Initiatives of The Civics Institute
Executive Summary
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
Thomas Jefferson, 1816
Thomas Jefferson was a firm believer in the necessary link between education and freedom. He understood that a free citizenry was an educated citizenry, one knowledgeable of the constitutional and moral foundations of our republic. As he wrote in 1789, “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.”
How well informed are Michigan young people about their government? Will they carry the legacy of American freedom into the future? As they move into positions of responsibility and leadership, can they be “trusted with their own government?”
The Civics Institute (the Institute) is a 501c3 organization founded to provide opportunities for Michigan students to better understand and experience the relevance of civics in society and in their daily lives.
The Civics Institute’s mission is to engage students in rich, authentic educational opportunities intended to promote deliberation about key issues in their state and local communities and to encourage global citizen involvement. The Institute is comprised of three offerings to students and teachers in Michigan: State and Local Government Curricula, the Michigan House Civics Commission, and the International Youth Initiative.
The Civics Institute sees clearly that the need is great, but where need exists, possibilities abound. It is our hope that you will partner with us to meet these needs, to address this challenge, and to further the vision of Thomas Jefferson – an educated and involved citizenry.
Michigan State and Local Government Curricula
The Civics Institute has created a Michigan state and local government curricula for the high school level of instruction. This curricula is comprised of 27 units and is closely aligned with the Michigan Curriculum Framework. In 2005, the Institute will be creating a Michigan state and local government curricula for elementary and middle school teachers.
[read more about Michigan State and Local Government Curricula]
Michigan House Civics Commission
The Michigan House Civics Commission (MHCC) is a bi-partisan, ad-hoc legislative committee that holds public hearings statewide within Michigan's K-12 schools. Students learn the legislative process in an interactive, authentic way by researching and developing their own bill ideas and presenting written and oral testimony before the commission in hopes of finding a legislative sponsor. As a result, in the first year of this effort, one student-initiated resolution has passed the House and one student-created budget amendment was successfully added to an appropriations bill.
In 2003-2004, the MHCC was piloted in 60 public school districts, 10 public school academy buildings, and 27 private school buildings. This program is taking Michigan by storm and is regarded as a premier civic education initiative by National Center for Service and Learning.
MHCC Partners
- Nine education departments within Michigan higher education institutions
- Michigan Campus Compact
- National Conference of State Legislatures
- 22 State Representatives (11 Republican and 11 Democrat)
- 2004/2005 MHCC Chair- Alexander Lipsey (D)
MHCC Web Resources
- Student Public Policy Preparedness Curricula
- Effective Citizen Lesson Plans
- Semi-Monthly Student Legislative Updates
- Capitol Speakers Bureau
- K-12 Student Survey Questions and Current Issue Lesson Plans
- College Student Survey Questions and Current Issue Briefs
- At-Risk Young Males of Color Project
International Youth Initiative
The International Youth Initiative (IYI) aims to help young people learn about issues affecting youth around the world and take socially responsible action to improve the lives of their peers locally, nationally, and globally – in other words, to become global citizens. An array of interactive, web-based tools are available to support collaborative activity and communication among young people, within a broader community that includes educators, politicians, diplomats, and other international stakeholders. The IYI is based on the belief that young people can and should have a voice in international policy-making.
Partners developing this endeavor include The Civics Institute, the University of Michigan Interactive Communications and Simulations Group (ICS), and the University of Michigan International Institute. In Spring 2004, the IYI was beta-tested in Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Czech Republic, Estonia, Israel, Honduras, Hungary, Malaysia, Morocco, and Romania. Discussions are in progress with other countries as well.
IYI is primarily classroom-based and students participate in the following web-based modules:
- Global Student Congress (GSC) engages late secondary and early post-secondary students in deliberation on issues of local concern and global interest to youth.
- HighestWire.com is a newswire service written, edited, discussed and published by youth ages 15-22.