CIVIC EDUCATION TASK FORCE
League Principles on Civic Education
- In the mid- to late 1990s, the League launched its Campaign for Making Democracy Work®, focusing on five key indicators of a healthy democracy: voter participation, campaign finance reform, diversity of representation, civic education and knowledge, and civic participation.
- The League of Women Voters believes that democratic government depends upon informed and active participation in government and requires that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making public records accessible.
2/12/2025 Meeting
Watch the recording here.
Summary
- Federal Employees and Political Climate
- Focus on mission to improve civic education
- Created Hub for Civics Education
- Explore Partnerships and Civics Initiatives
- Civics Education and News Literacy
- Advocating for Civics Education in Schools
- Development of Civic Education Program for Youth
- Development of Civics Course for Federal Judicial System
- Encouraging Promotion and Engagement
Next Steps
- Discuss with Colorado Association of School Board Executives about civics education standards
- Follow up with Geeks Who Drink trivia events and review budget
- Gather appropriate information regarding Civics Education for use on social media
- Reach out to Poudre Libraries district about their involvement in the subject
- Distribute meeting notes, and provide feedback by next meeting on March 12 at 5:30 pm
- Organize and host Federal Judicial System 101 Zoom session for March 4th at 5:30 pm
- Discussed adding event to League calendar
- Local Leagues to consider pressuring their local Chamber of Commerce to participate in the civics bee.
Next meeting March 12, 2025
1/8/2025 Inaugural meeting notes
Many civic education programs exist that LWVCO can utilize, including iCivics, Voter Girl, USCIS citizenship test & study materials, Families Learning Civics Together, and more.
Current Priorities
Strengthening civic education in K-12 Education
- After research to determine the success of similar programs, LWVCO will create a clearinghouse of civic education curricula and programs in Colorado
- Use of the Voter Girl program, developed by LWV of Kent Ohio, which allows Girl Scouts to earn their Civics badge
Adult education in civics
- Trivia night - online or in person
- Develop a partnership with Geeks Who Drink (a Colorado company that supplies live trivia games to bars) to add civic education to their repertoire, with LWVCO providing questions
- Develop a program-in-a-box around Civic Trivia to distribute to Colorado Leagues
- Social media
- Develop social media posts with facts and trivia about civic education for distribution to Colorado Leagues
- Create short videos with civics facts for YouTube and TikTok
- Create online civics tests similar to IQ test posts -- i.e., if you can answer 7 of 10 civics questions, you're a true patriot!
- Blog or podcast
- Weekly/monthly blog or podcast on a civics topic
- Recruit Colorado Leagues & members to create short blogs/podcasts on a civics topic
NEXT MEETING: FEB. 12 at 5:30pm --
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER