The Civic Engagement Research Group (CERG) based out of the University of California Riverside (UCR) just launched a new resource website focused on providing educators with the tools they need to prepare youth to participate in a democratic society. The website Educating 4 Democracy offers a collection of videos and learning modules to help guide educators interested in learning how to provide high-quality civic learning opportunities to their students. With dedicated topic pages such as “Civic Discussion & Deliberation” and “Civic Action,” early and veteran teachers, leaders, and administrators alike will be able to take the civic development of their students to the next level. 

This week, Dr. Erica Hodgin, Co-Director of CERG, and Dr. Leah Bueso, a postdoctoral scholar at CERG, joined the Illinois Civics Hub to share how CERG’s resources can provide support to classrooms in implementing the proven practices of civic education including current and societal Issue discussions, service learning, and direct instruction on democratic institutions per the middle and high school civics course requirements. CERG’s resources are also well-suited to meet the newly revised K-12 Social Science standards that explicitly address multiple perspectives and how to incorporate students’ lived experiences into inquiry.

The webinar aligned to Theme 1 of the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap, Civic Participation, by addressing the essential questions:

• What are the responsibilities and opportunities of citizenship and civic agency in America’s constitutional democracy?
• How can I participate?

If you missed the webinar, you can access a recording on the Illinois Civics Hub Webinar Archive for your own on-demand professional development.

CERG”s Educating 4 Democracy website has a plethora of resources to support students in exploring their rights and responsibilities in our constitutional democracy. Topics include:

• Civic Investigation and Research
• Civic Discussion and Deliberation
• Civic Voice
• Civic Action
• CIvic Knowledge
• Civic Assessment

For more tools to help students to engage in the proven practices of civic education including current and societal issue discussions and service learning, visit the Illinois Civic Hub Curriculum Toolkits that feature civic learning partners like CERG.

The Illinois Civics Hub and Democracy Schools Network host free after-school PD with our civic learning partners from Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, the Stanford History Education Group, The Center for Research and Information on Civic Learning and Engagement, and more. A description for each webinar and information to register for professional development credits is available on the Illinois Civics Hub Professional Development Calendar.