Our Blog
Up-to-date information about GC and the broader community we serve.
Mar022018Read More >Civics Education in the Classroom and Community
Civics Education in the Classroom and Community Civics education must happen in school, as well as other community-rooted institutions. By Andrew Wilkes, Director of Policy and Advocacy Civics education must happen in schools. But it can, and must, also happen in community centers, congregations, labor unions, and other membership-driven organizations. One way to define civics […]
Mar012018Read More >We’re Hiring an Americorps VISTA (Boston, MA)
Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University and Generation Citizen Campus Compact of Southern New England Americorps VISTA Position Description 2018-19 The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Generation Citizen (GC) to hire an Campus Compact of Southern New England Americorps VISTA […]
- Feb262018Read More >
WE’RE HIRING A DEVELOPMENT AND PHILANTHROPY INTERN
GENERATION CITIZEN DEVELOPMENT AND PHILANTHROPY INTERN Internship Locations: New York, NY Position: 10-20 hours / week; Stipend provided Summer 2018 Generation Citizen is an innovative, quickly scaling non-profit that seeks to strengthen our nation’s democracy by empowering young people to become engaged and effective citizens. Generation Citizen (GC) believes all students have the right to […]
Feb232018Read More >Our Students Respond to Parkland
A message from Julian and A’niya, Generation Citizen’s Student Leadership Board Members There are no words to atone for the tragedy of 17 youth lives lost within a school’s walls. But we wanted to offer you all our thoughts. On behalf of Generation Citizen and our Student Leadership Board, our hearts go out to the […]
Feb212018Read More >Resources for Educators Addressing the Parkland Shooting
Last week, amidst a terrible tragedy, we were reminded that schools are places that fundamentally foster hope. We at Generation Citizen have grieved along with the rest of the nation, both shocked and saddened to live in a country in which shootings at schools have become all too commonplace. But even in a time of pain […]
- Feb152018Read More >
We’re Hiring a Web Manager and Graphic Designer- Freelance Consulting Position
Generation Citizen Web Manager and Graphic Designer – Freelance Consulting Position About Generation Citizen Generation Citizen (GC) is an innovative, quickly scaling nonprofit that envisions a country of young people working as active and effective citizens to collectively strengthen our American democracy. GC’s ultimate mission is to ensure that every student in the United States […]
Feb142018Read More >GC finds a new partner for civics education in NYC City Hall
Generation Citizen applauds Mayor de Blasio for prioritizing democracy reform, including civics education, in his State of the City speech tonight. Nationwide, political disillusion, disengagement, and illiteracy are rampant across all age demographics, especially in local politics. These challenges are especially pronounced among young people. Nationally, only 8 percent of 18–24-year-olds voted in the 2014 […]
Feb122018Read More >Beyond Free Speech
Beyond Free Speech A Civic Sermon for Noisy Times By Molly Cohen, Rhode Island Program Manager In January, I traveled to Seattle for four days of training as an inaugural member of Citizen University’s Civic Seminary. The program brought together eleven civic leaders from across the country to learn the traditions of American civic religion and […]
- Feb092018Read More >
We’re Hiring a Chief of Staff
Generation Citizen: Chief of Staff Generation Citizen (GC) is looking for a dynamic, motivated relationship-builder and leader to serve as its first Chief of Staff. The primary responsibilities of the Chief of Staff will be to provide critical, high-level support to the CEO and COO, serving as a trusted advisor and resource as well as the […]
Feb052018Read More >The Next NYC Schools Chancellor Must Address the City’s Stark Civic Engagement Gap
The Next NYC Schools Chancellor Must Address the City’s Stark Civic Engagement Gap by DeNora Getachew, New York City Executive Directorand Erin Garry, Assistant Principal at the Bronx Academy of Letters and member of Generation Citizen’s Local Advisory Board On January 14, 2017 the New York Times published an editorial “Some Bright Hopes for New […]
Feb012018Read More >Action Civics Landscape
Generation Citizen, in partnership with The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), has launched The Action Civics Landscape, a digital, interactive visualization of Action Civics and Action Civics-adjacent organizations. About the Map: Action Civics is defined by the National Action Civics Collaborative as “a student-centered, project-based […]
Jan182018Read More >Call for Papers: Re-Imagining a 21st Century Democracy
Re-Imagining a 21st Century Democracy is a pilot journal that will crowd-source ideas on how to improve democratic practice from a citizen-centric perspective. We are looking for new ideas on ways that communities can engage individuals in democracy and promote democratic behavior and values, whether through educational practices, grassroots mobilization, government initiatives, or other means (largely […]
Jan112018Read More >What We’re Reading
Happy New Year! Every few weeks, GC picks out a selection of articles that are relevant to our work and to the civics education space as a whole. We at GC love to expand our learning in every aspect of what we do, and we hope you enjoy our selections! Teaching Civics in a Hyperpartisan Climate, Education […]
Jan112018Read More >GENERATION CITIZEN ANNOUNCES ELECTION OF KUNAL MODI AS CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Generation Citizen (GC) is excited to announce that, as of January 1st, Kunal Modi is the new Chairperson of the National Board of Directors. As we enter into an ambitious three year strategic plan, we are thrilled that Kunal will help lead the organization to the next level as it seeks to transform the way […]
Jan082018Read More >TEACHER MEETUP SPRING 2018
CALLING ALL GENERATION CITIZEN EDUCATORS JOIN THE MEETUP AND FIND SUPPORT AND RESOURCES FOR TEACHING ACTION CIVICS THIS SEMESTER PURPOSE An Action Civics project can be challenging both for the students and the teacher. It requires a lot of planning and preparation by everyone involved and the implemented lessons and activities are often different than […]
Dec282017Read More >WATCH: GENERATION CITIZEN BY THE NUMBERS 2017
As 2017 comes to a close, we are grateful to Generation Citizen students, teachers, Democracy Coaches, and supporters for another tremendous year of growth and impact. Watch this video to see how many of you helped advance action civics education this year.
- Dec242017Read More >
We’re Hiring a Program Associate for the Teacher-Led Program
Generation Citizen New York City Program Associate (Teacher-Led) Position Overview Generation Citizen New York City is looking for an exceptional young professional to join our team as New York City Program Associate. The Program Associate will work directly with teachers and youth to support Action Civics programming in New York City classrooms. About Generation Citizen […]
Dec222017Read More >College Ready: Hunter College Democracy Coach Exposes GC Students to University Life
Democracy Coach, April Snape, Shares Her Howard University Experience with Generation Citizen Students Serving as a Generation Citizen Democracy Coach, from the Hunter College Chapter, in the fall of 2017 gave me the platform and voice to not only help students learn the importance of being civically engaged, but to aid them in becoming college-ready. […]
Jul142015Read More >Does Civics Cross Borders?
As I’ve talked about extensively, the idea for Generation Citizen initially came about after my observing emerging democracies at work resulted in a realization that the American democracy needed a youth revitalization. Specifically, observing the successful 2002 Kenyan elections as a fifteen year old showed me the power of individuals coming together to make a […]
- Feb222015Read More >
Getting Off College Hill
– Sean Manning, Brown University Democracy Coach A mixture of excitement and anxiety clouded my mind when I first set foot in Providence, Rhode Island to begin my college career at Brown University. It had been my dream to attend Brown, and the fact that that dream had become a reality had not quite […]
- Feb112015Read More >
Meet a DC! Boston University’s Mai Mazan
The following interview was posted on the Microsoft Blog, after Boston’s Civic Tech Challenge hackathon event hosted at Microsoft N.E.R.D. in November. Mai Mazan, a Democracy Coach from Boston University, was generous enough to share her experience with GC with the folks at Microsoft, and we always love hearing about the incredible work our DCs […]
- Feb112015Read More >
What’s So Great About Young Founders?
