Project CitizenEducating Tomorrow’s Citizens

Today

Joseph E. Kahne, an education professor and researcher found that…

“…students are more likely to be active in civic and political life after they leave school if they take part during their school years in civic education activities.”

“Classroom-based activities have a statistically significant impact on students’ civic and political involvement and their intent to vote.”

Educating for Democratic Citizenship

Questions to Consider

1. What is the problem?2. Who has the authority to resolve

the problem?3. What is one viable solution to the

problem?4. Who in the community might

support your solution? …oppose it?

5. How would you convince others to support you solution?

6. How would you convince the responsible authority to adopt you solution?

What is Project Citizen?Education for democratic citizenshipTeaches students how to appropriately

and effectively monitor and influence public policy

Interdisciplinary instructional program for adolescents and adults• Focuses citizen engagement in self-governance

• Applies learning to real world issues• Uses cooperative learning• Serves as a model performance assessment

What are the Goals of Project Citizen?

The primary goal of Project Citizen is to develop in citizens a commitment to active civic participation and self-governance byproviding the knowledge and skills required for effective citizenship

providing practical experience designed to foster a sense of competence and efficacy

developing an understanding of the importance of civic participation

Project Citizen Programs in Latin AmericaProject Citizen has been implemented throughout Latin America in partnerships with various NGOs, universities, and ministries of education.

ArgentinaBoliviaBrasilChileColombiaCosta RicaEcuador

GuatemalaHondurasMexicoPanamaParaguayPeruVenezuela

What is the Sequence of Project Citizen?Students work together to identify and

study a problem in their community.They propose a solution in the form of a

public policy recommendation.They develop an action plan for getting

their policy proposal adopted and implemented.

Students present their work in a visual and written display and present it in a simulated public hearing.

Although not required, in many instances students appear before the government authority responsible for enacting their proposed policy.

Project Citizen- Step 1

Identifying public policy problems in communities

Identifying Public Policy Problems

Students identify public policy problems in their communities bydiscussing them with each other

interviewing family members and other adults

reading newspapers and other print sources

listening to news reports on radio and TV

Project Citizen - Step 2

Selecting a problem for study

Problems in our community

1. Drugs 3. Pollution

2. Violence 4.

What Criteria is Used to Select a Problem?

1) Is the problem you selected important to you and other people in your community?

2) Does government have some responsibility to deal with this problem?

3) Will there be sufficient information about the problem to develop a good project?

4) Is there a realistic possibility of solving the problem selected?

Project Citizen - Step 3

Gathering

information on the problem

Gathering Information

Students gather information on the chosen public policy problem from a variety of sources

Interviews and surveys t Printed sources

Radio and television t Libraries t Internet

Scholars and professors t Lawyers and judges

Community organizations and interest groups

Legislative offices t Administrative offices

Project Citizen – Step 4

Developing a display

Public Policy

ActionPlans

AlternatePolicies

OurProblem

Visual Display

Written Documentation

Project Citizen - Step 5

Presenting the project to the public

Step 6 - Reflecting on the Learning ExperienceWhat and how you and other

students learned civic knowledge civic skillscivic dispositions

What you learned from being part of a team working to solve a problem

What are the Instructional Advantages of Project Citizen?Throughout the project students have

real world opportunities to practice English language learning skills – reading, writing, speaking

Students connect with real problems and events in their communities

Students integrate a variety of related concepts and ideas

Students may use knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines

Students work with clear, attainable goals

What are the Instructional Advantages of Project Citizen?Students learn to cooperate with

peers in group settingsStudents evaluate their own

progress through self-assessmentStudents relate assessment

activities to instructional activities Students benefit from the

involvement of parents and other community members

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For more information contact

Michael G. FischerEducational Consultant

Los Angeles, California, USA Ph: 818-610-9075

Email: mgfischerLA@yahoo.com

Facebook: Michael G. Fischer

PROJECT CITIZENA CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THE

BINATIONAL CENTERS IN PERU

Civic Education at the Peruvian Binational Centers

The Peruvian Binational Centers have been implementing Civic Education Programs with very positive results among their English teachers and students since 2004.

The pilot program was carried out at the Chiclayo BNCwith the support of the Center for Civic Education and the US Embassy in Lima.

The program has three components:-Project Citizen is part of the ELT Advanced Program-READ Chiclayo-Summer English Language Institutes for Public School Teachers

Proyecto Ciudadano – Mejores Ciudadanos

Project Citizen for Better Citizens is a civic program, sponsored by the U. S. Embassy in Lima with the cooperation of the Peruvian Binational Centers, which aims to strengthen the Civic and Citizenship Education area of the Regular Basic Educativo System in Peru.

The main objective is the integration and implementation of Project Citizen as a participatory project to be developed by high school students as part of the national curricula.

MOU Agreement with the Ministry of Education of Peru

“Project Citizen for Better Citizens” was approved to start under the Resolución Directoral 0166-2010-ED, which was signed on February 09 of 2010 by the Peruvian Ministry of Education.

This document legally authorizes the training of Peruvian Public School Teachers in Project Citizen, as part of the Peruvian National Curriculum for Public Education.

Program objectives:

To join efforts with the civil society in order to support, strengthen and enhance Civic Education at Public Schools in Peru, through the promotion of civic and democratic values.

To promote a culture of peace and legality through workshops for public school teachers, improving their insight and understanding of the policies and governmental institutions that safeguard the coexistence of Peruvian Citizens.

To reinforce youth education, raising awareness among high school students on the importance of a peaceful and organized participation of civil society in solving common problems in their neighborhoods and communities.

Project Citizen program:

A Diploma for a total of 220 hours is awarded to teachers upon the completion of the Project Citizen Program:

-40 hours of training workshops-20 hours of research and project preparation-80 hours of in-class implementation-80 hours of monitoring students performance to undergo a Project Citizen program.

Project Citizen tools in social networking:

Project Citizen Showcases

- Local Showcases

- Regional Showcases

Ámbitos y metasRegiones

 

2010 2011 2012 TOTALDOCENTES DOCENTES DOCENTES DOCENTES

AMAZONAS 0 0 95 95

ANCASH 0 2 0 2

AREQUIPA 108 57 30 195

AYACUCHO 0 16 42 58

CAJAMARCA 25 23 0 48

CUSCO 40 113 65 218

ICA 0 6 0 6

JUNIN 0 78 0 78

LA LIBERTAD 9 52 0 61

LAMBAYEQUE 101 60 35 196

LIMA PROVINCIAS 0 5 0 5

MADRE DE DIOS 10 16 0 26

MOQUEGUA 28 0 0 28

PIURA 0 103 120 223

PUNO 28 22 0 50

TACNA 29 0 0 29

TARAPOTO 0 0 2 2

BINACIONALES 0 0 150 150

16 378 553 539 1470

LIMA 107 336 552 995TOTAL 2465

Public School teachers: 2010 - 2012