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
Engagement and Perceptions of the Civic ContextWho Engages?Few, if any, significant differences in civic engagement emerged between residents of high- and low-scoring states that could not be explained by differences in demographics. However, state average civic ...	August 27, 2009	civic health index
Executive SummaryGreater Seattle Civic Health Index 2010	November 11, 2010	civic health index
Executive SummaryOhio Civic Health Index Report 2009Executive Summary of the 2009 Key Findings of the Ohio Civic Health Index Report: Civic Engagement in Hard Economic Times	November 10, 2009	civic health index
Executive SummaryOklahoma Civic Health Index 2010	December 2, 2010	civic health index
Federal Policy and Civic SkillsCIRCLE fact sheet notes that given the right skills, citizens can improve their communities, the government, and the nation through active civic engagement and collaboration.	April 29, 2010	news
From Combat to CollegeMichael Dakduk, Student Veterans of AmericaThe issues facing student veterans go beyond the transition from combat to college. More broadly, college educated veterans are finding post-graduation quite challenging, especially in this economy.	November 4, 2010	expert commentary
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
Gaps in ParticipationThe Power of A Good EducationEducation marks the great gap in civic participation today. Overall, the differences by race, ethnicity, and gender are small. But this study, like much previous research, finds that Americans with more ...	Sep 17th, 2007	civic health index
Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of SchoolsThe report builds and expands on the findings of the 2003 Civic Mission of Schools report, published by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning ...	September 15, 2011	publication
Hands-On Civic Education Will Result in Increased Civic ParticipationIllinois Civic Health Index 2010	December 2, 2010	civic health index

Civic Learning Discussions and Commentary

Title	Date	Type
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
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
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
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
Education/Participation Gaps: A Case Studyby Abby Kiesa, CIRCLEEducational achievement has long been credited as the biggest predictor of whether or not a young person will be civically engaged. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement ...	February 23, 2010	discussion
Target 2020: My Education. Our Future.by Decker Ngongang, Mobilize.orgMobilize.org believes the Millennial Generation should play an active role in the future of education in our country and that one of the single most important factors in reversing generational poverty ...	August 24, 2010	discussion
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
Fiscal Literacy 101The Future of Economics EducationBeyond a cursory introduction to programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in U.S. History, how many of us can say we cemented a basic understanding of our country’s economic policy from ...	June 16, 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
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

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