Students work in teams to identify a public policy issue and to develop workable plans for addressing related local community needs. Project Citizen classes develop a portfolio which they can submit for competition at the state and national level, and the program actively encourages interaction among students, their parents, and members of the community. Project Citizen is sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures and uses materials developed by the Center for Civic Education . Spanish language version available. The Center served as a pilot site for this program and each year a limited number of book sets are available at no cost for schools agreeing to participate in the portfolio competition.
Schools can also prepare teams to participate in a state-level mediation showcase.
The Center was selected by Street Law, Inc., to pilot this program statewide and each year a limited number of manuals are available to teachers who agree to participate in the state mediation showcase. The manual is a 132-page teachers guide with background information, lesson plans, sample conflict scenarios, and reproducible student handouts. These materials focus on personal, school, and community issues while helping students to understand the roles of local, state, and national government. Developed by the Center for Civic Education . It can be used as a course supplement for civics and government classes or as a formal year-long elective at the high school level.