valued, and incorporated to the fullest extent possible
• experiences, knowledge, perspectives, and concerns of youth are incorporated to the fullest extent possible
• students learn by doing, with a focus on collective action
• student reflection and analysis are central to the process
During this process, Dunbar students participated in an Action Civics project they felt would address problems in their schools or communities. The issue chosen was police brutality.