What’s So Great About Young Founders? – Scott Warren Last Friday, the author Robin Black penned a New York Times op-ed entitled, “What’s So Great About Young Writers,” rallying against a culture that she feels unfairly rewards youth, rather than merit. Describing her path to becoming an emerging writer in her late forties, she […]
- Feb112015Read More >
From One Semester to Another: Leaving My Comfort Zone Behind
By Katherine Dillon My first semester at Fordham University was much like that of those portrayed in movies and TV shows – I was almost always learning, meeting new people, or simply in a state of awe at the newness of everything. I had so often heard before leaving for college that my […]
- Feb112015Read More >
From Pebble Beach to East Flatbush
A few weeks ago, I spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at a luxurious hotel located on the Pebble Beach Golf Course near Monterrey, California. My mornings comprised of runs along ocean-side cliffs with stunning vistas, and my days consisted of vigorous intellectual conversations about the lack of constituency voice in social entrepreneurial ventures, and the […]
- 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 >
Welcome to Our Newest Intern, Gabrielle!
Hi! My name is Gabrielle Aaron. I am a student at Washington University in St. Louis, not to be confused with Washington University in Washington—I promise this one is in Missouri. I am studying Psychology, Marketing and Children’s Studies. If you ask how they all go together, the answer is simply that these topics all […]
- Feb112015Read More >
Swimming Like a Duck
By Scott Warren I’ve always had a weird admiration for ducks. When I was younger, my grandparents lived steps away from a pond filled with ducks. I used to visit it frequently, illegally feeding them breadcrumbs, searching for ducklings, watching them swim. It’s a little cliché, but one of the most fascinating aspects […]
- Feb112015Read More >
Teach Young People About Civic Duties
By Rep. Javier Martinez / Democrat, Albuquerque and Scott Warren / Executive Director, Generation Citizen. Published by Albuquerque Journal New Mexico’s high school students spend a lot of time at school. Approximately 140 hours per month, not counting extracurricular activities. How this time is structured, financed and spent is decided by a governing school board, […]
- Feb092015Read More >
Welcome to our Newest Intern, Admera!
Hi everyone, my name is Admera Khan and I am a transfer from Syracuse University studying the best two combinations, which I consider to be Politics and Spanish at NYU. I am currently a sophomore pretending to be a “real New Yorker” by living the life of a student/intern who thinks they understand how to […]
- Feb252014Read More >
To Change the Status Quo, We Need to Change Who’s in Charge
It’s often said that those in social change work are “trying to change the status quo.” It’s why we do the work. We live in a country in which the vast majority of the population lives paycheck to paycheck, if a paycheck even exists. And so, as we build our organizations, whether engaging in direct […]
- Nov252013Read More >
2012-2013 Annual Report
We are extremely excited to share our Generation Citizen 2012-2013 Annual Report. Click here to download our PDF and read below for an introductory letter from Executive Director, Scott Warren. Dear Friends, It would be a little bit trite to say that Generation Citizen is in the midst of finishing an incredibly busy year. Over […]
- Oct242013Read More >
An Open Letter to Democracy Coaches…
Dear Exhausted-But-Diligent Democracy Coach, I know. I get it. I remember waking up in a dark room, rising before the sun did. My roommate groaning at my blaring alarm, crawling deeper under his covers as I eat my Cinnamon Toast Crunch and review the day’s lesson plan. My eyes mere slits until I get my […]
- Aug092013Read More >
Bridging The Gap: An Intern’s Perspective
Going to an independent, all-girls school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I have been indoctrinated to believe that youth, specifically young women, play an integral role in the communities where we live and study. Ask any of my fellow seniors about their community involvement and they will retort with a lengthy enumeration of activities. It […]
- Aug052013Read More >
Direct Democracy in California: Meaningful Civic Engagement?
Before I moved here, all I really knew of Golden State politics was Arnold Schwarzenegger, marijuana and Proposition 8. In my first semester as a graduate student at Cal’s Goldman School of Public Policy, my understanding of the political landscape—specifically the effects of direct democracy—increased immensely. I worked with a group of my classmates to […]
- Jul312013Read More >
Can Philanthropy Save our Educational System?
Peter Buffet’s recent op-ed, “The Charitable Industrial Complex”, has been rocking the interwebs since its publication Saturday. His basic but harsh argument, that philanthropy is essentially preserving the status quo while causing small blips of success that allow the wealthy to feel “heroic,” has some people praising him for finally speaking truth to power, while others […]