General

What Are YAC’s? Youth Advisory Council Offers Civic Engagement Opportunities

Members of the MYAC standing with members of the Maryland legislature, along with a label asking, "Does your State Have a LYAC?"

There was one thing in particular in last week’s civic education news round-up that caught my eye: the New Hampshire Legislative Youth Advisory Council and it’s youth forum. What exactly is this legislative youth advisory council, and are there more like it? I’ve heard of local youth advisory committees and youth mayors. A few weeks […]

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Professional Development

Apply for a Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar This Summer

Portraits of Frederick Douglass and Thomas Jefferson and a title about applying for a Gilder Lehrman Teacher Institute

Note: This post is about the 2018 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminars. If you’re looking for information on the current seminars, check out this post on applying for a 2019 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar. You can also check out this collection of summer professional development opportunities for 2019 to see what else is available. Yes, the […]

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Weekly News Roundup

This Week in Civics: Debate Rages in Nebraska and a Youth Forum in NH

Group of tenants protest conditions in their housing

Each week, I like to look back on news related to civics education and highlight some of the more interesting and timely articles from around the country. This week, it seems like a lot of the news revolves around what’s going on in Nebraska with their State Board of Education, but there’s also an interesting […]

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General

5 Reasons Why You Should Apply for the C-SPAN Teacher Fellowship

Brian Rock sitting at the Washington Journal desk while working as a C-SPAN Teacher Fellow

You may know C-SPAN as that boring channel that airs footage of Congress, or you may know C-SPAN as a great organization that offers tons of free resources and opportunities for teachers. If you’re one of the former, you should check out C-SPAN Classroom Deliberations, C-SPAN’s StudentCam Competition or C-SPAN Classroom. If you check back, […]

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Weekly News Roundup

This Week in Civics: Oregon PD, Illinois Laws, and Voter Turnout in VA

A Rock the Vote logo design

Each week, I like to look back on news related to civics education and highlight some of the interesting and informative articles from around the country. This week, we’ve got an international story, more news from Oregon, a political debate in Illinois, and some interesting data about youth voter turnout. So without further ado, let’s […]

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Resources

Is CNN 10 Biased?

Looking up at the scales of justice statue with a dark sky behind her.

This is a question I hear often enough when I talk about teaching current events – is CNN 10 biased? CNN10 (formerly CNN Student News) is one of my favorite resources for teaching current events. I’ve written about why I like CNN10 as well as ways that you can incorporate it into your class. But looking […]

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Resources

Teaching Civics with Episode 8 of The Mayor: Monuments Man

The cast of the Mayor in Episode 8, Monuments Men

This week, episode eight of The Mayor aired. In this episode, “Monuments Man,” Courtney Rose tries to save a local establishment, Tito’s, from being gentrified. The show is a relevant way to expose students to issues related to local government and politics. As part of an ongoing series, we’ve been reviewing each episode and highlighting some […]

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Resources

Civics and Chill: What’s On Your Binge Watch List for the Holiday Break?

Popcorn and Hot Chocolate on a table in front of a Fireplace

The holiday break is coming up, and that week means free time and a chance to catch up on leisure activities. Last week, I shared a list of civics related books that you should consider reading over the break. But maybe your brain needs a break, and you just want to veg out in front […]

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General

Nebraska is Prioritizing and Defining “Civic Readiness”

Group of people protesting with their fists in the air. Image is tight so you don't see any faces or details.

In an age of college and career readiness, Nebraska is making a move to prioritize “civic readiness.” I mentioned in previous weekly news recaps here and here that the Nebraska State Board of Education was debating a definition of civic readiness. This followed on its decision to include it as a prominent feature in its strategic […]

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