At Mikva Challenge, we are committed to serving young people and educators throughout the challenging realities of COVID-19. Student voices and civic engagement are essential now more than ever. We have several resources to support teachers who are navigating this new virtual education system:
Virtual Action Civics Showcase
Get excited for a virtual showcase of student voice and action! ALL youth are invited to participate in this national celebration – and we encourage a wide range of projects and processes. Here is a menu of project options (for wherever students are in their exploration of issues and action!) and here is a template powerpoint for students. Student projects will be shared on a digital platform: participating young people will be encouraged to interact with each other’s projects by doing a digital scavenger hunt with prizes, and community leaders will leave encouragement and feedback in the comment sections. You can also look forward to a week of youth voice from May 18th – 22nd where civic partners and students who are interested in interacting live will be connected to discuss their project and receive feedback. The project submission deadline is May 8th, and you can use this submission form. Share this encouraging, informative video with your class to get them excited!
Virtual Assignments
Weekly we will post a virtual Action Civics assignment on our Mikva Challenge Teachers Facebook group. Assignments will be shared in a Google folder and will contain 1. Notes to the teacher 2. A Google Doc you can copy or download, (modify if necessary) and assign to your students 3. Possibly a PDF writable worksheets for students to complete (when appropriate). Join our email list to receive the weekly assignment. Access the previous weeks’ assignments.
Soapbox Nation
The submission deadline is right around the corner! Until May 10, your students can make their voice heard through Soapbox Nation, a digital platform for young people to speak out on the issues that matter most to them. In the interest of safety, we have canceled the DC trip and will instead host a virtual Soapbox Nation Mainstage event to showcase the top speakers. The first 125 students to submit a speech will be awarded a $20 gift card. Here are detailed instructions on how to submit a speech. You can also find all of the Soapbox lessons adapted to virtual assignments here.
National Youth Response Movement
Mikva Challenge has brought together youth leaders from 14 cities to raise the stories, ideas and concerns of young people into the national policy discussion around COVID-19. The National Youth Response Movement is amplifying youth ideas in the media, with elected officials, and via social media platforms on how best to respond to the crisis in ways that support youth, their families and their communities. Check out this intro video to meet the youth! The first opportunity for YOUR students to plug into this movement (and there will be more!) is to follow #MikvaQuaranTeenChallenge on social media.
Conversations by Youth for Youth
The Mikva Challenge DC “Elections In Action” Fellows are hosting weekly conversations for youth by youth to discuss issues affecting young people in this time. The Youth in Quarantine Table Talk happens every Thursday from 4:00 – 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Mikva Challenge DC’s Instagram page, @mikvachallengedc. Upcoming topics include Climate Change, Education, Gun Control, 2020 Election, and Gentrification. Please share this opportunity with your students – and teachers are invited to attend too!
Teacher Happy Hour
We have loved connecting with educators from all over the country at our Mikva Teachers Virtual Happy Hours! Moving forward, we will be hosting them monthly. Mark your calendar for our next one on Thursday, May 21, 5-7 pm EST! You can join by clicking this link when the time comes.
More Resources
We’ve put together a list of other great resources to help teachers and students with the challenges surrounding COVID-19. We will continue to update the document, so keep checking back.
A top priority at Mikva is for us to support you in the weeks ahead. Please be safe, compassionate and connected, and let’s all rise to the civic challenge in the days ahead.
