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Project Is Civics Minded

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By MICHELE SAGER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2008

TAMPA PALMS - Just 27 percent of high school students received a passing score in civics education in recent national testing.

Fewer than a fifth of young people vote in elections, and fewer have a proficient understanding of how government works.

The Hillsborough County School District is hoping to change that through a $2 million grant.

The school district kicked off Project ELECT, Educating Learners to Engage in Civics Today. The project is based on the premise that exemplary civics education produces knowledgeable adults who participate in the democratic process.

Peter Levine, director of the University of Maryland Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Education, gave a lecture last week at Freedom High to kick off the program.

Levine said civic engagement is key because people bring about change.

"Many of our problems have to be solved by us, not by government," Levine said.

About 50 people, mostly teachers, attended the lecture. Levine gave some suggestions to bring civics alive to students:

•Offer civics courses.

•Discuss current events in schools.

•Engage students to create their own bills to be made into laws.

•Encourage community service.

•Get students to participate in extracurricular activities
•Simulate civic activities with practices such as mock elections.

One teacher asked Levine how to get parents involved in civics.

"Do an exciting job at schools, and kids are going to talk about civics," Levine said. "They will talk about it at home with their parents, and the parents will become engaged."

Other teachers complained that because civics isn't part of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, many students assume it isn't important.

Levine said teachers can't be afraid to incorporate civics in their lessons.

"So many teachers feel guilty about talking about current events, so they'll spend 15 minutes on it and then return to their predetermined lessons," Levine said. "But current events are some of the best ways to get the students engaged. We can't be afraid to engage the students with different approaches."

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.

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