Our Bridge to Southern Illinois Paved by the Paul Simon Institute

by Shawn P. Healy, PhD, Civic Learning Scholar, Robert R. McCormick Foundation


Six years ago, I made the long drive from Chicago to Carbondale the visit the leaders of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. I met former Director Mike Lawrence at the 2009 conference that produced the original Illinois Civic Blueprint, and asked him to organize a lunch meeting with David Yepsen, the new Director.

I asked for their partnership in making our push for the civic mission of schools a statewide effort. While we had made significant inroads at that point in the Chicagoland area, our downstate roots were shallow to non-existent.

We held our first fall workshop with the Simon Institute the following year, and have proceeded to host one for Southern Illinois educators every autumn since. I knew we were on to something when 75 teachers and administrators signed up for our maiden voyage.

Shortly thereafter, we recognized our first downstate Democracy School, Carbondale Community HS, and others have followed in subsequent years (Shawnee Jr.-Sr. HS in 2014 and Marion HS in 2015).


Despite staff turnover, the Simon Institute has maintained its commitment to civic learning, showcasing its resources that include an annual student trip to Springfield and statewide polling data.

Therefore, when we began designing the #CivicsIsBack Campaign to support implementation of the new civics course requirement, we had a model for how institutional partners could help us reach teachers, schools, and districts in every corner of Illinois.

Ten other partners have emerged, but we’re thrilled to be back in Carbondale this week for stop four of our summer tour. More than 50 teachers are joining us today and tomorrow for our “Teaching the 2016 Election and Beyond” workshop, and we’ll be back again this fall for a follow-up training where we do a deeper dive on the content and practices prescribed in the new law.

David Yepsen recently announced his retirement, but we’re lucky to have him with us today to provide an overview of the 2016 Election. And we are deeply indebted to him and the entire Institute for their commitment to youth civic development in the spirit of their namesake.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let's Talk About the "Required" Constitution Test

Image
by Mary Ellen Daneels, Lead Teacher Mentor As I have traveled around the state of Illinois to support implementation of the high school civics requirement and pending middle school civics legislation , one of the biggest concerns I have heard is, “How will we have time to prepare students for the required Constitution test? I will never have time to cover all 200 questions on the test if I have to make time for student-centered inquiry, discussions, simulations, and service learning!” The Illinois State Board of Education states: American patriotism and the principles of representative government, as enunciated in the American Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and the proper use and display of the American flag, shall be taught in all public schools and other educational institutions supported or maintained in whole or in part by public funds. No student shall receive a certificate...
Read more

Resources to Respond to Tragedy and Violence

Image
by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist All educators are civics teachers. Teachers send messages to students about power, justice, and representation by the content we select, the way we engage student voice, the norms we employ, and the stories included in our classroom. We have a responsibility to prioritize our students’ lived experiences, putting Maslow before Bloom , to inform the essential questions we address in our curriculum. When violence or tragedy occurs, classrooms provide a safe venue for students to process, ask questions and be given context to understand current events as they happen. While current events unfold, it is not the time to debate policy. Educators will not have all of the answers to the questions students pose. Teachers can create a classroom space where we can be present, listen, and create a safe environment for our students to do the same. Start with Reflection Your students may be wrestling with a range of emotions. We cannot assum...
Read more

Where Do We Go from Here? Resources to Help Classrooms Process the 2020 Election

Image
by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist While the 2020 election season draws to a close, IllinoisCivics.org is committed to helping classrooms prepare for what comes next after a contentious and polarized election season. Students will need help processing the election results and their impact on current and societal issues their communities face around justice, power, equity, and safety. As all educators are civics teachers, we have a responsibility to prioritize our students’ lived experiences, putting Maslow before Bloom , to inform the essential questions we address in our curriculum. Educators will not have all of the answers to the questions students pose, but we can create a classroom space where we can be present, listen, and create a safe environment for our students to do the same. Here are a number of ideas and resources to support this work beyond the 2020 election. Start with Reflection Your students may be wrestling with a range of emotions post-electio...
Read more