The Center for Civic Education is a nonprofit organization which hopes to engage youth in democracy by facilitating an understanding of constitutional democracy's founding principles and developing deliberative and democratic decision-making skills.
Mission and Purpose
The Center for Civic Education is a California-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, which aims to promote "an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries." [1]
According to their website, the Center's principal goals include helping students develop:
- "an increased understanding of the institutions of constitutional democracy and the fundamental principles and values upon which they are founded;
- the skills necessary to participate as competent and responsible citizens; and
- the willingness to use democratic procedures for making decisions and managing conflict." [1]
Origins and Development
The Center for Civic Education was created in 1964 as a committee at the University of California, Los Angeles, in order to "develop more effective curricular programs in elementary and secondary civic education." [1] In 1981, the organization transformed into a non-profit entity. [1] The We the People program was first implemented in 1987 by the Center for Civic Education and has continued yearly with funding from the United States Department of Education.
Organizational Structure, Membership, and Funding
The Center for Civic Education is "governed by a nonpartisan board of directors composed of professional educators, representatives of the legal profession, scholars, and other leading members of communities in California and several other states." [1] Its program implementation involves a network of public and private-sector organizations and leaders across the US as well as over eighty other countries. [1]
Since 1965, the principal funding sources for the Center have included "the Danforth Foundation, Ford Foundation, California Council on Criminal Justice, U.S. Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. Department of Education, the California State Department of Education, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development."[1] In addition, as a nonprofit organization, the Center for Civic Education receives donations from various individuals and organizations, a full list of which is available on their website.[2]
Specializations, Methods and Tools
Specializing in civic educational programs, the Center aims to ultimately improve democracy by engaging students in civic participation and fostering knowledge and competence among them. The programs provide opportunities for developing "educational policy, standards, curricular frameworks, and materials" as well as addressing teacher education, classroom implementation, and research and evaluation.[1] This organization's curricular materials offer students the tools to "examine the history and principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights and effectively and responsibly participate in the practice of democracy." [3]
Major Projects and Events
The Center "grew into a national and international organization through the successes of its principal [civic educational] programs and publications," including We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, We the People: Project Citizen, and the Civitas International Programs. [1] For example, by presenting a unique opportunity for students to gain experience in understanding the inner workings of local government, We the People: Project Citizen aims to teach "participants how to monitor and influence public policy."[4]
Analysis and Lessons Learned
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Publications
The organization offers "a wide range of publications including student texts and resource materials" that support the implementation of their programs, and deeper understanding of their concepts. [4] Among their publications are Foundations of Democracy, the National Standards for Civics and Government, and Res Publica: An International Framework for Education in Democracy. Together, the Center’s publications provide an interdisciplinary approach to citizenship education, available on their website.[4]
See Also
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution
References
[1] Center for Civic Education. Basic Facts about the Center for Civic Education. Accessed July 8, 2020, https://www.civiced.org/about/37
[2] Center for Civic Education. Donors. Accessed July 8, 2020, https://www.civiced.org/donors
[3] Center for Civic Education. Publications. https://www.civiced.org/resources/publications
[4] Center for Civic Education. Programs. Accessed July 8, 2020, https://www.civiced.org/programs