Illinois Civics in the Classroom - VISTA Year 2

Illinois Civics in the Classroom is an initiative aimed at enhancing civic education within Chicago Public Schools and throughout Illinois. our project aligns with the AmeriCorps Focus area of education. We seek to expand the Illinois Civics in the Classroom curriculum to economically disadvantaged middle and high students in Illinois. Our proposed VISTA project will strengthen low-income communities by helping to lower high school dropout rates, create a positive school climate that supports students feeling socially, emotionally, and physically safe, increase volunteerism and work on community issues, and increase voting and discussions of politics in the home. It can also lead to greater involvement in civic engagement by addressing issues in a micro-level. Our aim is to equip rural, suburban, and urban middle and high school-aged students for not only the challenges of today, but tomorrow. Civics in the Classroom is a pilot state curriculum that has been designed by a university who focuses on curriculum instruction and design. The intended beneficiaries of the curriculum have provided feedback on the design and pilot implementation. After its initial launch, and the response of teachers and students, many other teachers have expressed interest in executing and ongoing support of the project.