Equity in Civic Education

CIVIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS MUST NOT ONLY BE EFFECTIVE, BUT ALSO EQUITABLE AND reach CROSS THE STATE AND AMONG STUDENTS FROM COMMUNITIES TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN CIVIC LIFE.

Currently low-income, African American and hispanic, and rural students have fewer and less high quality civic learning and engagement opportunities.  We heed the call and follow the lead of iCivics and Generation Citizen and others that recognize the challenges civic education has faced reaching underrepresented groups and youth of color and that advocate for making civic education more equitable and relevant for today’s increasingly diverse student population. There is an opportunity in New Jersey to promote diverse voices and draw on students’ lived experiences and perspectives in order to engage them in understanding social issues, the power dynamics that cause them, and the power that young people have to bring change.We are committed to ensuring high quality civic learning opportunities for all youth regardless of where they live, and educational, economic and racial background, and immigration status.  Effective civic development across all members of our community can help ensure the underrepresented groups gain an active voice in our community and political systems, and help promote overall improvements in civic equity.