EDSE 508 - Developing Civic Knowledge through Hands-On Community Engagement (3)

What must students know and do to improve their communities and influence their government? That is the central question related to civic engagement in the classroom. Civics in the traditional sense has a reputation for being stale and disconnected from the real world. However, in today’s world, it is more important than ever for young people to develop the knowledge and skills they will need to take on the challenges they see in the world around them.

This course offers strategies for reinvigorating civic learning, making it come alive in both content area learning and the community. By reframing how you think about civic education, you will discover how it can become an essential part of the practices and values of any classroom. You will be able to build connections with the community and also enable students to carry their learning well beyond the classroom. Students will see how classroom learning empowers them to act, advocate, and affect change in their communities and beyond. By the end of the course, you will be able to incorporate all of these principles of civic knowledge, skills, values, and actions into your classroom practice and instructional plans.