DEMOCRACY, HISTORY AND THE ARTS may be in retreat at the federal level, but in Civic Circle workshops they are going strong. At Arcola Elementary School and the Pembridge Square Apartments, students are doing service-learning activities centered on food and its role in our community. They’ve created community cookbooks to celebrate their cultures of heritage, and shared environmental messages about food waste through mini-magazines called “Zines.” They have also explored food insecurity with guests from Interfaith Works through an activity that involved “Food Hero” certificates and stickers.
Students also wrote songs about food, the environment, and other topics with multi-talented teaching artist Nick Newlin. Nick explored themes of peace, kindness and helping others, with civic juggling and participatory creative movement. We thank Montgomery Housing Partnership for the opportunity to offer programming at these sites!
OUR EXPANSION INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL continues with poet and teaching artist Malachi Byrd at D.C.’s Columbia Heights Education Campus. Students are spending eight weeks writing poetry about topics like how to lift their voices (Speak!) and make the world a better place (Act!). The Civic Circle thanks the D.C. Collaborative for this opportunity, which brings our program into the District of Columbia for the first time.
FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS to education, the arts and the humanities are now being felt full force among youth-serving groups. At a time of suffering and anxiety for many in our community, there is plenty of pain to go around. It’s essential, however, that we dig deep to defend democracy, free expression, facts, history, and the values we cherish as Americans. If you value The Civic Circle and the “steps to democracy” at the heart of our program, please make a contribution today.
As I recently told The Takoma Foundation, which generously funded our Democracy Concert last year: “Our mission is more urgent than ever, as we witness the consequences of an election that frankly exploited deficits in civic understanding.” To support democracy and civic learning today, please click HERE.