Our Blog
Up-to-date information about GC and the broader community we serve.
Dec202018Read More >MASSACHUSETTS STUDENT CHANGEMAKER ADDRESS
Sharon Mejia Charlestown High SchoolBoston, MA My name is Sharon Mejia, I am an 11th grade student from Charlestown High School. I immigrated to the U.S. on my own when I was 13 from El Salvador and I first ended up in Texas, then Pennsylvania and finally here in Boston. Many students, such as myself, […]
Dec202018Read More >RHODE ISLAND STUDENT CHANGEMAKER ADDRESS
Dec202018Read More >Small Towns and Prodigious Minds: The Potential in Rural Communities
By Megan Brandon, Regional Program Manager, Texas & National “Small town, country kids who lead a simple life.” This was just one of the many expressions often used to describe my former students from Bastrop, a small town of around 8,000 people, just 35 minutes east of Austin, TX, but it might as well be […]
Dec192018Read More >NEW YORK STUDENT CHANGEMAKERS ADDRESS
Blessing Onisemo Union Square Academy for Health SciencesNew York, NY When I was younger I always shied away from anything that had to do with being bold. I didn’t feel comfortable with others eyes on me. By the time I made it to my last days of middle school, I knew that had to change. […]
Dec192018Read More >TEXAS STUDENT CHANGEMAKERS ADDRESS
Kevin Perez Reagan Early College High SchoolAustin, Texas My name is Kevin Perez I am a senior at Reagan Early College High School. I’m excited to tell you about the civic change this project has made to my community and to me as a person. As a person coming from an unaware perspective on civics, […]
Dec192018Read More >OKLAHOMA STUDENT CHANGEMAKER ADDRESS
Nicolas Bennet Oklahoma Student Change Maker Fall 2018 John Marshall HS, Oklahoma City Public Schools, OKC Thank you. I grew up in Oklahoma City and attended elementary school with predominantly white students. I remember students often discussing rumors that John Marshall was a terrible school. My parents raised me to be accepting of people….all shapes, […]
Dec132018Read More >Bay Area Student Changemaker Address
Stephanie, an 8th grader from Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, on her action project to address neighborhood violence. This speech was delivered at Bay Area Civics Day on December 7, 2018. Good afternoon, my name is Stephanie. I’m from San Francisco and I attend Martin Luther King Jr. middle school. I’m in 8th grade […]
Dec062018Read More >Youth voter participation is not red or blue, it’s universal
I have the privilege of working with middle and high school students across the state of Oklahoma. As a civics educator, I find myself constantly noticing where young people show up. During the build-up to the 2018 midterm election, I saw students where I always do — at the mall, in their schools, at athletic […]
Nov132018Read More >Generation Citizen 2018 Annual Report
We are excited to share our 2018 Annual Report. The report highlights key achievements from the past year, including progress on our three-year strategic growth plan, our advocacy work, and the many ways our students have been at the forefront of positive, real change both in their communities and in our democracy. Click here to […]
Nov082018Read More >Civic Dispositions and School Culture
The conflict between youth civic engagement and anti-democratic educational environments I tried to find a way to start this without invoking the midterm election and all of the reports of “apathetic” voters. I promise I did. But before you stop reading, this might not go where you think it’s going to. I offer a challenge: […]
Nov082018Read More >Drew Brees is a Populist
Stick with me and I’ll explain What’s going on??? Grover Cleveland has just been sworn in to his second term as the 24th President of the United States, of which there are only 44. It is the second time he has been elected, making Benjamin Harrison the answer to the trivia question, “who is the only […]
Nov082018Read More >Voter suppression by adults sends the wrong message to America’s young people
Why restricting participation at the polls might discourage emerging civic actors Voter suppression teaches children that adults are not serious about preserving democracy for the emerging generation of voters. When eligible individuals follow all the rules and still struggle to obtain access to the ballot box, it sends the wrong signal to the nation’s young people. […]
Nov082018Read More >NEW REPORT: Through an Action Civics Lens – Policy and Advocacy to Support Effective Civics Education Across the 50 states
Generation Citizen’s Policy and Advocacy Team is thrilled to be launching a report, “Through an Action Civics Lens: Policy and Advocacy to Support Effective Civics Education Across the 50 States” in tandem with our 2018-2019 Policy and Advocacy Agenda. You can find the Report here and the Agenda here. Generation Citizen’s (GC) founding mission is […]
Nov022018Read More >Lesson Plans for Teachers: NYC City Charter Revision Commissions!
