Across the country, people are concerned with how our children are doing in school. In Arkansas, the school boards association has been running “study circles” allowing local residents to weigh in on educational decisions in their community since 1998.
Community members and schools need to work together to make education in their community all that it can be. Check out profiles of three communities tackling various issues related to education through dialogue and action.
Removing racial and ethnic barriers to student achievementEveryday Democracy
In Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, students, teachers, and staff have participated in dialogues to help find ways to address racial barriers to student achievement for over a decade. They are currently working to engage more leaders in the program to create lasting change.
Following community dialogues to address bullying, schools noted an increase in awareness, and a decline in bullying. The program also did something equally important: it connected students, educators, and the community.
Using community-driven solutions to address divisive racial issuesEveryday Democracy
Leaders in Lynchburg, Va., looked for a new way to help residents grapple with issues of racism and racial equity in their increasingly diverse city. More than 2,000 people have taken part in dialogues, action forums, and other efforts to make change in their community.
City commissioners in Decatur, Ga., launched a major effort to recruit residents to decide how to build a sense of community and to find common ground for solving community conflicts. Since then, civic engagement has become a habit and the city is engaging residents in its 2010 strategic plan.
Community members and schools need to work together to make education in their community all that it can be. Check out profiles of three communities tackling various issues related to education through dialogue and action.
Removing racial and ethnic barriers to student achievementEveryday Democracy
In Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, students, teachers, and staff have participated in dialogues to help find ways to address racial barriers to student achievement for over a decade. They are currently working to engage more leaders in the program to create lasting change.
Following community dialogues to address bullying, schools noted an increase in awareness, and a decline in bullying. The program also did something equally important: it connected students, educators, and the community.
Using community-driven solutions to address divisive racial issuesEveryday Democracy
Leaders in Lynchburg, Va., looked for a new way to help residents grapple with issues of racism and racial equity in their increasingly diverse city. More than 2,000 people have taken part in dialogues, action forums, and other efforts to make change in their community.
City commissioners in Decatur, Ga., launched a major effort to recruit residents to decide how to build a sense of community and to find common ground for solving community conflicts. Since then, civic engagement has become a habit and the city is engaging residents in its 2010 strategic plan.
One Nation, Many Beliefs: Talking About Religion in a Diverse DemocracyEveryday Democracy
The discussion guide, One Nation, Many Beliefs, is designed to strengthen relationships and understanding across religious and philosophical perspectives as a foundation for talking about inter-group tensions and the role of religion in public decision making.
Students explored the city and leadership - here's what they learned! From GenerationNation's Youth Leadership Charlotte-Mecklenburg Class of 2015's Team 3
Schools of Equality is an activity based programme that engages students, artists and people working for social justice to examine equality and effect change in society.
Students explored the city and leadership - here's what they learned! From GenerationNation's Youth Leadership Charlotte-Mecklenburg Class of 2015's Team 6.
Building Strong Neighborhoods: A Study Guide for Public Dialogue and Communit...Everyday Democracy
A four-session discussion guide on many important neighborhood issues including: race and other kinds of differences; young people and families; safety and community-police relations; homes, housing and beautification; jobs and neighborhood economy; and schools.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council 2013-14 reportGenerationNation
How did the youth council spend its year? What are their recommendations for community leaders? See their presentation, read the report, and watch the video!
Connecticut Civic Ambassadors are everyday people who care about and engage others in their communities by creating opportunities for civic participation that strengthens our state’s “Civic Health.” Civic Health is determined by how well diverse groups of residents work together and with government to solve public problems to strengthen their communities. Read more below on how you can be an agent of change in your own community by joining the team.
A comprehensive guide designed to help you recruit people to your community change effort, work with the media, master social media, and tell your story in many different formats along the way.
Community Education is a broad field that is based on principles and practices of lifelong learning, inclusion, collaboration and use of multiple resources.
Everyone wants to live in a place where they have the chance to thrive. Read about three communities that are working to address poverty and build a thriving community.
Profiles of communities addressing community-police relationsEveryday Democracy
Dialogue-to-change programs help people build the trusting relationships between community and the police necessary for long-term change. Read about three communities that have built a strong connection with local police.
