How do you help build an active democracy? Engage local youth. Generation Citizen knows this, and leverages this knowledge at every opportunity. That’s why last week’s Generation Citizen Civics Day, held in Boston at the Massachusetts State House, was so important to us. Civics Day brought together students from around the Boston Metro area to discuss civic action and present civic solutions to local influencers, leaders and other representatives who can help make these projects a reality.
A brief look inside Civics Day, via Generation Citizen:
Civics Day is the culminating event in a semester-long action civics experience for students who participate in Generation Citizen. Student teams descend on a central location in their city to present their action civic projects to local decision-makers and influencers who can support these projects. It looks like a science fair for civic action. We’ve hosted city mayors, state governors, state representatives, state bureaucrats, and leaders in business and education as judges to support our student projects.
Civics Day is one of the most unique facets of the Generation Citizen program. Students have reported that Civics Day was the most motivating factor in their participation— for many, the support, encouragement, and validation they receive from adults in the community reinforces their civic efforts and action in a way a traditional civics class could not. For other students, Civics Day is an opportunity to learn from and celebrate their peers’ success.
Miss out on this year’s Civics Day? No worries! See below for a Twitter recap of the best moments of the event: