Educator Webinars for Civic Learning Week

Next week is Civic Learning Week! The Committee of Seventy and PA Civics are excited to be part of this national effort to prioritize civic education in order to sustain and strengthen our democracy.

To celebrate, C70 is hosting a series of webinars for teachers and administrators. If you aren't able to attend live, C70 will be recording each session and posting to our YouTube channel.

Monday: Can We Talk?

A program to overcome polarization

Monday, March 11th at 4:30pm

Can We Talk? is a free experiential learning program that introduces students (and adults) to skills and habits that promote productive dialogue across differences. Once just a program for college students, C70 is piloting Can We Talk? in high schools across PA. Hear from program co-director Chris Satullo, along with past participants and facilitators about the program, why it works, and how to participate. Register here.

Wednesday: Democracy for Kids

Even young people have a voice

Wednesday, March 13th at 4:30pm

Democracy for Kids is a new program for young children, ages 5-12, to learn basic civic knowledge and practice core skills of citizenship. Join us for a panel with C70 Lead Educator Anne Spector and participating educators to learn about the program, its components, and how to bring these resources into your K-8 classroom. Register here.

Thursday: Experiential Civics

Nonpartisan programs to help teach elections

Thursday, March 14th at 4:30pm

The Committee of Seventy offers several experiential civic learning resources for middle and high school students. Ahead of the 2024 Pennsylvania Primary on April 23rd, we are spotlighting three programs to help teach elections and voting.

At the heart of our work is the elections and voting curriculum. Educators can pick from multiple in-depth lessons that help students understand elections. The best way to conclude the unit is to participate in the Youth Mock Election, which gives students hands-on practice casting votes for real candidates who appear on their ballot. The Mock Election is available to all Pennsylvania high school and middle school teachers statewide, for free. Tom Quinn, Education & Policy Director at PA Youth Vote and a Philadelphia-based civics teacher will be joining us to share his experience in making and using these resources.

Another great addition to the curriculum is our bi-annual Studio C70 student-candidate interview series. C70 works to connect teachers with candidates, with students supplying the questions. Hear from special guest Philadelphia Councilmember-at-Large Rue Landau about her experience as a candidate participant, and learn from Nathan Salamone, a Philadelphia-based civics teacher about how he integrated Studio C70 into his teaching. Register here.

PA Civics, which is coordinated through the Committee of Seventy, is proud to be the Pennsylvania State Ambassador for Civic Learning Week. For a full list of Civic Learning Week events hosted by PA Civics partners, visit the PA Civics website.