Civic Education
We the People: Project Citizen
A curricular program designed by the Center for Civic Education and administered in-state by the Idaho Human Rights Education Center, Project Citizen provides a practical, first-hand approach to learning about our complex system of government and how to monitor and influence it. Students work together to conduct research in their community in order to discover problems or concerns that they think the government is not handling at all or not handling well. Selecting a problem or concern from those they have identified, the students work cooperatively to:
- conduct research on the problem
- identify alternative solutions to the problem and weigh their advantages and disadvantages
- propose a solution to the problem that requires governmental action and does not violate provisions of the state and federal constitutions
- propose an action plan to influence the appropriate governmental agencies to consider or adopt the proposed solution to the problem
Packaged in a portfolio and documentation binder, the project can be presented to a panel of school or community representative. By taking part in Project Citizen, students "learn by doing" the work of active citizens in their community. Although attention may have been limited to one particular problem or concern in the community or state, the knowledge and skills gained are those required for competent and responsible participation throughout the American political system.
Classroom materials are available for grades 5 to 8 (level I), grades 9 to 12 (level II) and in Spanish.
Visit Project's citizens calendar for more information: Project Citizen Calendar of Events in Idaho
Representative Democracy in America
Representative Democracy in America is a national project designed to reinvigorate and educate Americans on the critical relationship between government and the people it serves. The project introduces citizens, particularly young people, to the representatives, institutions, and processes that serve to realize the goal of a government of, by, and for the people. Contact the IHREC regarding RDA materials and teacher training.
Project Partner
The Center for Civic Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational corporation dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries. The Center's headquarters are in Calabasas, California, with an office in Washington, D.C. Since its origin in 1969, Center materials have been used in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, the trust territories, and in the following regions: Africa; East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific; Eastern and Central Europe; Eurasia; Latin America and the Caribbean; the Near East; Southeastern Europe; and Western Europe.