CAP Online Overview
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Civic Action Project (CAP) Online provides a series of recorded youth-led webinars with special guest speakers and assignments.
Session 1 - Why Do I Have to Learn Civics and Government?
Objectives
Students will:
- Define and understand the purpose of “public policy”.
- Explore how societal problems are addressed by government, public policy, and citizen action.
- Differentiate between local, state, and federal policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guest Speaker
Angie Aramayo, Central Area Representative, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office
Homework Assignment
- Complete chart tracking federal, state, and local policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- List three issues that you care about that are in the news.
Session 2 - Standing Up: The Civil Rights Movement
Objectives
Students will:
- Review key events and people of the civil rights movement, and explain its main goals.
- Describe the necessity for citizen engagement to bring about political and social change.
- Identify key strategies used by civil rights leaders, as well as present-day issues of equity.
Guest Speaker
Composer and director Nolan Williams, Jr., of NEWorks Productions and The Kennedy Center’s Let Freedom Ring Project
Homework Assignment
- Voting rights primary source analysis activity
- Reading to prepare for Session 3: The Montgomery Bus Boycott
Session 3 - Strategies of the Civil Rights Movement and Lessons for Today
Objectives
Students will:
- Reflect on Voter Rights issues to inform future civic actions.
- Explore the Montgomery Bus Boycott to illustrate the importance of building constituencies (a civic action).
- Analyze a primary source document to identify a variety of civic actions, including methods that boycott leaders either used or thought of to build support for the boycott.
Facilitators
CRF Staff
Homework Assignment
1. Identify and be prepared to share two issues or problems that really matter to you.
2. Read one of the following texts about a proposed policy to prepare for the next session./p>
Proposition 18: Voting at Age 17
Should Bottled Water Be Banned? The Top 4 Pros and Cons
Session 4 - Getting Started on Your Civic Action Project
Objectives
Students will:
- Examine causes and effects of public policy problems
- Consider the experiences of young people who have taken action on issues that mattered to them.
- Explore and begin work on the CAP Proposal Planner
Facilitators
CAP Youth Board Members
Homework Assignment
Complete CAP Proposal Planner
Session 5 - Zeroing in on Your Civic Action Project
Objectives
Students will:
- Share the issue/problem they’re planning to work on
- Analyze policy issues from last session in terms of possible supporters and opponents
- Explain the different ways an issue can be connected to/analyzed in terms of public policy
- Brainstorm and consider different types of civic actions they can take to address their issue/problem
Facilitators
CAP Youth Board Members
Homework Assignment
Complete Thinking It Through Planner
Session 7 - Communicating Your Message for Civic Action
Objectives
Students will:
- Explore different approaches to communicating their message on the issue they care about, including using social media
- Continue brainstorming and planning civic actions they can take to address their issue/problem
Guest Speaker
Samer Badawi, freelance journalist and strategic communications consultant
Homework Assignment
Complete at least one Civic Action Planner
Session 8 - Office Hours with CAP Youth Board #2 (at different times of the day)
Objectives
Students will
- Consult in small groups with CAP Youth Board facilitators & their peers to work on refining their CAP topics and plans
Homework Assignment
Complete at least one more Civic Action Planner
[Note two-week break between sessions for students to incorporate planning and feedback to focus on carrying out their civic actions].
Session 9 - Preparing for the CAP Expo
Objectives
Students will:
- Review the Reflection planner in preparation for summarizing and presenting their CAP experience
- Develop a plan for a CAP Expo presentation in which they will: explain the issue they worked on and describe how they connected it to public policy, what civic actions they took, and what impact they had.
Facilitators
CAP Youth Board Members
Homework Assignment
- Complete CAP Report Planner.
- Prepare CAP Expo presentation using the chart.
[Note two-week prep time)
Session 10 - CAP Expo
Objectives
Students will:
- Share the work they did over the course of their Civic Action Project
- Explore and ask questions about the issues and policies that other students worked on
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