NCoC: Civic Learning

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Civic Learning

NCoC believes the foundation for an engaged, informed, giving, and trusting citizenry is fostered through meaningful civic education and learning programs. These programs help instill the values of democracy, develop soft skills and core competencies, and prepare students for a 21st Century workforce.

NCoC believes to address community issues and challenges in any area, research must be collected, discussion must occur, and solutions must be proposed. Here, you can see research, discussion, and solutions associated with civic learning. This is meant to help explain and animate that focus area, as well as facilitate the process of moving from information to action within it.

Civic Learning Issues:Research | Discussions | Solutions

Civic Learning Research

Title	Date	Type
A Call for Civic EducationVirginia Civic Health Index 2010	November 8, 2010	civic health index
A Closer Look: Great Consistency- Across Income, Education, Ethnicity- in Decreased ParticipationCalifornia 2009 Civic Health Index	November 24, 2009	civic health index
A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy’s FutureA Call to Action and Report from The National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic EngagementThis report from the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement calls on the nation to reclaim higher education’s civic mission. Commissioned by the Department of Education and ...	January 11, 2012	publication
An Inequitable Invitation to CitizenshipNon-College-Bound Youth and Civic EngagementThere has been considerable effort to engage college-bound students in public life, but much less attention has been paid to the 50% of youth that are not on the secondary education track. Philanthropy ...	December 8, 2009	publication
Appendix I.11: Analysis By Educational BackgroundIn this report, we look separately at college graduates, non-college adults, and high school dropouts . The gaps in civic health are large, consistent for virtually all the indicators, and often widening.	Sep 18th, 2006	civic health index
Civic EducationAmericans Favor Policy Change to Institutionalize Civic EngagementIn 2006, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Civics Assessment found that only 27% of high school seniors were “proficient” in the subject, and only 5% were “advanced.” ...	Sep 22nd, 2008	civic health index
Civic Health in Hard TimesA 2009 NCoC PanelThis panel at the 2009 National Conference on Citizenship explored the impact of the economic crisis on the civic health of the states, using the 2009 America’s Civic Health Index findings.	September 25, 2009	video
Civic Health in OhioOhio Civic Health Index 2010	November 8, 2010	civic health index
Civic Involvement Tied to EducationHigh School Dropouts Unlikely to VoteHigh school dropouts are significantly less likely than better-educated Americans to vote, trust government, do volunteer work, or go to church, according to a new report that reveals a widening gap in ...	September 19, 2006	news
Closing the College Completion GapA Guide for Faith CommunitiesA degree beyond high school has become an essential element of opportunity in America and is a proven pathway out of poverty. However, the majority of our nation's young people, especially low-income ...	November 1, 2010	discussion

Civic Learning Discussions and Commentary

Title	Date	Type
Civic Literacy - A Critical 21st Century SkillGuest post by Barbara Stein, Partnership for 21st Century SkillsThe morning of the 67th Annual Conference, NCoC offered guests the opportunity to network and participate in small group discussions with leaders in the field of civic engagement. This post by Barbara ...	October 19, 2012
A Lesson in Civic Health Sitting Down with Two Secretaries of StateAt the National Association of Secretaries of State Summer Conference 2012, Kristen Cambell, Chief Program Officer for NCoC, hosted a workshop about the role that Secretaries can play in being champions ...	July 31, 2012	discussion
Book Release: Citizenship: What Every American Needs to KnowWith a presidential election just four months away and growing concern over America’s civic knowledge deficit, Citizenship offers citizens the tools they need to take part in thoughtful civic ...	June 29, 2012	discussion
Public Policy Chat: John BridgelandThis month, NCoC Communications Fellow Alice Murphy talks to John Bridgeland, President and CEO of Civic Enterprises, about service-learning and how the U.S. has progressed on its promise to be a service ...	May 17, 2012	discussion
Paul Loeb Explores the Soul of a CitizenWith over 135,000 copies in print, Paul Loeb’s Soul of a Citizen has become a classic handbook for budding social activists, veteran organizers, and anyone who wants to make a difference—large ...	May 7, 2012
Why Tuesday?by Jacob SoboroffHave you ever asked yourself why we vote on Tuesdays? In this guest post, Why Tuesday? Executive Director Jacob Soboroff highlights a TED Active talk that discusses the historical legislative reasons America’s ...	April 11, 2012	discussion
Public Policy Chat: Ted McConnellIn this month’s Public Policy Chat, NCoC Communications Fellow Alice Murphy talks to Ted McConnell about recent changes to national education policies and what that means for civic learning and the ...	March 20, 2012	discussion
“Teaching America,” a Brookings Institution EventOn January 9, Brookings hosted a discussion of Teaching America: The Case for Civic Education. Contributing authors laid out their proposals for strengthening civic education in a discussion moderated ...	January 17, 2012	discussion
The Gardens of DemocracyAn interview with Eric Liu and Nick HanauerEric Liu is an author and speaker who served as a speechwriter and policy advisor to President Bill Clinton. Nick Hanauer is an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Together, they have authored two books, ...	December 12, 2011	discussion
Are Our Schools Doing Their Part to Fulfill the Promise of the Constitution?A Civic Connector Commentary by Judge Frank DamrellThe “Civic Connector” is a daily online forum during the 66th Annual National Conference on Citizenship. The September 17 commentator is Judge Frank Damrell. Judge Damrell’s “Civic ...	September 17, 2011	discussion

Civic Learning Solutions

Title	Date	Type
What So Proudly We HailMaking American citizens through literatureWhat So Proudly We hail takes a literary approach to civic education, using short stories, speeches, and songs to teach about the American character and American identity. Resources include an online curriculum—complete ...	November 29, 2012
Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in DemocracyA Road Map and Call to ActionU.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan along with several Obama Administration and education officials launched a national conversation today about the importance of educating students for informed, engaged ...	January 10, 2012	publication
Library Priority: Community-Civic EngagementA leadership brief from the Urban Libraries CouncilA new issue brief, “Library Priority: Community-Civic Engagement” emphasizes the essential role public libraries play in getting people involved in issues of concern in their communities.	December 9, 2011	publication
From Command to CommunityLeadership is changing. Leadership education needs to change with it.In this collection of innovative and diverse essays, editors Nicholas V. Longo and Cynthia M. Gibson present a new definition of leadership education. Moving away from the top-down notion of leadership, ...	April 15, 2011	press release
Report finds significant decline in number of “Dropout Factories”A report by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises and Johns Hopkins University’s Everyone Graduates Center provides some of the first positive signs that America is making progress ...	November 30, 2010	publication
Closing the College Completion GapA Guide for Faith CommunitiesA degree beyond high school has become an essential element of opportunity in America and is a proven pathway out of poverty. However, the majority of our nation's young people, especially low-income ...	November 1, 2010	discussion
Presidents ParkResources on leaders in American historyExactly what are “defining moments” and how do they shape a nation's history? This was the mission of the recently closed President's Park. Though the park's resources provide a wealth of information ...	October 13, 2010	program
Paths to 21st Century Competencies Through Civic Education ClassroomsThere is an expectation that students will have mastered an essential skill set by the completion of their education. In an economy that is globally connected and rapidly changing, the required skills ...	December 1, 2009	publication
Close Up FoundationFormed in 1971, Close Up is a nonprofit that exists to educate and inspire young people to participate in our democracy.	January 13, 2009	partner
iCivicsiCivics (formerly Our Courts) is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy.	November 17, 2008	partner