Talking About Democracy

FAIN: ZED-283230-22

Constitutional Rights Foundation (Los Angeles, CA 90005-2319)
Sarah Badawi (Project Director: May 2021 to October 2024)

A new initiative to engage high school students in virtual discussions about civic participation.

We propose Talking About Democracy, a program to engage high school students in virtual field trips where they will participate with students from different parts of the country in structured discussions and group assignments to examine fundamental questions facing our country today: What does a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society look like? And what is my role in making that a reality? We ground this work in the Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy, which provides themes and questions we will address: “Why does constitutional democracy depend on the idea of ’the people?” and “What values, virtues, and principles can knit together ‘We, the People?” We will collaborate with nonprofits/school districts with whom we already work in a mix of rural, urban, suburban, and tribal schools in CA, FL, IA, NY, NC, and OK to develop and pilot this program to foster student dialogue, critical thinking, and shared understandings about our democracy, though not necessarily consensu