function of education productive citizen

Cultivating Emotional Intelligence and Courage: What do schools mean by “produce productive and good citizens”?

Throughout history, education has had two great goals: to help people become smart and to help them become good ( Lickona, 1991 ). However, in today’s society, these two goals have become somewhat skewed. The first goal has remained the same—to provide a climate for student learning and academic achievement. The second has been altered. Public education tends to focus more on simply reducing student problem behavior instead of developing positive character traits and growing emotionally intelligent students. Still, many schools today include such terms as productive citizens or good citizens in strategically thought-out mission and vision statements regarding their graduates.

What difference does it make? I have heard it asked, “through the process of teaching right and wrong behaviors, are we not teaching positive character traits?” In some cases, yes. But not always. When schools focus on behavior, the notions of right and wrong are the concern (e.g., do not fight, do not be late, and do not use curse words). This is certainly something schools should be encouraged to do. However, when schools concentrate on building positive character traits, the focus shifts to acts of virtue (e.g., courage, kindness, integrity, empathy, etc.). Instruction in both ethics and virtues is needed. The problem is that schools tend to focus on behaviors to the exclusion of teaching and practicing virtuous character traits. The impact of which is felt in the classroom and society alike.

Without an intentional focus on replacing negative behaviors with appropriate virtues, schools will fall short in their efforts to “produce good citizens”. While character education efforts provide a solid groundwork for doing so, additional strategies must be explored for producing good citizens. Such interventions can result in the positive growth of student social and emotional skills.

What makes a Productive or Good Citizen?

Before schools put any specific initiatives in place, they must address one question; “what makes a person a productive or good citizen?” One could suggest that a good citizen is a person who acts responsibly in their community, pays their taxes, is a law-abiding citizen and even pitches in during a time of crisis. This type of citizen is the one who demonstrates good character through giving to local charities. Certainly, schools would want this of its graduates.

Still, should not schools set higher expectations of their graduates?  Shouldn’t they seek to produce citizens that are more active in their communities? Ones who not only participate in community efforts but also take leadership roles in them. Citizens who understand how to plan for the success of collective tasks. Citizens who understand how government agencies work and strive to improve their community. Citizens who not only give to local charities but help organize their efforts in meeting their clients’ needs.

Why stop there? Should not schools take it even one-step further? Should they not strive to produce citizens that are capable of critically assessing the political, economic, social, and cultural structures of not only their local communities, but also the greater community at-large? Such citizens play an active role in seeking to eliminate the root causes that lead to people’s need for the support of local charities. Such citizens understand social injustice and seek to effect change. Such citizens act courageously. Citizens at this level have the ability to understand community issues beyond what is apparent on the surface level and take action, regardless of the cost. 

Emotionally Intelligent Citizenship

To this extent, schools must address core assumptions about what it means to develop students into good and productive citizens.  Is it enough to incorporate a quality character education program into the curriculum aimed at developing students who are honest, responsible, and respectful?, Should schools include service-learning projects into their character education initiative in an effort to graduate productive citizens who take leadership roles within community structures for the sake of improving conditions for its members? Might it be that even more comprehensive efforts are needed, and that core assumptions should include the idea that good and productive citizens act courageously, seeking to solve societal problems through questioning and challenging established structures that lead to inherent injustices?

If so, the question at hand is, “can courage be taught?” It depends. If one thinks of courage in terms of the ability to do something that frightens oneself (Oxford Languages Dictionary), then probably not. It implies either one has courage or does not. However, if we look at in terms of the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty ( www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courage ), I would suggest the answer is yes. Using this as our framework, we are able to move beyond seeing courage as an ability . It becomes a sense of duty . To that extent, acting courageously is a reaction to an emotional state of being.

If the argument is for schools to produce citizens at the highest level described above, then they must be willing to cultivate student emotional intelligence as well as academics. This requires an understanding of what emotional intelligence is. For the sake of time and space, we will simplify our perspective on emotional intelligence. According to philosopher Alain de Botton, “Emotional Intelligence is the quality that enables us to confront with patience, insight and imagination the many problems that we face in our affective relationship with ourselves and with other people” ( www.mindful.org ). Think of it this way, emotional intelligence is the way we behave in response to our emotions as well as how we respond to the needs of others.

