Mayor and Superintendent Collaborate to Help Youth Bring Civics Back to Boston Public High Schools!
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Carol Johnson and the Boston School Committee have announced their support of the Campaign for Civics, an effort led by the youth of the Hyde Square Task Force, with support from many organizations, to ensure all Boston public high school students gain an understanding of how our government works and how they can participate actively in bettering our society.
In the coming months, Superintendent Johnson will identify a curriculum writer to design a civics curriculum with youth input. The Youth Community Organizers (YCOs) of the Hyde Square Task Force will then hold focus groups to allow youth and adults to weigh in on content and how the material should be taught. The resulting curriculum will form the basis of a civics class to be piloted in the fall of 2008.
Mayor Menino voiced high praise of the youth leaders, saying "I am so impressed by the young people who have undertaken this initiative; their dedication, drive, and focus speaks volumes for the importance of student engagement and the value of enhancing the opportunities for civic education both in and out of school."
Why are youth asking for an additional class at school? At the Hyde Square Task Force, YCOs have experienced the power that knowledge of civics gives them to improve their communities and their own lives. YCOs want to ensure that all Boston youth have the opportunity they've had to become active, informed and engaged members of society and they believe that a stimulating civics curriculum will do just that.
"...I never thought I would have had the opportunity to do what I've done here... I feel like every student in the Boston Public School system deserves the same. I'm ONE of the lucky students out of 57,000 students in the school system. Doesn't every child deserve to learn these skills?" - Victor Martinez, Age 17, New Mission Pilot School student and Hyde Square Task Force, YCO