One Nation, Many Beliefs: Talking About Religion in a Diverse DemocracyEveryday Democracy
The discussion guide, One Nation, Many Beliefs, is designed to strengthen relationships and understanding across religious and philosophical perspectives as a foundation for talking about inter-group tensions and the role of religion in public decision making.
Students explored the city and leadership - here's what they learned! From GenerationNation's Youth Leadership Charlotte-Mecklenburg Class of 2015's Team 3
Schools of Equality is an activity based programme that engages students, artists and people working for social justice to examine equality and effect change in society.
Students explored the city and leadership - here's what they learned! From GenerationNation's Youth Leadership Charlotte-Mecklenburg Class of 2015's Team 6.
Building Strong Neighborhoods: A Study Guide for Public Dialogue and Communit...Everyday Democracy
A four-session discussion guide on many important neighborhood issues including: race and other kinds of differences; young people and families; safety and community-police relations; homes, housing and beautification; jobs and neighborhood economy; and schools.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council 2013-14 reportGenerationNation
How did the youth council spend its year? What are their recommendations for community leaders? See their presentation, read the report, and watch the video!
Connecticut Civic Ambassadors are everyday people who care about and engage others in their communities by creating opportunities for civic participation that strengthens our state’s “Civic Health.” Civic Health is determined by how well diverse groups of residents work together and with government to solve public problems to strengthen their communities. Read more below on how you can be an agent of change in your own community by joining the team.
A comprehensive guide designed to help you recruit people to your community change effort, work with the media, master social media, and tell your story in many different formats along the way.
Community Education is a broad field that is based on principles and practices of lifelong learning, inclusion, collaboration and use of multiple resources.
Everyone wants to live in a place where they have the chance to thrive. Read about three communities that are working to address poverty and build a thriving community.
Profiles of communities addressing community-police relationsEveryday Democracy
Dialogue-to-change programs help people build the trusting relationships between community and the police necessary for long-term change. Read about three communities that have built a strong connection with local police.
Over one-fifth of residents in Neshoba County, Miss., live in poverty, and they are working together to turn those numbers around. Residents were inspired to take action after over 100 residents organized to talk and work together to build a prosperous community.
There are big changes happening in the rural town of Hoffman, Minn. Just five years ago, Main Street storefronts stood empty and the population was in a steady decline. Now, local residents are actively working to build a vibrant, thriving community.
After two high-profile police shootings, the South Bronx community works to increase Latino and African-American presence on the police force and improve relations with the police department.
If we're going to make progress in our communities and in our country, people from all backgrounds and views must work together to address racism and inequities. Check out three communities that are working to create racial equity.
Step Forward, Step Back Organizational Identity ActivityEveryday Democracy
This activity shows some of the advantages and disadvantages related to organizational power and privilege. The activity is used to show how long-term accumulation of advantages based on organizational privilege can produce gaps among groups and create inequities in the communities we hope to serve. We will see visually how our positions within the organizations we work have privileged us, some perhaps more than others. The central question at the end is, what does our positioning reveal and how may we use this understanding to close these gaps?
Download the lesson plan here: http://everyday-democracy.org/resources/civic-engagement-lesson-plan-parts-1-and-2
Lesson Plan 1 is an introduction to "civic health" and its connection to "great citizenship." It helps students learn about how ordinary citizens in Connecticut participate in the public arena by volunteering, voting, donating, working with neighbors and public officials, learning about and engaging on issues, attending public events and hearings, etc. They also get to reflect on what are some of the attributes of "great citizenship," examine their own communities and civic health in Connecticut, and understand the importance of civic participation for making communities and our society better for all.
Lesson Plan 2 is an introduction to Chapter 3 in Eric Liu's book "The Gardens of Democracy," which discusses the attributes and value of "great citizenship" for our society and democracy. Students will be able to reflect on and model "great citizenship" in their schools, neighborhoods, and pubic life. By allowing students to explore their connections to others at their schools and communities and adopting a different way of thinking about collective responsibility, this learning can be transformative and imbued with civic agency.