So then, the bigger question is, “Can we truly help students grow emotionally intelligent?” Aristotle believed the answer was yes. To Aristotle, education had a threefold purpose: first, to develop student potential for reasoning; second, to help students learn a skill and grow their knowledge base; and third, to help students mature and grow virtuous habits. In other words, student growth character and virtues were equally as important as student growth in academic knowledge.

So where do emotions enter the picture? Aristotle believed that there were five distinct features to consider when addressing student dispositions and character ( Arthur et al., 2017 ). According to Arthur et al. (2017), Aristotle believed that education should focus on: 

1) Human flourishing (behaviors that help others flourish); 

2) Cultivating virtues through ones’ lived experiences that become habits in life over time; 

3) Moral dilemmas (working through issues requiring decisions to be made between right versus right instead of just wrong versus right);

4) Education (teaching positive character traits from an early age); and,

5) Emotions.

Aristotle believed that education was for the purpose of helping students learn not just knowledge and behaviors, but about emotions. He understood how emotions drove our actions, interactions, and behaviors. Aristotle believed that teaching students about their emotions from a young age helped them better manage and regulate them later in life. Additionally, he believed that the tie between motivation and emotions was a strong one. How we respond in a time of emotional distress is directly related to our emotional intelligence quotient. People who are emotionally strong, trust their feelings and act appropriately to them. This is important when one considers that acting courageously is an emotional response during a time of distress. 

Emotional Intelligence and Courage

Think of it in these terms: a citizen observes an injustice (time of distress), the citizen is offended, bothered, or infuriated (emotion) by the injustice, the citizen takes action to right the wrong (courageous response). In this scenario, the courageous response serves as a direct indicator of the person’s emotional intelligence level, represented by a positive social response to an emotion. It is a demonstration of the level of success of the efforts of teachers, and other adults, in providing students the tools, understanding, and resolve needed to respond positively in an ever-challenging world.   

T he goal of developing a strong emotional intelligence is not to change who a person is. The purpose is to help one better understand oneself and others and to respond appropriately in a variety of circumstances, to replace negative thoughts and behaviors with positive ones, and to have a greater awareness of others and society as a whole. It is a matter of replacing a system of thinking in terms of do’s and don’ts with a greater understanding of our role as citizens of a community. With that in mind, we circle back, might it be that schools should develop comprehensive efforts towards growing emotionally intelligent students; and, that core assumptions about what makes a good and productive citizen should include acting courageously, seeking to solve societal problems through questioning, and challenging established structures that lead to inherent injustices.

Michael Hylen currently serves as a professor and Coordinator of the Education Department at Southern Wesleyan University. I also served at Louisiana State University and Asbury University. Additionally, Michael is active in his community, serving in leadership roles when possible. He has published research on social emotional learning, servant leadership and at-risk students, as well as a book on Cultivating Emotional Intelligence. Previously, Michael enjoyed a 25-year career in k-12 education. His most extensive work was as an alternative high school principal for students who struggled academically, emotionally and behaviorally. Michael earned his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.

• Our Mission

What Is Education For?

Read an excerpt from a new book by Sir Ken Robinson and Kate Robinson, which calls for redesigning education for the future.

What is education for? As it happens, people differ sharply on this question. It is what is known as an “essentially contested concept.” Like “democracy” and “justice,” “education” means different things to different people. Various factors can contribute to a person’s understanding of the purpose of education, including their background and circumstances. It is also inflected by how they view related issues such as ethnicity, gender, and social class. Still, not having an agreed-upon definition of education doesn’t mean we can’t discuss it or do anything about it.

We just need to be clear on terms. There are a few terms that are often confused or used interchangeably—“learning,” “education,” “training,” and “school”—but there are important differences between them. Learning is the process of acquiring new skills and understanding. Education is an organized system of learning. Training is a type of education that is focused on learning specific skills. A school is a community of learners: a group that comes together to learn with and from each other. It is vital that we differentiate these terms: children love to learn, they do it naturally; many have a hard time with education, and some have big problems with school.

There are many assumptions of compulsory education. One is that young people need to know, understand, and be able to do certain things that they most likely would not if they were left to their own devices. What these things are and how best to ensure students learn them are complicated and often controversial issues. Another assumption is that compulsory education is a preparation for what will come afterward, like getting a good job or going on to higher education.