Generation Citizen created this rapid response Lesson Package for teachers to implement in their 8th to 12th-grade classrooms in order to both ensure a more informed local population and engage young people in this important local political procedure. Over the next year, New Yorkers will have multiple opportunities to share their input and shape the […]
Nov022018Read More >Flip Your Ballot: GC Endorses All Three NYC Ballot Proposals
On Thursday, October 25, 2018, Generation Citizen New York City submitted public comments to the Campaign Finance Board endorsing the three ballot proposals on the November 6, 2018 ballot. Read on! GC NYC participated in the 2018 Charter Revision Commission process, including by testifying before the 2018 New York City Charter Revision Commission (Commission) about […]
Nov022018Read More >NYC Local Advisory Board Hype Man Performance
The Generation Citizen New York City’s Local Advisory Board is excited to invite you to a private evening of theater to benefit Generation Citizen at The Flea Theater on Monday, November 12th for the 7pm performance of Hype Man, followed by a wine reception and talk back with the cast. The play by Idris Goodwin […]
Sep202018Read More >We’re hiring a Bay Area Program Manager
Generation Citizen is Hiring a Bay Area Program Manager Generation Citizen (GC) is excited to announce that we are looking for an exceptional leader to join our team as the Bay Area Program Manager of our local “Democracy Coach” Action Civics model, which involves recruiting, training, and supporting college volunteer Democracy Coaches in effectively partnering […]
Aug132018Read More >GENERATION CITIZEN ANNOUNCES AIMEE SPRUNG AS MASSACHUSETTS BOARD CHAIR
Generation Citizen (GC) is excited to welcome Aimee Sprung as the new Chairperson of the Massachusetts Board of Directors. As Generation Citizen Massachusetts enters a phase of rapid opportunity and growth, we are thrilled for Aimee to lead our local site to help us engage exponentially more young people in Action Civics and support the next […]
Aug062017Read More >Democracy: The Winning Horse
Democracy: The Winning Horse How we can invest in a true culture of civic participation By David Moren Leading up to last November’s election, much of the buzz was about “How do we get more people registered to vote?!” A noble and necessary question, to be sure, yet one I often feel misses the point […]
Jul312017Read More >Defining Diversity: Student Writing on the Violence Against Women Act
Defining Diversity: Student Writing on the Violence Against Women Act Featuring an excerpt from Lowell, MA students’ recently published book on diversity and equity By Carla M. Duran Capellan, former Generation Citizen student and Student Leadership Board member I was asked by Jessica Lander, my history teacher, to write a chapter for a book with twenty-three other students […]
Jun232017Read More >Political Schools
Political Schools A Former Teacher’s Summertime Reflection By Meredith Norris, Texas Site Manager High school students shake hands with judges at Generation Citizen’s Central Texas Civics Day Summer is often the time when teachers have a chance to think back on their year and dream about the next one. What do they wish they’d had more time […]
Jun072017Read More >Scott Warren: The Long Road to Change
There is sometimes a reflexive tendency when witnessing young people in action to express something akin to “Seeing this work made me so hopeful about the future!” I have heard this sentiment expressed again and again from those who attend a Generation Citizen Civics Day, our semester-end event, in which our students present the issues […]
Jun072017Read More >Democratizing in the Digital Age
Democratizing in the Digital Age A defense of the internet’s role in politics By Monica Roman, Operations Associate Apps like Countable give you direct access to elected officials and the bills they’re voting on It is easy to get caught up in the narrative of the internet as a chaotic force in politics these days, with it […]
May152017Read More >The New Civic Activism
The New Civic Activism A view from Brooklyn By David Pechefsky, Senior Advisor Since the presidential election, my Brooklyn neighborhood has seen a big surge in liberal activism. Under the banner of “Get Organized Brooklyn” our local Council Member has been convening monthly meetings attended by as many as a thousand people. After the first meeting in […]
May052017Read More >Door Knocking: A Love Story
Door Knocking: A Love Story Why face-to-face conversations strengthen our democracy By Nora Howe, NYC Program Associate One long driveway away, my next house waited. The Iowa sun beating down, I was getting ready to knock my 90th (or was it 91st?) door of the day, and still had 30 more to go. My shoes […]
Apr262017Read More >Did you just miss a chance to vote? An update on April 2017 Municipal Elections
Did you just miss a chance to vote? An update on April 2017 municipal elections By Brandon Klugman While hotly contested special elections for Congressional seats in Kansas and Georgia have dominated most discussion of elections this month, it is important to remember that springtime also marks local election season for many cities across the […]
Apr242017Read More >When is Enough Actually Enough?
When is Enough Actually Enough? A Michelle Branch-induced breaking point. By Scott Warren Last May, I sat in a café on 24th and Valencia in San Francisco, gathering my thoughts after a fruitful meeting, ready to walk into a gorgeous San Francisco morning for a day full of more productivity: meetings with Board members, foundations, […]
Apr172017Read More >“Change-making” in Process
Eli Emigh, Generation Citizen’s newest New York Program Associate, reflects on some of his first experiences in the classroom. I began my role as a Program Associate with Generation Citizen’s NYC team at the start of February 2017 after working as an organizer with the Oregon Student Association. I was excited to continue working […]
Apr062017Read More >Yasmine Mahdavi: Does My Voice Matter?
