THE GIVING SEASON is almost here, and The Civic Circle invites you to join a campaign we’re calling “Give Hope.” The campaign kicks off on Tuesday, December 3, when we will join the global movement to give back and celebrate generosity. GivingTuesday started as a response to consumerism, but this year we are lifting up hope as an antidote to mistrust and disengagement. Students in our programs learn that their voices matter, and that democracy demands their participation.…
THIS ELECTION’S OUTCOME begs a response, even from a nonpartisan group such as The Civic Circle that does not endorse or oppose any candidate, party or cause. What we do endorse is the seven “steps to democracy” at the heart of our program, which cut across the partisan divide. These include civility, truth, elections, volunteering, First Amendment freedoms, and public service — civic skills that we boil down for students to one word each: Listen, Learn, Choose, Join,…
The Good News About This Election DEPENDING ON YOUR POLITICS, this election’s outcome could send your spirits soaring, or plunge you into despair. But whatever the outcome, Americans around the country are finding creative and innovative ways to encourage participation, keep things civil, make sure things run smoothly, and strengthen the democratic process. Their stories offer inspiration at a moment of national anxiety and uncertainty. A GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOL students in Denver, many from immigrant…
THIS ELECTION HAS SPARKED strong feelings around the country, but the mood was uniformly positive and joyful at The Civic Circle’s Democracy Concert on October 26 at Busboys & Poets in Takoma Park. Poet Malachi Byrd set the tone with an original poem written for the occasion, “My Voice,” which concluded with the lines: “Elections are an opportunity, not a chore/Because my voice matters, and so does yours.” It was a multigenerational event that featured performances of poetry and song…
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU SATURDAY for The Civic Circle’s Democracy Concert! Bring the whole family to celebrate voting and democracy at Busboys & Poets in Takoma Park from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students in our community will share their civic art pieces, and we’ll enjoy civic poetry and songs by an extraordinary lineup of performers: Malachi Byrd, Lilo Gonzalez, Munit Mesfin, Nick Newlin, and Gabrielle Zwi. We’re inviting everyone to arrive 15 minutes early, as space is limited and parking may be, to. There’s…