So, what does it mean to be educated now? Well, I believe that education should expand our consciousness, capabilities, sensitivities, and cultural understanding. It should enlarge our worldview. As we all live in two worlds—the world within you that exists only because you do, and the world around you—the core purpose of education is to enable students to understand both worlds. In today’s climate, there is also a new and urgent challenge: to provide forms of education that engage young people with the global-economic issues of environmental well-being.

This core purpose of education can be broken down into four basic purposes.

Education should enable young people to engage with the world within them as well as the world around them. In Western cultures, there is a firm distinction between the two worlds, between thinking and feeling, objectivity and subjectivity. This distinction is misguided. There is a deep correlation between our experience of the world around us and how we feel. As we explored in the previous chapters, all individuals have unique strengths and weaknesses, outlooks and personalities. Students do not come in standard physical shapes, nor do their abilities and personalities. They all have their own aptitudes and dispositions and different ways of understanding things. Education is therefore deeply personal. It is about cultivating the minds and hearts of living people. Engaging them as individuals is at the heart of raising achievement.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights emphasizes that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and that “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Many of the deepest problems in current systems of education result from losing sight of this basic principle.

Schools should enable students to understand their own cultures and to respect the diversity of others. There are various definitions of culture, but in this context the most appropriate is “the values and forms of behavior that characterize different social groups.” To put it more bluntly, it is “the way we do things around here.” Education is one of the ways that communities pass on their values from one generation to the next. For some, education is a way of preserving a culture against outside influences. For others, it is a way of promoting cultural tolerance. As the world becomes more crowded and connected, it is becoming more complex culturally. Living respectfully with diversity is not just an ethical choice, it is a practical imperative.

There should be three cultural priorities for schools: to help students understand their own cultures, to understand other cultures, and to promote a sense of cultural tolerance and coexistence. The lives of all communities can be hugely enriched by celebrating their own cultures and the practices and traditions of other cultures.

Education should enable students to become economically responsible and independent. This is one of the reasons governments take such a keen interest in education: they know that an educated workforce is essential to creating economic prosperity. Leaders of the Industrial Revolution knew that education was critical to creating the types of workforce they required, too. But the world of work has changed so profoundly since then, and continues to do so at an ever-quickening pace. We know that many of the jobs of previous decades are disappearing and being rapidly replaced by contemporary counterparts. It is almost impossible to predict the direction of advancing technologies, and where they will take us.

How can schools prepare students to navigate this ever-changing economic landscape? They must connect students with their unique talents and interests, dissolve the division between academic and vocational programs, and foster practical partnerships between schools and the world of work, so that young people can experience working environments as part of their education, not simply when it is time for them to enter the labor market.

Education should enable young people to become active and compassionate citizens. We live in densely woven social systems. The benefits we derive from them depend on our working together to sustain them. The empowerment of individuals has to be balanced by practicing the values and responsibilities of collective life, and of democracy in particular. Our freedoms in democratic societies are not automatic. They come from centuries of struggle against tyranny and autocracy and those who foment sectarianism, hatred, and fear. Those struggles are far from over. As John Dewey observed, “Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife.”

For a democratic society to function, it depends upon the majority of its people to be active within the democratic process. In many democracies, this is increasingly not the case. Schools should engage students in becoming active, and proactive, democratic participants. An academic civics course will scratch the surface, but to nurture a deeply rooted respect for democracy, it is essential to give young people real-life democratic experiences long before they come of age to vote.

Eight Core Competencies

The conventional curriculum is based on a collection of separate subjects. These are prioritized according to beliefs around the limited understanding of intelligence we discussed in the previous chapter, as well as what is deemed to be important later in life. The idea of “subjects” suggests that each subject, whether mathematics, science, art, or language, stands completely separate from all the other subjects. This is problematic. Mathematics, for example, is not defined only by propositional knowledge; it is a combination of types of knowledge, including concepts, processes, and methods as well as propositional knowledge. This is also true of science, art, and languages, and of all other subjects. It is therefore much more useful to focus on the concept of disciplines rather than subjects.

Disciplines are fluid; they constantly merge and collaborate. In focusing on disciplines rather than subjects we can also explore the concept of interdisciplinary learning. This is a much more holistic approach that mirrors real life more closely—it is rare that activities outside of school are as clearly segregated as conventional curriculums suggest. A journalist writing an article, for example, must be able to call upon skills of conversation, deductive reasoning, literacy, and social sciences. A surgeon must understand the academic concept of the patient’s condition, as well as the practical application of the appropriate procedure. At least, we would certainly hope this is the case should we find ourselves being wheeled into surgery.

The concept of disciplines brings us to a better starting point when planning the curriculum, which is to ask what students should know and be able to do as a result of their education. The four purposes above suggest eight core competencies that, if properly integrated into education, will equip students who leave school to engage in the economic, cultural, social, and personal challenges they will inevitably face in their lives. These competencies are curiosity, creativity, criticism, communication, collaboration, compassion, composure, and citizenship. Rather than be triggered by age, they should be interwoven from the beginning of a student’s educational journey and nurtured throughout.

From Imagine If: Creating a Future for Us All by Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D and Kate Robinson, published by Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2022 by the Estate of Sir Kenneth Robinson and Kate Robinson.

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6 Fulfilling Citizen Responsibilities

• Published: June 2017
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In chapter six, I articulate some of the specific ways people can fulfill their responsibilities as citizens, teachers, school leaders, educational reformers, policymakers, and students. I provide examples of people and groups who are fulfilling their responsibilities well and suggest pathways for others to join them. I aim to restore some trust and positive feelings toward public life and public institutions and to help citizens see how participating in and supporting public institutions central to democracy improve our collective and individual lives. I hope to show citizens how they might fulfill their responsibilities as citizens as well as ignite other ideas to respond to ongoing changes in schools.

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Dewey and Citizenship Education: Schooling as Democratic Practice

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• First Online: 20 November 2018
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• Piet A van der Ploeg 4  

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This chapter provides a reconstruction of Dewey’s approach to citizenship education based on his books and articles written between 1885 and 1945. It is argued that Dewey’s views regarding citizenship education coincide with his views on democracy and on teaching and learning and are closely related to his general philosophy. In the chapter, extensive attention is given to the development of Dewey’s thinking on citizenship education: first through highlighting core elements of the book Democracy and Education and then through discussing relevant aspects of both his earlier work and later work. For Dewey, education and democracy are organically connected: Democracy is a condition for education and education is a condition for democracy. In schools, citizenship education cannot be distinguished as a separate subject or domain: All education contributes to democratic citizenship, provided it is inclusive and equally accessible to everyone. In addition, the chapter argues that, for Dewey, democratic education must fulfill two elementary functions: familiarizing students with their social roles and teaching them to think. Through the decades, Dewey’s focus increasingly shifts towards the importance of learning to think critically, including through investigating and understanding social structures and dynamics.

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Dewey, J. (1891). Outlines of a critical theory of ethics. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Early Works 1882–1898 (Vol. 3, 1889–1892, (1972)). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

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Dewey, J. (1895). Plan and organization of the university primary school. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Early Works 1882–1898 (Vol. 5, 1895–1898, (1972), pp. 224–243). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1896). The University School (of Chicago) Record 1. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Early Works 1882–1898 (Vol. 5, 1895–1898 (1972), pp. 436–441). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1897). Ethical principles underlying education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Early Works 1882–1898 (Vol. 5, 1895–1898 (1972), pp. 54–83). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1899). The school and society. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 1, 1899–1901 (1976), pp. 1–109). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

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Dewey, J. (1916b). The need of an industrial education in an industrial democracy. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 10, 1916–1917 (1980), pp. 137–143). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1916c). The schools and social preparedness. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 10, 1916–1917 (1980), pp. 191–195). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1916d). Nationalizing education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 10, 1916–1917 (1980), pp. 202–210). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1917). Learning to earn: The place of vocational education in a comprehensive scheme of public education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 10, 1916–1917 (1980), pp. 144–150). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1922a). Education as politics. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 13, 1921–1922 (1983), pp. 329–334). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1922b). Human nature and conduct. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 14 (1983)). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1923a). The school as a means of developing a social consciousness and social ideals in children. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 15, 1922–1924 (1983), pp. 150–157). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1923b). Social purposes in education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Middle Works, 1899–1924 (Vol. 15, 1922–1924 (1983), pp. 158–169). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1927). The public and its problems. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 2, 1925–1927 (1985)). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1933). How we think, revised edition. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 8, 1933 (1986), pp. 105–352). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1934a). Education for a changing social order. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 9, 1933–1934 (1986), pp. 158–168). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1934b). Education and the social order. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 9, 1933–1934 (1986), pp. 175–185). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1934c). Can education share in social reconstruction? In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 9, 1933–1934 (1986), pp. 205–209). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1935a). The need for orientation. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 11, 1935–1937 (1987), pp. 162–166). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

