South Windsor High School offers many courses that allow students to get involved in their community, while teaching them important concepts about government, and history. Honors Civics is a half year course, offered here at SWHS, it allows students to obtain knowledge about government and be civically engaged, working to make a difference in our community.
Each year Honors Civics students participate in Project Citizen. Project citizen is a civics education program that encourages students to address public policy issues, conduct research, and develop practical solutions. Project Citizen was introduced as a part of the civics course to allow students to actively participate in community, and local government. Students gain a sense of civic engagement, rather than the standard teaching, where students sit and memorize information.
Throughout the semester, students will identify public policy issues and pick one that interests them the most. Students then get to work collaboratively in groups to research the topic and find a solution. At the end of the semester, students present their chosen public policy issue and proposed solution to an audience of educators, instructional coaches and administrative team.
The main purpose of the project is to encourage civic engagement in students, while allowing them to be informed citizens. They are challenged to think outside the box, and create change in their community.
“Civic education should never happen in a static environment,” SWHS Civics teacher Lindsey McGinn said. “Students need to learn about government and how to engage with that government or else the subject matter is useless.”
Through Project Citizen students can explore a wide range of policy issues. Groups have the option to focus on state based issues or district based issues for the project.
At the end of last semester, students finished their research, and presented their public policy issues and proposed solutions as part of their midterm assessment.
Many students reflected on their project, and how it helped them grow, and become informed citizens.
A junior, Emery Forko explained how the project pushed her out of her comfort zone.
“I felt like I took on a role that I usually wouldn’t be comfortable with and it helped me build some confidence in my abilities,” Forko told The Prowl.
