Project Citizen Educating Tomorrows Citizens Today

Project CitizenEducating Tomorrows Citizens Today 1Joseph E. Kahne, an education professor and researcher found thatstudents 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.2Educating for Democratic Citizenship

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Questions to ConsiderWhat is the problem?Who has the authority to resolve the problem?What is one viable solution to the problem?Who in the community might support your solution? oppose it?How would you convince others to support you solution?How would you convince the responsible authority to adopt you solution?5What is Project Citizen?Education for democratic citizenshipTeaches students how to appropriately and effectively monitor and influence public policyInterdisciplinary instructional program for adolescents and adultsFocuses citizen engagement in self-governanceApplies learning to real world issuesUses cooperative learningServes as a model performance assessment

6What 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

7 Project Citizen Programs in Latin America

Project 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. 9Project Citizen- Step 1Identifying public policy problems in communities

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Identifying Public Policy ProblemsStudents identify public policy problems in their communities bydiscussing them with each otherinterviewing family members and other adultsreading newspapers and other print sourceslistening to news reports on radio and TV12Project Citizen - Step 2Selecting a problem for study

Problems in our community1. Drugs 3. Pollution2. Violence 4.13What Criteria is Used to Select a Problem?Is the problem you selected important to you and other people in your community?Does government have some responsibility to deal with this problem?Will there be sufficient information about the problem to develop a good project?Is there a realistic possibility of solving the problem selected? 14Project Citizen - Step 3 Gathering information on the problem

15Gathering InformationStudents gather information on the chosen public policy problem from a variety of sources

Interviews and surveys t Printed sourcesRadio and television t Libraries t InternetScholars and professors t Lawyers and judgesCommunity organizations and interest groupsLegislative offices t Administrative offices16Project Citizen Step 4Developing a display

Public PolicyActionPlansAlternatePoliciesOurProblem17Visual Display

18Written Documentation

19Project Citizen - Step 5Presenting the project to the public

20Step 6 - Reflecting on the Learning ExperienceWhat and how you and other students learned civic knowledge civic skillscivic dispositionsWhat you learned from being part of a team working to solve a problem21What are the Instructional Advantages of Project Citizen?Throughout the project students have real world opportunities to practice English language learning skills reading, writing, speakingStudents connect with real problems and events in their communitiesStudents integrate a variety of related concepts and ideasStudents may use knowledge and skills from multiple disciplinesStudents work with clear, attainable goals 22What 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 members2324For more information contactMichael G. FischerEducational Consultant Los Angeles, California, USA Ph: 818-610-9075Email: mgfischerLA@yahoo.comFacebook: Michael G. Fischer

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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 ProgramREAD ChiclayoSummer English Language Institutes for Public School Teachers

Proyecto Ciudadano Mejores CiudadanosProject 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 PeruProject Citizen for Better Citizens was approved to start under the Resolucin 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 workshops20 hours of research and project preparation80 hours of in-class implementation80 hours of monitoring students performance to undergo a Project Citizen program.

Foundations of Democracy, Civic values and virtues, Public Policy, Civil Society participation30

Project Citizen tools in social networking:

Project Citizen ShowcasesLocal Showcases

Regional Showcases

mbitos y metasRegiones

201020112012TOTALDOCENTES DOCENTES DOCENTES DOCENTES AMAZONAS 009595ANCASH 0202AREQUIPA 1085730195AYACUCHO 0164258CAJAMARCA 2523048CUSCO 4011365218ICA 0606JUNIN 078078LA LIBERTAD 952061LAMBAYEQUE 1016035196LIMA PROVINCIAS 0505MADRE DE DIOS 1016026MOQUEGUA 280028PIURA 0103120223PUNO 2822050TACNA 290029TARAPOTO0022BINACIONALES00150150163785535391470LIMA107336552995TOTAL2465Public School teachers: 2010 - 2012