California’s Commitment to K-12 Civic Learning: A 2022 Assessment
June 28, 2023
by Erica Hodgin, Samia Alkam, Yvette Conde, and Joseph Kahne
California has taken important steps to reclaim the democratic purpose of the state’s public schools. However, further progress is needed to ensure all students in California have access to high-quality democratic education and to meet the continuing challenges of today.
Breaking New Ground with California’s State Seal of Civic Engagement: Lessons from Year 1
January 11, 2022
by Erica Hodgin and Leah Bueso
The report Breaking New Ground with California’s State Seal of Civic Engagement: Lessons from Year 1 highlights the efforts of early adopters across California and provides themes and recommendations for educators interested in rolling out the SSCE in their own districts and schools.
Reclaiming the Democratic Purpose of California’s Public Schools
November 19, 2020
by John Rogers, Erica Hodgin, Joseph Kahne, Rebecca Cooper Geller, Alexander Kwako, Samia Alkam, and Cicely Bingener
It is time to reclaim the democratic purposes of public education in California. The recent national election signals heightened interest in politics as well as deep fissures in our civic community. Further, the current moment—a global pandemic, the urgent need to address racial injustice, and wildfires up and down the West coast—highlights complex problems that demand public engagement and action. There is a clear need to prepare youth for thoughtful and powerful engagement with societal issues.
Fulfilling the Democratic Aims of Education: A Systemic Approach for Generating Learning Opportunities for Students’ Informed Participation in Civic and Political Life
September 1, 2020
by Erica Hodgin, Joseph Kahne, and John Rogers
Democracy always has been a core purpose underlying public education. Preparing students to engage in our democracy is not a luxury to be attended to if time permits. It is fundamentally important.
Young Adult Voting Skyrocketed in 2018. What Can We Do To Make It Happen Again?
September 10, 2019
by John Rogers, Joe Kahne, and Erica Hodgin
In the Q&A below, National Education Policy Center Fellow John Rogers of UCLA and his collaborators, Joe Kahne and Erica Hodgin of the Civic Engagement Research Group (CERG) at the University of California, Riverside, address questions about young people and voting. They conclude with practical ways that educators and policymakers can encourage more young people to vote.
Let’s Go There: Making a Case for Race, Ethnicity and a Lived Civics Approach to Civic Education
November 14, 2018
by Cathy Cohen, Joseph Kahne, Jessica Marshall
We live in a time of heightened political and civic activity among young people, especially young people of color. The election of President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 inspired increased civic and political participation among young adults.