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Dewey, J. (1937a). The challenge of democracy to education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 11, 1935–1937 (1987), pp. 181–190). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1937b). Education, the foundation for social organization. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 11, 1935–1937 (1987), pp. 226–237). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1937c). Education and social change. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 11, 1935–1937 (1987), pp. 408–417). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 13, 1938–1939 (1988)). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

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Dewey, J., & Childs, J. L. (1933). In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 8, 1933 (1986), pp. 43–76). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

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Dewey, J., & Tufts, J. H. (1932). Ethics, revised edition. In J. A. Boydston (Ed.), John Dewey. The Later Works, 1925–1953 (Vol. 7, 1932 (1985)). Carbondale/Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press.

Van der Ploeg, P. A. (2013). Dalton Plan: Origins and Theory of Dalton Education . Deventer: Saxion Dalton University Press.

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Piet A van der Ploeg

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Garth Stahl

School of Education, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia

Hannah Soong

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van der Ploeg, P.A. (2019). Dewey and Citizenship Education: Schooling as Democratic Practice. In: Peterson, A., Stahl, G., Soong, H. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Citizenship and Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67905-1_20-1

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Creating Engaged Citizens through Civic Education

Dr. benjamin washington.

• May 12, 2021

Having productive and proactive citizens is fundamental to a functioning society and to the growth of young adults into engaged citizens. Students today need to have opportunities to learn how to work with others with different perspectives. Creating engaged citizens through civic education is one way to grow and develop students into high-functioning and responsible adults.

Additionally, students need to learn about the functions of government, how communities operate locally and globally, and social justice issues. Civic education allows for students to create and participate in community projects and to interpret how to contribute to an increasingly changing society. In order to understand why it is important to create engaged citizens, it is important to know what civics education is.

What is Civic Education?

Civic education explores the rights, duties, and system of laws and protections of citizens. Informing students on how to engage others for a better society is part of civic education. Knowledgeable and socially responsible citizens contribute positively to their community and create opportunities for connected and meaningful life.

Another name for civic education is democracy education. Examples of topics that are included in civic education curriculum are The Bill of Rights , voting, public policy, and the impact of individuals on their communities. Learning how to function and contribute to a democratic society creates responsible citizens and communities that can collaborate with each other.

Why is it Important to Create Engaged Citizens?

It is important to create engaged citizens and to develop students who have 21 st -century competencies and skills. Creating engaged citizens is important to ensure diverse populations can operate in a society and to empower individuals to build a better community. This can range from understanding how power is divided in the United States government , voting, and how to organize groups for advocacy. Having engaged citizens is important to ensure meaningful roles, discussions, and participation in projects that develop the community and impact stakeholders.

Citizens who are engaged in their community develop soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and accepting personal responsibility. Furthermore, civic education entails learning about the relationship between the government and the people, social justice issues, and community organizing. In the classroom, students who are taught democracy education develop active listening skills, learn how to express opinions, and foster values of tolerance and respect.

Strategies for Encouraging Civic Engagement through Civic Education

There are multiple strategies for encouraging students to learn about civic education and engagement. When implementing instructional strategies for students, it is important to remember the audience and what impact can be made by creating the educational content. These can range from service learning projects, classroom discussions, and extracurricular activities to name a few. To ensure students maximize their learning experience there needs to be high-quality civic learning activities that give students real world examples and the opportunity to apply what they have learned. This will foster growth in students in the areas of personal accountability, communication, and teamwork when building better communities.

Classroom Discussions and Current Events

Civic engagement is important at all age levels; however, for high school students, creating opportunities for them to engage in civics and have real world discussions can be very beneficial. Students need to feel a part of the process in building their own community. Establishing time for current events at the beginning of class or a few times a week is a great way to keep students informed of current events in politics, global development, and social issues.

