The Civic Circle is honored to welcome two distinguished new members to our Board of Directors, Rick Cohen and Danielle Gray. Rick is the Chief Communications Officer/Chief Operating Officer for the National Council of Nonprofits, the nation’s largest nonprofit network. Danielle is an avid philanthropist and volunteer with interests in the arts and civic engagement, and serves as the Professional Development Fund Program Manager for Inova Health System. Welcome, Rick and Danielle!
The Opening Forum of Civic Learning Week took place at the National Archives! This is the home home of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. As Christina Grant, the State Superintendent of Education for D.C. put it, “I can hear the archives speaking … you can feel the weight of the building. You are in the place. Get it right.” And yes, that’s The Civic Circle logo you see…
Happy Civic Learning Week! Every day this week, The Civic Circle will release an educational music video about one of the seven “steps to democracy” in our program. Here’s a new one called “Speak Up!” that teaches young students about advocacy, and why their voices matter. (Speak!) Big thanks to Nick Newlin and Lea Morris for bringing this song to life! Lea Morris and Nick Newlin perform “Speak Up!”
In-person assembly shows returned for the first time since before the pandemic, in two fantastic performances by Nick Newlin and Munit Mesfin at Weller Road and Wheaton Woods Elementary Schools. It was a joy to hear students singing and clapping along in person, and shouting “Vote,” and “Democracy means the people rule.” Interestingly, we refined and tightened this show during the “Zoom years,” and now it is more polished and engaging for students than ever.…
We thank Carpe Diem Arts for the opportunity to share the seven “steps to democracy” with a wonderful student group at Gaithersburg Elementary School in January and February. Highlights included a field trip to Gaithersburg City Hall, where Mayor Jud Ashman shared with students why he ran for office, how elections work, and how democracy involves “a dialogue between the people and the officials.” Students also sang their original song about telling truth from fiction, written…