John Scott
Galena
Essay Topic: How can our schools move students towards civic responsibility, i.e., becoming voters, increasing awareness of local, state, and national governments and political issues, and understanding the relationship of our history to current situations?
Schools can use several methods to help students be civically responsible, including holding mock elections, covering important contemporary political issues in history class, and requiring students to write to elected officials from all three levels of government. There are several qualifications for these techniques. First and most important, they must help the students learn. Second, they must generate interest from the students. And finally, the techniques must be easy enough for teachers to implement.
Some schools already hold mock elections for important government positions to see who the students would select. This should be extended to all schools at all levels, although it will be most meaningful for high school students. At least the elections of the United States President, Alaska’s U.S. Senators and Representative, and Alaska’s Governor should be covered in these mock elections. This technique helps students learn because many important issues are brought up in campaigns that students would study. Preparing to cast a vote also gets students excited, and managing the school voting wouldn’t be very difficult for teachers.
Learning about contemporary political agenda in history class goes hand-in-hand with the mock elections. But in addition to studying the campaigns, students should receive instruction in important issues at times other than elections. At the national level, important acts of the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court should be studied, and state and local issues should also be included. A good example of what should be covered right now is the health care issue. By involving these current situations in the context of history class, students will make connections between now and the past.
The best way to bring students to be civically involved is to require at least all high school students, and maybe middle school students, to write to elected officials at local, state, and national levels each year. That would be a total of twelve letters over the course of high school, enough for students to see how their input can affect elected officials. Three letters per school year would not be a burden for the students or their teachers, who would make sure that letters are well written before they are sent. As part of my path to becoming an Eagle Scout, I completed the Citizenship in the Community, Nation, and World Merit Badges, including requirements to write to elected officials. The process of writing a letter may be very boring to students, but I know from experience that getting a reply from a U.S. Senator is a thrilling experience, and writing and receiving responses from several letters will make students interested and confident in their ability to be active citizens.
By having students participate in mock elections for important government positions, learn about current political issues, and write to elected officials, the ability of schools to develop students’ senses of community awareness will increase. These activities will help youth become civically responsible citizens for years to come.
