Citizenship
Anyone who attends a public school, enjoys a public park, uses public transportation, drinks water supplied and treated by a municipal utility, or sleeps soundly at night knowing their community is protected by a police force and a fire department is enjoying the benefits of American civic life. Being an engaged citizen in 21st Century America requires possession of knowledge of our political structures and systems. No one can hope to make a meaningful impact on society without knowing how the society makes decisions and implements ideas.
Sadly, surveys of basic civics information among adults routinely expose a lack of knowledge. A survey last year by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania (1) found that more than a third of respondents could not name a single branch of the United States government, while fewer than a quarter knew that a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate is required to override a presidential veto. The survey also showed that more than half the 1,416 people surveyed across the country did not know which party controls the House and Senate. Most people cannot name a majority of judges sitting on the Supreme Court, cannot say who is third in line to succeed the president after the vice president, or can even say how many people serve in Congress.
The premise of Unity High School is that we have a great political system in this country and all of its citizens should be knowledgeable about its basic tenants at the federal, state and local levels. One of the ways Unity High School will demonstrate its ability to leverage public assets and make the most of what’s available is to tap into the abundant public resources available to teach valuable civics lessons. The effort will start by establishing and making the most of relationships with area mayors and city council members. It will seek relationships with elected and appointed state and federal officials as well.
Unity High School also will likely draw on the resources of the Civics Renewal Network, a consortium of 26 nonpartisan organizations such as the Library of Congress, National Archives, and the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. There are also very good civics instructional materials available from the Minnesota Governor’s Office and other state offices, the Center for Civic Education, the Learning Law and Democracy Foundation, and many other sources.
It is particularly important for a school that focuses on entrepreneurship to thoroughly educate its students in civic affairs. While there are many worthy public and private sector endeavors, some of the most impactful are public-private efforts, such as this country’s space program, our tourism efforts or broadband internet service, particularly in difficult-to-serve, sparsely populated areas. The goal is for Unity High School graduates to thoroughly understand the public and private sector landscape so they can spot opportunities and bring together the parties and resources necessary for advancement of the common good.
Referenced link:
Sadly, surveys of basic civics information among adults routinely expose a lack of knowledge. A survey last year by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania (1) found that more than a third of respondents could not name a single branch of the United States government, while fewer than a quarter knew that a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate is required to override a presidential veto. The survey also showed that more than half the 1,416 people surveyed across the country did not know which party controls the House and Senate. Most people cannot name a majority of judges sitting on the Supreme Court, cannot say who is third in line to succeed the president after the vice president, or can even say how many people serve in Congress.
The premise of Unity High School is that we have a great political system in this country and all of its citizens should be knowledgeable about its basic tenants at the federal, state and local levels. One of the ways Unity High School will demonstrate its ability to leverage public assets and make the most of what’s available is to tap into the abundant public resources available to teach valuable civics lessons. The effort will start by establishing and making the most of relationships with area mayors and city council members. It will seek relationships with elected and appointed state and federal officials as well.
Unity High School also will likely draw on the resources of the Civics Renewal Network, a consortium of 26 nonpartisan organizations such as the Library of Congress, National Archives, and the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. There are also very good civics instructional materials available from the Minnesota Governor’s Office and other state offices, the Center for Civic Education, the Learning Law and Democracy Foundation, and many other sources.
It is particularly important for a school that focuses on entrepreneurship to thoroughly educate its students in civic affairs. While there are many worthy public and private sector endeavors, some of the most impactful are public-private efforts, such as this country’s space program, our tourism efforts or broadband internet service, particularly in difficult-to-serve, sparsely populated areas. The goal is for Unity High School graduates to thoroughly understand the public and private sector landscape so they can spot opportunities and bring together the parties and resources necessary for advancement of the common good.
Referenced link:
