The Civic Circle builds youth civic skills through the arts. The heart of our program is seven civic skills we call "steps to democracy"—civility and bridge building (Listen), news literacy (Learn!), voting (Choose!), public service (Join!), and making the world a better place (Speak, Act and Lead!). Students in our program discover their civic rights and responsibilities, and create and perform their own civic songs, poems and art pieces. Along the way, they celebrate the universal values that unite us as Americans, including tolerance, equality, truth, justice and freedom.
EMPOWER
REAL WORLD SKILLS prepare students to be tomorrow's voters, volunteers and community leaders. Social Studies activities include mock elections, "spot the fake" news literacy games, and letters to public officials
SERVICE-LEARNING projects open the door to civic engagement and cultivate empathy and well-being. Students consistently leave our program more excited about volunteering and helping others.
THRIVE
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL skills empower students to resolve conflicts, express themselves creatively and practice peace. High quality after-school enrichment builds connection, belonging and community.
CREATING CIVIC ART with original songs, stories and poems builds student confidence and self-expression. The arts make democracy fun and exciting for students, and support all learning styles.
ACHIEVE
COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS and civic learning go hand in hand. Civics correlates to fewer discipline incidents, and better performance in school. The need for civic understanding and engagement is more urgent than ever.
AN EQUITY GAP has hampered civic learning and engagement in both urban and rural communities. A leading aspect of our mission is to close that gap. We offer free programs to students attending Title 1 schools.
The Civic Circle in Action
Thank you to our Supporters and Collaborators:
