In order to ensure that all citizens use their voice, time, and talents to contribute to their communities, we must ensure that civic education plays a central role in preparing young people to participate fully in democracy. Emerging research has concluded that levels of political knowledge positively correlate with political participation. Civic education plays a central role in shaping the political knowledge, competencies and self-efficacy for individuals to engage in our democracy. One study, conducted by political analyst William Galston at the University of Maryland in 2001, suggested that “traditional classroom-based civic education can significantly raise political knowledge.”(14) Recognizing the important role that civic education plays, the Massachusetts legislature has been exploring several pieces of legislation dealing with increased civic education. Such bills include both proposals from the Senate and House (HB00136,(15) HB00174,(16) S00183(17) are the bill numbers for the current session of legislature) all of which directly deal with including a civics education requirement in classrooms. These pieces of legislation are currently pending debate and approval.

Another approach to promoting civic education has been to attempt to engage individuals more through incentives. As such, the Massachusetts government has considered legislation which would award young people a seal of excellence for engaging in civic practices.(18)

The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools—a coalition of 40 organizations committed to improving the quality and quantity of civic learning in American schools—is a valuable resource to consult when looking to implement civic education in Massachusetts classrooms. They explain that the purpose of civic education is to “help young people acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.”(19) Their research cites six ways to develop competent and responsible citizens: “providing instruction in government, history, law, and democracy; incorporating discussion of current local, national, and international issues and events into the classroom, particularly those that young people view as important to their lives; designing and implementing programs that provide students with the opportunity to apply what they learn through performing community service linked to the formal curriculum and classroom instruction; offering extracurricular activities that provide opportunities for young people to get involved in their schools or communities; encouraging student participation in school governance; and encouraging students’ participation in simulations of democratic processes and procedures.”(20) These recommendations and resources, among many others in the field, ought to be examined carefully as Massachusetts charts its own course in ensuring every child has access to high-quality civic education.

Out-of-school programs also play a critical role in shaping the civic skills and attitudes of young people. In an interview with Ms. Anny Jean-Jacques Domercant, Assistant Director to the Governor’s Office of Community Affairs, she described the creation of Governor Deval Patrick’s Governor’s Statewide Youth Council, which was aimed at getting young people from diverse backgrounds to become more involved in their community and to give them a forum to voice their concerns or observations. This initiative, a result of Governor Patrick’s visit to Dorchester during a time of considerable violence and youth-inflicted crime, was an attempt to “give youth a voice in shaping the policies that affected them.” Consisting of 28 young adults (two from each Massachusetts county), the Youth Council is a positive step toward civic engagement of the next generation. Such programs should be strongly encouraged as they give youth a sense of empowerment and allow them to understand the importance of civic engagement for both their local and state communities.