Amidst the polarization and gridlock of national politics, this newly revamped curriculum is equipping young people nationwide to take informed civic action on the real-world issues impacting them today — with a focus on equity and news literacy.
For the past 13 years, Mikva Challenge’s Issues to Action curriculum has 1) helped students learn how to take meaningful, informed civic action on issues in their communities, and 2) supported educators in guiding their classes through a project-based learning process. Now, the nonpartisan organization is releasing a significantly updated edition that includes new lessons and a focus on two pressing issues of our time: equity and news literacy.
Mikva Challenge envisions an America where all young people are equipped to participate fully in our democracy and are actively revitalizing America through their civic action. They believe that young people are as capable as they are hungry to be full participants in civic life — and that as a nation, we need them to be. However, many young people are also struggling with the current hostile civic environment, and many teachers feel unprepared to support engagement with community issues. Issues to Action — 2020 is a tool to facilitate civic dialogue and build empathy, collaboration, and youth-led community change.
The new version of the curriculum now features an equity lens throughout, with the idea that in order to understand today’s issues and political challenges, students need to understand the history that brought us to our current world. Issues to Action — 2020 provides the context and perspective so students can place their civic action work within a continuum.
Teachers will also find tools to help their students consume news critically and thoroughly. The new curriculum explores the nuanced role of bias, and how to conscientiously approach the multifaceted angles of current events and issues research.
In the updated Issues to Action curriculum, teachers will find: new, relevant support for implementing a powerful community problem-solving process in their classrooms, and the tools and frameworks to empower students to create sustainable change.
“This solidified my belief that students have the ability to make change. They are passionate learners who, when given the opportunities, can really make a huge impact on our world today.”
— Milwaukee Teacher
Learn more about Mikva Challenge’s Action Civics curricula, including Issues to Action — 2020.
