Students Hone Skills for Democracy in ‘Civic for All’ Initiative in Brooklyn Schools

By Yvette Moore
In Crown Heights middle school students explore the messages in lyrics of popular songs, while in Clinton Hill high school students identify community issues that need their advocacy. Both efforts are part of the New York City Public School’s Civics for All Initiative honing young people’s critical thinking skills and knowledge about democracy.

Launched in 2018, the Civics for All Initiative included a week of special activities March 10-14 but extends throughout the school year. The NYC Department of Education provides a breadth of K-12 program resources that are flexible enough for teachers to adapt for their students. The program’s state goal is “to foster a life commitment to civic action, enabling students to positively impact their local and global communities.”
The Civics for All Initiative also includes an annual voter registration drive for students who are U.S. citizens 16 years of age or older.

“We did a music for justice study and explored how music has been used throughout history and today to express what people are feeling and experiencing,” said Shani Nakhid-Schuster, social studies teacher and coordinator of the Civics for All program at the Brooklyn Green School in Crown Height’s Weeksville section. Students identified the messages behind popular songs and how those messages connected with them and their community, she said.
“Music is so much a part of their lives,” said Ms. Nakhid-Schuster. “They didn’t realize that some of the music they listen to on a daily basis had deeper meanings.”

Ms. Nakhid-Schuster said 7th grade students participating in the program created a playlist that included songs like Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, while eighth-grade students wrote their own songs expressing their feelings and experiences about contemporary issues.

At Benjamin Banneker High School in Clinton Hill, students are identifying community issues in need of their attention and advocacy in the school’s Generation Citizens program conducted as part of the citywide Civics for All Initiative.

“’Power concedes nothing without a demand. Never has, never will,’” said lead social studies teacher Stacey Vaughn, quoting abolitionist Frederick Douglass to explain the main lesson she is teaching in Generation Citizens.

Ms. Vaughn said students divided into small groups are researching different issues impacting their communities to identify a focus for their joint advocacy efforts. The students are reaching out to local political leaders to learn more about legislative action related to their focus areas. The student groups will prepare reports on their issues and present their findings and advocate for their chosen issues at an event at the New York Bar Association in June, she said.
“Students can make change happen,” Ms. Vaughn said.

State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud visited P.S. 202 in the 19th Senatorial District during Civics Week celebrations and found the experience “exciting”.
She said, “The students demonstrated impressive enthusiasm and engagement as they took on the role of active citizens. Through their thought-provoking presentations and live debates, they showcased their understanding of civic responsibilities and their ability to think critically about the issues that impact our communities. Civics Week is an essential event. It allows students to learn about the importance of their civic duties and the democratic process.”

Yvette Moore is a YA author living in Brooklyn, New York. Her books Freedom Songs and its sequel Just Sketching, are available on Amazon.com