Does My Voice Matter? After years of promising to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, the repeal bill was pulled from the House floor on March 24. This was a surprising turn and a prime example of successful civic engagement swaying our representatives. One of the reasons it didn’t […]
Mar272017Read More >San Diego Union-Tribune: Is today’s political engagement a fad or the new reality?
In the midst of a time of seemingly heightened political engagement across the country, a record low number of citizens turned out to vote in Los Angeles’ local election. Generation Citizen co-founder and CEO Scott Warren reflects in this op-ed, published in The San Diego Union-Tribune. How do we reconcile the fact that millions of […]
Mar272017Read More >Vote16 on Ozy: To Bridge the Political Divide, Let Minors Vote
“Our political challenges may seem insurmountable. But let’s remember that in addition to building bridges across the aisle, we need on-ramps to participation.” This piece tells the story of one of Takoma Park’s first under-18 voters, and argues that extending voting rights to more 16- and 17-year-olds can help reinvigorate our democracy. Read more on […]
Mar132017Read More >Yasmine Mahdavi: GIRLS AND WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO THINK FREELY AND TO ACT ACCORDINGLY
Yasmine Mahdavi, Generation Citizen’s Measurement and Evaluation Fellow, responds to a recent opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal. Ideally, girls and women should have the freedom to advocate for themselves and others in any way they choose. But, when we dictate or ideologically critique the way in which they choose to express themselves we […]
Jan272017Read More >Shifting the Age Curve: A Smart Approach to Increasing Voter Turnout
We have a voter participation crisis in the United States – most agree on this. The US ranks 31st out of 35 OECD countries in voter turnout. In the 2016 election, four out of ten eligible voters did not cast a ballot, similar to the rate in 2012. Turnout in midterm and local elections is […]
Nov162016Read More >Dana Harris: Action civics education is more important now, than ever.
Dana Harris, Generation Citizen’s Advocacy Manager, shares her perspective on political disillusionment – and how you can help us change it. I grew up with the belief that in order to make real change in this country, I had to work around government, not through it. I spent my high school years committed to […]
Sep272016Read More >Why We’re Going to Texas: A Former Austin Teacher Shares Her Powerful Story
Meredith Norris, Austin native and former teacher, is leading the effort to bring Generation Citizen to Central Texas. Here she tells us why. I started my teaching career in 2012 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Debates over Common Core and teacher evaluation ran rampant. Standards and test scores were valued above all, but the […]
Sep122016Read More >4 Reasons Why You Should Vote in New York’s Primary Election
4 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE IN NEW YORK’S PRIMARY ELECTION By Bonnie Mills and Nora Howe, Generation Citizen New York Program Associates Tomorrow, September 13th, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote for their State Senator and Assemblymember, all of whom are up for reelection in the state primary election. But why should […]
Dec212016Read More >Civics Day Highlights from Scott Warren
Every fall and spring semester Generation Citizen hosts Civics Day, our students’ end-of-semester project showcase. Civics day presents a unique opportunity for students to take pride in their projects, advocate for their issues to a local audience, and collect feedback on their plans from panels of judges. Check-out the highlights from our Fall 2016 Civics Day […]
Nov222016Read More >Generation Citizen to Expand Civics Education in Central Texas
GENERATION CITIZEN TO EXPAND CIVICS EDUCATION IN CENTRAL TEXAS Action Civics programming to begin in Austin-area schools in January. AUSTIN, TEXAS — On Wednesday, November 9th, Generation Citizen hosted its launch event for its new site in Central Texas. Joined by Mayor Steve Adler, local officials, teachers, college students, and philanthropists, nearly 75 supporters from […]
Oct282016Read More >Upcoming Events | Fall 2016
Join Us | Upcoming Generation Citizen Events Fall 2016 Bay Area Civic Tech Challenge Hackathon & Awards Reception | Saturday November 5, 2016 At Generation Citizen’s second annual Bay Area Civic Tech Challenge, we’re bringing together top Bay Area tech innovators with passionate middle and high school students for a day-long hackathon that will create […]
Oct132016Read More >450 Students Take Part in Generation Citizen Launch at Lowell High School
Lowell High School brought together 450 students on Wednesday, September 28th to launch Generation Citizen at their school. This year, these 23 classrooms will work to make meaningful change in their communities through the Generation Citizen program. The Lowell High School launch event, held at the school located in Lowell Massachusetts, kicked-off with an exploration […]
Oct042016Read More >Justin Kang: Why Civic Tech Challenge and Why Now?
