The Illinois Exemplars featured below represent some of the finest integrated civic education programs in the state. Some are conducted by specific school districts, while others are sponsored by non-profit or community organizations, however they are all distinguished by comprehensive planning and careful execution. These are real examples of high schools, educators and students using one or more of the six approaches outlined in the Civic Blueprint. Additional information about the Illinois Exemplars is available by contacting the host school or organization.

Approach 1: Instruction

	Exemplar 1: We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is a nationally acclaimed constitutional study program for students in grades 4-12 that promotes an understanding of the history and philosophy of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and an understanding of democracy and its institutions.
	Exemplar 2: Choices for the 21st Century Education Program Choices for the 21st Century Education Program is a national education initiative that is used extensively in Illinois high schools. Choices provides curriculum resources and professional development designed to engage students at the secondary level in substantive deliberation on contested international issues—current and historical—from multiple perspectives.
	Exemplar 3: Integrated Civic Curriculum Community High School in West Chicago uses an integrated approach to civics education in the classroom. The curriculum is designed to provide students with numerous opportunities to engage in activities embedded in democratic principles and knowledge.

Approach 2: Current Events

	Exemplar 1: Capitol Forum on America’s Future Capitol Forum on America’s Future is a year-long civic education initiative of the Choices Program at Brown University. Administered in Illinois by the Illinois Humanities Council and drawing on the teaching resources of the Choices Program, Capitol Forum raises international awareness and promotes educated civic exchange among high school students statewide.
	Exemplar 2: Deliberating in a Democracy Deliberating in a Democracy (DID) is a project directed by the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) in partnership with the Constitutional Rights Foundation in Los Angeles (CRF) and Street Law, Inc. It is a major six-year international initiative designed to improve student understanding of democratic principles and the skills of civic deliberation.
	Exemplar 3: Facing History and Ourselves Facing History and Ourselves strives to promote dialogue in the classroom and beyond, encouraging young people to think critically about issues that unite and divide society. For 32 years it has offered teachers and students ways to confront prejudice, apathy, fear and violence.
	Exemplar 4: Timely Topics in Freedom Timely Topics in Freedom is a teacher seminar series presented by the McCormick Foundation Civics Program that addresses a variety of First Amendment and freedom-related issues. Through the series, the museum strives to underscore the contemporary, personal and societal relevance of the First Amendment, and the role it plays in an ongoing struggle to define freedom.

Approach 3: Service Learning

	Exemplar 1: Service Learning Initiative The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has a service learning graduation requirement for all high school students. Students must complete 20 hours of service in order to be promoted to junior status and 40 hours in order to graduate.
	Exemplar 2: Community Leadership Program The Community Leadership Program is an elective course to help students in grades 10-12 become effective citizens. The focus question for this course, “What is an effective citizen in a global community,” allows students to apply the knowledge gained from Social Studies courses to real life.
	Exemplar 3: SEEDS Project The goal of SEEDS (Students Educating for Equity in a Diverse Society) is for students to see that while knowledge and wisdom is great to pursue, they lack power and meaning without putting them into action.
	Exemplar 4: Civic Action Program The Civic Action Program (CAP) is part of a required American Government course for sophomores at York High School. Looking for a way to integrate civic involvement and responsibility into the curriculum, York teachers felt that students needed to understand and experience government on a personal level to find out what it means to be a good citizen.

Approach 4: Activities

	Exemplar 1: Illinois High School Mock Trial Program The Illinois High School Mock Trial program provides an opportunity for students to experience what it is like to prepare and present a trial. Mock trials are structured like a “real” court trial and follow very similar rules.
	Exemplar 2: Mikva Challenge Mikva Challenge involves young people in direct participation in the democratic process through its Issues to Action classroom-based project and Elections in Action extra-curricular program.

Approach 5: Student Voice

Exemplar 1: Illinois Youth Summit The Illinois Youth Summit is a semester-long program of the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) devoted to giving students an informed voice in decisions about current public policy issues that affect them. The Summit provides an opportunity for students to explore and discuss these issues as participants in our democratic society.

Exemplar 2: Youth Policy Councils Mikva Challenge facilitates three issue-based Youth Councils for the City of Chicago on the issues of youth safety, teen health and education. The youth councils made up of Chicago high school students meet with key Chicago decision- makers such as the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools or the Health Commissioner on a quarterly basis and provide policy recommendations and feedback on current youth issues.

Approach 6: Simulations

	Exemplar 1: Legislative Semester Community High School requires a semester-long American Government course for seniors, representing the capstone Social Studies experience for students.
	Exemplar 2: Equal Justice Under Law Equal Justice Under Law is a fall-semester program conducted by the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago (CRFC) that helps Illinois high school teachers of law and government classes connect important constitutional questions to public policy.