January 2018 Newsletter

News from the Center for Civic Education

Prepare for the State Finals, Showcase Your Civics Work, and More in This Month's Newsletter.

Use the Ask John Project to Prepare for We the People State Finals

Ask John is a series of videos in which Professor John P. Kaminski of the Center for the Study of the American Constitution answers student questions about the 2017-18 We the People state hearing questions.

Read more.

Become a James Madison Graduate Fellow

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation is giving $24,000 to graduate students in every state working towards a master's degree in education, history, or political science. Apply by March 1 for a chance to become a teacher of the American Constitution at the secondary school level!

The World We Want Celebrates Its Ten-Year Anniversary

The World We Want, an award-winning documentary featuring the Center's Project Citizen program, is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Video Shows Project Citizen and Place-Based Education at Work in a Portland Middle School

Watch these Project Citizen students from the Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in Portland, Oregon, work their way through their public policy proposal all the way to their presentation at the Oregon State Capitol. A chapter in the new book, Bringing School to Life: Place-based Education Across the Curriculum by Cottonwood Fieldwork and Place-based Education Coordinator Sarah Anderson, highlights Project Citizen.

Quick Quiz! What were the two primary sources of Martin Luther King Jr.'s theory of nonviolent resistance?

A. Thomas Paine and John Locke
B. The Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence
C. Christianity and Mahatma Gandhi
D. George Washington

Read on to learn the answer!

Apply for a $2,500 Teaching Award for Your Unit Plan on Federalism

The Center for the Study of Federalism is offering three $2500 awards to middle and high school teachers who write unit plans on the theme: "Does federalism still matter?" Learn more about CSF's guidelines and evaluation criteria at their website!

Book Review of Sarah Anderson's Bringing School to Life: Place-based Education Across the Curriculum

"Place-based education fits squarely within the principles of progressive education, to which American educators have aspired for more than a century. Anderson lays out reasons why now is the right time for place-based education that not only connects students to their political community but also to the natural world."

Civic Life Project's Youth Film Challenge Seeks Applicants

The Civic Life Project's Youth Film Challenge is looking to award short documentary videos that address questions of government, democracy, and contemporary issues in the United States. Could you make your Project Citizen research into a documentary?

Peace First Offers Grants and Resources to Young Innovators

Peace First, a nonprofit that inspires and supports young people to start social action projects in their community, recognizes young people as a vital resource in kickstarting change. Sign up by January 31 for the Peace First Challenge to join a movement of young people from around the country who are committed to improving their communities.

QUIZ ANSWER: C. Christianity and Mahatma Gandhi

For more quizzes and learning opportunities, check out the 60-Second Civics podcast and daily civics quiz!

Shop to Support the Center for Civic Education in the New Year

Shopping on Amazon? Use this link to benefit We the People and the Center's other civic education programs. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Center for Civic Education. You pay the same price for your purchases, but you have the satisfaction of knowing you've helped students receive the high-quality civic education they deserve. Bookmark the link and keep giving all year with every purchase.