U.S. Dept. of Ed: Facing History Advances Civic Learning
Now is the time to advance civic learning and democratic engagement in American education. So says a new report issued by the United States Department of Education. Billed as a road map and call to action, January’s “Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy” features Facing History and Ourselves as a powerful model of a “next generation” civic learning organization. The report praises Facing History for its work engaging students and teachers, its track record in successfully fostering civic engagement, and its promotion of critical thinking.
The organization is one of 13 highlighted as leaders in the movement to improve schooling for American students and engage a global society.
"Facing History and Ourselves...[helps] students in the United States and abroad combat prejudice and discover how individual choices can change the course of history,” the report reads. “Results show that Facing History helps increase teachers’ capacity to foster students’ civic understanding and skills and show that it boosts students’ civic engagement and critical thinking skills.”
The report comes after recent studies have shown American schools to be lagging when it comes to providing students with a quality civics education. Its release follows a new goal set by the Obama administration: That by 2020, America produce the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. Key to realizing this goal is a strengthening of civic education, the report concludes.
“Since its founding, America’s leaders have recognized that one of the most important purposes of educating the nation’s citizens is to protect and strengthen democracy. Education in America must prepare all students for informed participation in civic and democratic life – so that all Americans are ready to tackle the challenges confronting communities and the nation in the 21st century,” the report reads.
The work outlined in the report has been central to the mission of Facing History since its founding in 1976. “Facing History and Ourselves’ mission is to create informed and engaged citizens. Democracy is a prize constantly won. Young people need to be engaged. They need to learn to read, write, speak, and listen to one another. They need to learn the lessons of history, the dangers of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism, and the importance of an informed and humane citizenry,” said organization co-founder and executive director Margot Stern Strom.
To date, Facing History has trained more than 29,000 teachers and the organization reaches nearly two million students annually. Classrooms from Brookline, Massachusetts, where the organization got its start, to schools in New York City, across California, and in small towns in Tennessee are engaged with Facing History resources and methods. The organization works with educators in Canada and Mexico, Israel and Rwanda, and in the UK and Northern Ireland, among other places.
To boost the quality of civic education in America, the Department of Education lists five priorities, all in line with the work of Facing History:
- Advance civic learning and democratic engagement in both the U.S. and abroad
- Evaluate the effects of civic learning and the impact of partnerships between schools and communities
- Strengthen the relationships between schools and communities
- Expand research and promote public awareness
- Deepen civic identity and agency by sharing stories of civic work
In addition, the report highlights the importance of incorporating technology and social media into the learning process.
Evaluations show that students who receive a Facing History education are more engaged – both in the classroom and in the community. A 2009 study of Facing History students across the U.S. found that the program promotes respect for the rights of others whose views differ from one’s own, fosters awareness of the power and danger of prejudice and discrimination, and increases students’ sense of civic efficacy – the capacity to make a difference in society. Facing History builds bridges between schools and communities in many ways, including through its Community Conversation series in partnership with The Allstate Foundation, by bringing survivors of genocides and wars into communities and classrooms, and through key partnerships with learning institutions and arts organizations. Its resources and teaching methods are grounded in the telling of history through personal narrative, reflection, and considering the perspectives and actions that multiple players have in shaping a modern society. And with its online workshops and Digital Media Innovation Network, Facing History is engaging educators and students across the globe, using new technologies and promoting cutting-edge skills.
“In an increasingly interconnected world often plagued by violence and by racial and ethnic differences, Facing History helps students recognize their role in creating positive change in society and helps provide students with the critical tools to live and work productively and safely with others and to value the humanity of all,” Margot said.
It is a difficult climate in which to be carrying out such work. According to the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress in Civics, only 27%, 22%, and 24% of fourth, eighth, and twelfth grade students, respectively, performed at proficiency. And, according to the Department of Education report, a significant achievement gap persists between racial and ethnic groups. That, according to the report, is where Facing History – alongside other featured initiatives including Ashoka U, an “eDemocracy” program at Georgia Tech University, and a project started by retired Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor – come into play.
“This new generation of civic learning puts students at the center and includes both learning and practice – not just rote memorization of names, dates, and processes,” the report says. “Now is the time to advance civic learning and democratic engagement throughout American education.”
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Learn more about the reach and impact of Facing History.
Facing History’s Julia Rappaport wrote this article. For questions or tips on what Facing History is doing in your community, email her at Julia_Rappaport@facing.org.
