Educating for Democracy
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List of Illinois
Democracy Schools
Why Become a
Democracy School?
What is
Citizenship?
Benefits of
Citizenship Development
What is a Democracy School?
Benefits of Citizenship Development

Effective civic education gives students the foundation they need through classroom and hands-on experiences to be a contributing citizen in our democracy. Reconnecting high school students with representative democracy delivers multiple benefits:

  • Recent evidence suggests that simulations of voting, trials, legislative deliberations, and diplomacy in schools can lead to heightened political knowledge.
  • Studies have shown that extracurricular participation is a better predictor of adult community engagement than education or income.
  • Initial research shows that service learning may be more effective at instilling civic skills and values among young people than community service or volunteering that is unrelated to the curriculum
  • Formal instruction in U.S. government, history, and democracy increases civic knowledge
  • Research suggests that giving students more opportunities to participate in the management of their own classrooms and schools builds their civic skills and attitudes.
  • Students who participate in quality service learning programs tend to exhibit improved civic skills and attitudes, especially responsibility for helping others, tolerance, acceptance of diversity and a lasting commitment to volunteering.

The information above can be found in the Civic Mission of Schools Report
Things to Know
Problem: 25% of surveyed high school students said they were never encouraged to make up their own mind about issues.

Solution: Civic education has the potential to tap the openness of young people to arguments on both sides of important issues.