Why Civic Tech Challenge and Why Now? Q&A With Boston’s Leading Young Civic Innovator and Creator of the Civic Tech Challenge, Justin Kang Justin Kang is the founder and Executive Director of City Awake, the civic innovation lab of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, widely hailed as a leading voice for millennials in Greater […]
Sep222016Read More >What We’re Reading
Every other week, GC picks out a selection of articles, videos, or podcasts that are relevant to our work and to the civic education space as a whole. This week we are focusing specifically on local news and issues in some of GC’s program regions. We at GC love to expand our learning in every […]
Sep132016Read More >Civic Tech Challenge Greater Boston Registration is Open!
The Greater Boston hackathon will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2016 Sign-up to Participate in the Civic Tech Challenge Hackathon Buy Tickets to the Civic Tech Challenge Awards Reception Generation Citizen’s Civic Tech Challenge brings together top tech innovators and passionate middle school students for a day-long hackathon that will create solutions to tough […]
Sep082016Read More >Join Us: Stories of Grassroots Change
Join Generation Citizen and the Boston Debate League for this inspiring storytelling event. Local activists and aspiring young leaders involved in contemporary grassroots change campaigns in Boston will share their stories of struggle, success, and advocacy insights. Attendees with their own stories of grassroots change can also sign up to share by selecting “Storyteller” on the […]
Aug152016Read More >WE ARE TEAM GENERATION CITIZEN
Last week, the Generation Citizen team traveled from all across the US to attend our annual retreat at the Wisdom House in beautiful Litchfield, Connecticut. This retreat is the one time a year when all GC staff can come together in person to collaborate and engage meaningfully with each other and our varied work, and […]
Aug032016Read More >Join Us: Community Change Fellows Graduation Celebration
We’re excited to announce that Generation Citizen’s Community Change Fellowship graduation celebration is right around the corner. Join us in celebrating these young civic leaders! The GC Community Change Fellowship is an internship opportunity for high-performing GC high school alumni to continue their community engagement after the semester in a professional political environment. The evening […]
- Aug012016Read More >
Young Leaders Gather for GC’s Democracy Education Youth Summit
Generation Citizen is thrilled to be bringing 26 young people (ages 14-18), together the first week of August for our first-ever Democracy Education Youth Summit. The participants hail from 14 states across the country and will congregate in New York City for three days of activities, workshops, and collaboration. The goal of the summit is […]
Jun302016Read More >GC’s Expanding to the Heartland
We are excited to announce Generation Citizen’s expansion to Central Texas and Oklahoma City in the fall of 2016. When we passed Generation Citizen’s four-year strategic plan two years ago, expanding to new sites was a top goal, both to test our model in new geographies and to make a more effective case for the […]
- Jun172016Read More >
Join Us: Democracy Education Youth Summit
Generation Citizen is organizing a Democracy Education Youth Summit this summer and we want you to join us! We will bring together young people between the ages of 14-18 from across the country for this training and leadership convening, taking place Monday, August 1st – Wednesday, August 3rd in New York City. All expenses will be covered for attendees, but you must apply. The […]
- Sep102015Read More >
GC Welcomes RI Program Associate Molly Cohen!
Hello! My name is Molly Cohen, and I’m excited to be joining Generation Citizen as the Rhode Island Program Associate. I first developed an interest in community empowerment as a student at Vassar College. I was lucky enough to be able to study the impact of structural inequality academically as well as experientially, […]
- Feb222015Read More >
GC Launches Demand-Building Efforts Through Advocacy Briefing Webinar
Generation Citizen is excited to share a recording of our Advocacy Briefing Webinar, which focused on our newest workstream: building demand for action civics. We were thrilled to be joined by Ford Foundation Program Officer Sanjiv Rao. In addition to continuing to strengthen and grow our direct programming, GC will now engage in targeted advocacy […]
- Feb112015Read More >
How Do We Educate to Improve Our Democracy?
How do We Educate to Improve our Democracy? As Generation Citizen matures as an organization, we’ve realized that it’s not enough for us to solely focus on our in-school programming. We continue to improve and iterate our action civics curriculum and teacher and volunteer training, but we have also recognized the necessity of building […]
- Feb112015Read More >
Defending Social Studies Funding in Massachusetts
On March 9, 2015, Greater Boston Advocacy Manager Leila Quinn gave testimony before the MA Foundation Budget Review Commission in defense of funding for social studies and civics courses. Below you will find an abridged version of her testimony. State law charges our schools with a civic mission that we must revive. Students often learn […]
- Feb112015Read More >
GC Boston Class Helps Passage of Homeless Youth Services Law
By Kristen Lobo Before leaving office, Massachusetts Governor Patrick signed the Unaccompanied Homeless Youth bill into law providing shelter and services to homeless youth on Tuesday, January 6th. According to the law, a homeless young person is defined as “a person 24 years of age or younger who is not in the physical custody or care of […]
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