[one_half] [/one_half] [one_half_last] GC’s very own FAO Schwarz Fellow Ellie Sanchez is currently teaching the GC Core Program to an 8th grade class at the Joseph Lee K-8 School in Dorchester, MA. While Ellie’s primary job is to be Boston’s Program Associate, she’s also stepped into the shoes of our Democracy Coaches to teach a… Continue reading Ellie’s Eighth Grade Endeavors, Episode 1: Democracy Coaches Learn Too
Category: THOUGHTS FROM THE TEAM
Should Politics be Fun?
Should Politics Be Fun? As the 2016 elections approach, the missing youth electorate is becoming an increasingly prevalent story. Despite a slight upwards tick of youth participation in President Obama’s victories in 2008 and 2012, the 2014 midterms saw the lowest youth voting rate in the last forty years, with only 19% of… Continue reading Should Politics be Fun?
I’m Too Busy to Write This Blog Post
“How are you doing? How’s your summer going?” “I’m just so busy! And I thought I was going to have so much time this summer to catch up on life, and, I just got too busy, and now it’s almost gone!” I would venture that every person in the working world had some… Continue reading I’m Too Busy to Write This Blog Post
My Adventures in Democracy
– David Pechefsky Recently, GC has embarked on a project in which we ask ourself #WhyGC. Where to start? I have been working in government/politics/democracy building for close to 20 years. Back in 1996 I was an intern in the office of Brooklyn Council Member Steve Dibrienza. This was when Mayor Giuliani’s administration was… Continue reading My Adventures in Democracy
Does Civics Cross Borders?
As I’ve talked about extensively, the idea for Generation Citizen initially came about after my observing emerging democracies at work resulted in a realization that the American democracy needed a youth revitalization. Specifically, observing the successful 2002 Kenyan elections as a fifteen year old showed me the power of individuals coming together to make a… Continue reading Does Civics Cross Borders?
Getting Off College Hill
– Sean Manning, Brown University Democracy Coach A mixture of excitement and anxiety clouded my mind when I first set foot in Providence, Rhode Island to begin my college career at Brown University. It had been my dream to attend Brown, and the fact that that dream had become a reality had not quite… Continue reading Getting Off College Hill
Defending Social Studies Funding in Massachusetts
On March 9, 2015, Greater Boston Advocacy Manager Leila Quinn gave testimony before the MA Foundation Budget Review Commission in defense of funding for social studies and civics courses. Below you will find an abridged version of her testimony. State law charges our schools with a civic mission that we must revive. Students often learn… Continue reading Defending Social Studies Funding in Massachusetts
How Do We Educate to Improve Our Democracy?
How do We Educate to Improve our Democracy? As Generation Citizen matures as an organization, we’ve realized that it’s not enough for us to solely focus on our in-school programming. We continue to improve and iterate our action civics curriculum and teacher and volunteer training, but we have also recognized the necessity of building… Continue reading How Do We Educate to Improve Our Democracy?
From Pebble Beach to East Flatbush
A few weeks ago, I spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at a luxurious hotel located on the Pebble Beach Golf Course near Monterrey, California. My mornings comprised of runs along ocean-side cliffs with stunning vistas, and my days consisted of vigorous intellectual conversations about the lack of constituency voice in social entrepreneurial ventures, and the… Continue reading From Pebble Beach to East Flatbush
From One Semester to Another: Leaving My Comfort Zone Behind
By Katherine Dillon My first semester at Fordham University was much like that of those portrayed in movies and TV shows – I was almost always learning, meeting new people, or simply in a state of awe at the newness of everything. I had so often heard before leaving for college that my… Continue reading From One Semester to Another: Leaving My Comfort Zone Behind