THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING in The Civic Challenge! We hope you had fun. In our final newsletter of this campaign, we’re going to lead with an important message:
You can support democracy and civic learning by clicking HERE, or on one of the links below! We also invite you to share your thoughts, or a favorite poem or quotation, on the following question:
Please reply on our Civic Challenge campaign page, or by emailing info@thecivccircle.org. And please visit us on social media this weekend for the final two prompts on the sixth and seventh “steps to democracy” in this program—Act and Lead!
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DAVID SOUTER’s passing last week surfaced a warning that resonated powerfully with civic educators. Way back in 2012, Souter gave an uncharacteristically candid and impassioned answer to an audience member at an arts talk in New Hampshire, stating:
“I don’t believe there is any problem of American politics and American public life which is more significant today than the pervasive civic ignorance of the Constitution of the United States and the structure of government.”
Souter said even then that, while not innately pessimistic, he was “not an optimist” about the future of American democracy: “We’re still in the game, but we have serious work to do, and serious work is being neglected.”
It’s a warning we should all take to heart, as democracy pillars from the nonpartisan civil service to the courts, and academic and cultural institutions, come under threat. There are many ways to support democracy and youth civic engagement:
Click HERE or on the DONATE button below
- Text the code "GIVESONG" to 44-321 via cell
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Every contribution helps lift youth voices, and prepare students to be the voters, volunteers, and civic leaders of tomorrow.