Classroom discussions about current events can come in the form of a debate, a mock interview, or a speech to practice public speaking skills. There are multiple websites and resources online to find materials to introduce current events in the classroom. Educators often have blogs or resource websites that focus specifically on teaching with the news and current events. Some examples of resources students can enjoy are CNN, National Geographic, US and World News Report, and Newsela. Access to the news and the ability to discuss how events impact students and communities creates a platform for advocacy and change.

Student Government for High School Students

For many high school students, the issues that are within their community are important to their developing perspectives of others and the world around them. One way for students to actively participate in civics is through student and youth government. Furthermore, students need to have the ability to communicate with diverse groups, show empathy for other cultures, and interpret government systems to protect and provide for themselves and others.

Examples of student governments in schools include Student Councils, Model United Nations, the Beta Club , and the debate team. These groups all have elected student body officials and focus on issues such as social movements, global sustainability, and the social-emotional learning in the school building. For students who enjoy hands-on experiences, service learning projects are a great way to incorporate civic education.

Service Learning Projects

Promoting civic education in the classroom can be facilitated by lessons specific to community engagement, problem-solving skills, and voting. Service learning involves classroom instruction that ties academic objectives with community service. These service learning projects involve activities that require teamwork, communication skills, and the ability for students to take action in the community around them. Service learning projects can be a school beautification project, building a house for Habitat for Humanity , or sharing a podcast of students’ experiences with recycling projects around the school and community.

One specific way to format and teach civic education and problem solving is with project-based learning for social justice . Project-based learning in the classroom allows for students to collaborate in groups, problem solve, and develop creative ways to implement solutions. When outside the classroom, these projects also allow for students to apply directly what they have been learning when it comes to civic engagement. These projects allow students to make a direct impact on their community and give exposure to community leaders and organizations that promote the wellbeing of others.

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are an excellent way to enhance the learning experience of students. These outside school activities allow students to apply what they’ve learned to real world situations. An example of an extracurricular activity for high school students includes researching a local law that affects their city or state and then visiting a local city council meeting or the state capital. Students may also explore extracurricular activities by volunteering with groups such as Goodwill or The Salvation Army. All these experiences with civic education develop knowledgeable and socially conscious students that can contribute to a better democracy.

• #CivicEducation , #EngagedCitizens

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Importance of citizenship education

Why is citizenship education important.

Citizenship education gives people the knowledge and skills to  understand ,  challenge  and  engage with democratic society including politics, the media, civil society, the economy and the law.

Democracies need active, informed and responsible citizens – citizens who are willing and able to take responsibility for themselves and their communities and contribute to the political process.

How does it benefit young people?

It helps them to develop  self-confidence and a sense of agency,  and successfully deal with life changes and challenges such as bullying and discrimination.

It gives them a  voice : in the life of their schools, their communities and society at large.

It enables them to  make a positive contribution  by developing the knowledge and experience needed to claim their rights and understand their responsibilities. It prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of adult and working life.

Who else does it benefit?

Citizenship also brings benefits for schools, other educational organisations and for society at large.

For schools and other educational organisations, it helps to produce motivated and responsible learners, who relate positively to each other, to staff and to the surrounding community. For society it helps to create an active and responsible citizenry, willing to participate in the life of the nation and the wider world and play its part in the democratic process.

One of the first steps on the civic journey is the education system. Education should help young people become active citizens once they understand their role within society and how they can go about improving it. The Ties that Bind – House of Lords Report on Citizenship, 2018

Society belongs to all of us. What we put into it creates what we get out of it.

At Young Citizens, we believe society is best when we  all  join in. That is, when we all bring our energy and judgment to it. This helps make it fairer and more inclusive. It supports a democracy in which people participate and belong. We have countless examples of how  even the youngest  can  make a difference .

But it means we all need enough  knowledge ,  skills  and  confidence  to take part effectively.

We want everyone to feel they belong. And we want everyone to feel they can drive change.

The European Commission supports the following definition of active citizenship:

Participation in civil society, community and/or political life, characterised by mutual respect and non-violence and in accordance with human rights and democracy Hoskins, 2006

So let’s make this a reality. Let’s help people become effective citizens. The cost is much greater if we don’t.

Suggested Next Steps:

• Read about what citizenship education entails.
• Here are opportunities to volunteer with Young Citizens  to be a part of the difference we are making.
• Find out more about our programmes to become active and engaged citizens.

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