Civic Life is Life - Creating Relevant Civic Experiences for Kids
Does art imitate life? Or does life imitate art? In the Kidizenship Fly Your Flag Contests, the answer to both questions is “YES.” Students ages 8-18 were called to design a flag that reflected the ideals and values of their America. I was honored with the opportunity to judge this contest, and as you can imagine, the competition was tough. A diversity of artistic expressions were submitted, many of which challenged me to expand my own awareness of what our iconic symbol represents or could possibly look like.
Some student submissions were literal remixes of our current red, white, and blue flag, while others took a less literal approach, integrating symbols of unity, diversity, and inclusion. Flags paid respect to our military personnel, recognized indigenous people, and called attention to the need to rectify the variedness in which people experience justice across our nation.
At a time when it often feels like hope is in short supply, I realized that young people get it. Yes, civic education and social studies courses need robust attention, funding, and support to properly educate the next generation; but at the core, students know what it means to be American, or at least what it should mean.
I spend a lot of time promoting and working on student-centered, equitable civic education. In my work, I grapple with questions like:
How do we make civics relevant for students of all ages?
What civic experiences are absolutely necessary for establishing long-term civic engagement?
How do we make civic spaces more welcoming to diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences?
One key connection here— civic education, whether through hands-on experiences outside of school or via traditional forms of learning in schools, must be relevant and center students’ lived experiences. In order for civics to work, students must see how it connects to their life. When we encourage students to think about civic processes, either in games and simulations like iCivics or in family discussions like on the Let’s K12 Better podcast, civic learning encourages the healthy habits for an active and informed civic life.
Civic life is life. Civics is how we solve problems between neighbors. Civics is how we gain funding and resources for schools, roads, and sanitation. Civics is how we beautify our community, take care of our seniors, or provide safety for all members of society. We use civics to analyze how our rules are just or unjust or how we determine retribution. Civic life extends into every aspect of our society, even in artistic spaces.
Active and engaged civic participants contribute to a healthy democracy. If we are to impart this objective onto our youth, our work in civic education, and in every field, requires us to intentionally and clearly connect the dots between civic participation and social outcomes. Kids under 18 (and 16 in some places) can’t vote, so how do we lay down the foundation that their voice matters in our democracy?
Simply put, we encourage kids to express themselves authentically and engage them in the important problem-solving discussions that center their lived experiences and perspectives. From my standpoint, when adults step aside, providing our youth with the space to express their vision for our country, it ignites excitement for our nation.
Amber Coleman-Mortley is the Director of Social Engagement at iCivics, a nonpartisan civic education resource. She holds a B.A. in African American Studies from Oberlin College and a Master of Communications from American University in Media Entrepreneurship. Amber is a former educator and athletic coach. She podcasts with her daughters on the LetsK12Better podcast. Connect with her on Twitter: @MomOfAllCapes!