Chapter 7: Students at the Heart of Civic Learning: Best Practices in Implementing Action Civics

Action civics programs focus on empowering young people to engage in community development and improvement (Kahne, Chi, & Middaugh, 2006;,Kahne & Sporte, 2008; Levine, 2012; Levinson, 2012). For teachers to cultivate a commitment to civic participation and to become active members of vibrant communities, students need regular opportunities to engage in civic learning activities from preschool through college. Simply reading about civic engagement is not enough; students need opportunities to learn about civics by doing and behaving as citizens. If students explore citizenship and civic responsibility through a participatory action-oriented perspective, they are more likely to develop deep understandings of civics knowledge, dispositions, and skills while simultaneously promoting the long-term civic health of our democratic society (Ballard, 2014;,Ballard, Pavlova, Silbereisen, & Damon, 2015; Lerner, Almerigi, & Theokas, 2005).