By Amy Curran, OK Executive Director, and Scott Warren, CEO (Editorâs note: The following commentary appears in response to a commentary published by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairsâ Center for Independent Journalism criticizing the civics-education nonprofit Generation Citizen. OCPAâs center did not respond to a request that this piece be published on their site.) In the last 10… Continue reading Partisan Takes Won’t Define Nonpartisan Action Civics
Category: THOUGHTS FROM THE TEAM
The Importance of High-Quality Professional Development
How we can get the most out of Professional Development that values teachers as the professionals they are By Lily Macias, Summer Program Fellow at Generation Citizen Oklahoma Remember those days in school when you had a substitute teacher, or maybe a late start, early release, or even an entire day off, because your teachers… Continue reading The Importance of High-Quality Professional Development
A Solution for States with Skill Gaps in Workforce Development: How building civic skills and knowledge can prepare students to lift our economies
by Amy Curran, Oklahoma Executive Director The United States faces a challenge to fill workforce development gaps as a result of the shift from the industrial age to the knowledge age. The need for a post-secondary degree or certification has become more important than ever. And, with the rising expense of degree programs, it is… Continue reading A Solution for States with Skill Gaps in Workforce Development: How building civic skills and knowledge can prepare students to lift our economies
Localizing College Civics: The need to engage college students in local government
by Hannah Bigbee a Generation Citizenâs Student Leadership Board member Like many college campuses, the University of Oklahoma is seen as its own community by the students. Many students live, work, attend classes, and eat all of their meals while on campus. Because of this, the university becomes its own world. While having this community… Continue reading Localizing College Civics: The need to engage college students in local government
Gentrification – A Studentâs Perspective on The Intensification of Modern Displacement in New York City: How widespread gentrification is continuing to shape the future of our city
By Ishrat Jahan, Student at Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science My name is Ishrat Jahan and I am a Junior at Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women in Brooklyn, New York. In our Generation Citizen class, my classmates and I chose gentrification as our focus issue because we believe… Continue reading Gentrification – A Studentâs Perspective on The Intensification of Modern Displacement in New York City: How widespread gentrification is continuing to shape the future of our city
Why Do We Know So Little About County Government? Lessons from Ninnekah, Oklahoma
By Elizabeth Sidler, Oklahoma Senior Program Associate Driving south on Old Highway 81 toward Ninnekah, Oklahoma, my colleague and I pass rolling hills, retention ponds, phone line maintenance, and cows. Just a few miles north is a Walmart and a Chinese restaurant, a Walgreens and a university. But here itâs land and homes and people. While… Continue reading Why Do We Know So Little About County Government? Lessons from Ninnekah, Oklahoma
What Would a Citizen Do? Why we need to think about citizenship more broadly
by Nivetha Nagarajan, Development Associate I was seven years old, in my second grade class, and we were voting on which book to read as a complement to our unit on democracy, citizenship, and American identity. I abstained from voting because I already knew I wasnât an American citizen and wouldnât have the right to… Continue reading What Would a Citizen Do? Why we need to think about citizenship more broadly
Thanks but No Thanks: What two senators got wrong about civics and how they can do better
By Dana Harris, Advocacy Director There are few things that we, as an American population, nearly universally agree on. Yet, one of them is that civics education is a good thing. Prior to the 2016 elections, most people would call it an important subject but would fall short of thinking it was the most important.… Continue reading Thanks but No Thanks: What two senators got wrong about civics and how they can do better
An Open Eye to Many Possibilities
The text of a Generation Citizen student, Lori Campbell: It all started when two NYU students came through the big blue doors at my school, and introduced themselves as âcoaches of democracy, change and fellowship.â My first thought was âWho are these unfamiliar facesâ then my second thought was âWhat do these people want from… Continue reading An Open Eye to Many Possibilities
Small Towns and Prodigious Minds: The Potential in Rural Communities
By Megan Brandon, Regional Program Manager, Texas & National âSmall town, country kids who lead a simple life.â This was just one of the many expressions often used to describe my former students from Bastrop, a small town of around 8,000 people, just 35 minutes east of Austin, TX, but it might as well be… Continue reading Small Towns and Prodigious Minds: The Potential in Rural Communities