Lesson Plan 3 helps teachers engage their students on "living citizenship" through classroom and personal civic engagement activities by the students using a "civics scorecard" that helps them explore different ways to become "great citizens." The "scorecard" activity allows students to learn more about "civic health" through actual civic participation in their schools and communities.
Download the lesson plan here: http://everyday-democracy.org/resources/civic-engagement-lesson-plan-part-3
North Carolina Charter Schools: Excellence and Equity Through Collaboration Self-Help Credit Union
On January 27, 2014, Self-Help and the A.J. Fletcher Foundation convened over 40 North Carolina education leaders to shed light on the challenges and opportunities of an expanding charter school sector, including opportunities for charter and district leaders to work collaboratively. This report presents the issues and recommendations elevated at the convening and in subsequent discussions among the convening organizations.
IDRA 2017 Annual Report_Keeping the Promise_Profiles in Leadership and EducationChristie Goodman, APR
IDRA’s 2017 Annual Report, Keeping the Promise: Profiles in Leadership and Education, in addition to highlighting our work, features education, family, community and youth leaders and how their commitment to keeping the promise of quality public education for all children has been woven into their paths and how they work with a community of partners and colleagues to keep this promise.
Seniors and Youth Engaged in Service (SaYES) is a joint initiative of Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America, programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service
American Entrepreneur Clark Swanson Forms NEED for a State in Needdsnow9802
Clark Swanson, a prominent American entrepreneur, has launched a new initiative called the Nevada Educational Enrichment Directive (NEED), which aims to improve the quality of public education in Nevada.
Ripple Effects Mapping Tip Sheet for Evaluating Community Engagement Everyday Democracy
Community Engagement and Dialogue to Change strategies can lead to many positive changes in your community. However, direct impacts can be tough to track. Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) allows you, along with local leaders and others in your community, to assess impacts from your Dialogue to
Change efforts. It allows you to visually document the impacts your efforts have had on individuals, on your community, and on institutions and systems over time. These are tips for rolling out a Ripple Effects Mapping process:
Evaluation Guide Toolkit (Companion to Evaluating Community Engagement Guide)Everyday Democracy
Includes an Evaluation Capacity Self-Assessment Tool,
Sample Community Engagement Logic Model, Logic Model Template, Data Collection and Planning Template and Ripple Mapping Tip Sheet
The Wondertwins, "Black"- September 27th, West Hartford, CT Everyday Democracy
The Wondertwins, famed veteran hip-hop dance duo from Boston, perform their newest piece, BLACK. BLACK explores the traumatizing effects of police violence towards the black community by incorporating dance with historic and contemporary audio and video clips. Post-show dialogue will be facilitated by Everyday Democracy and the Connecticut Collaborative on Poverty, Criminal Justice and Race.
The practice of treating everyone fairly and justly regardless of age, with special consideration to the structural factors that privilege some age groups over others.
This is a brief guide developed for Stand Against Racism Day, 2019. The guide helps communities discuss immigration and how it connects to racial equity.
“American citizenship brings legal rights, protections, and responsibilities. But its meaning goes deeper. To be a citizen is to be accepted, to feel safe, to be ‘one of us.’ ”
Racism is rooted in our country's history and is embedded in our culture, and yet the history of structural racism is rarely taught or portrayed. Racism is still one of the greatest barriers to fulfilling the promise of our democracy. That is why Everyday Democracy uses a racial equity lens in all the work we do.
Unfortunately, most people in the U.S. have not had the chance to study and understand how racism has evolved and how it continues to affect every area of our lives. We don’t usually learn about it in school, except in cursory ways. Even then, it is often portrayed as a part of a distant past that stopped with the fight for civil rights in the 60s. That, in itself, is part of the “invisible” power of structural racism.
There are many people who don’t realize that, as a country, we still have work to do to create equal opportunities for all. And many aren’t aware that all of us – of every region of the country, of every color and ethnic background – are still dealing with the impact of slavery, Jim Crow, and other policies that have perpetuated unfair advantages based on color. All of us need to deepen our understanding of our full history, so that we can move beyond “us vs. them” to “us.” Only as we understand the forces that have shaped our lives can we begin imagine and create a democracy that supports voice and belonging for all.
To share an important part of this history, the New York Historical Society (NYHS) has developed a curriculum to help students and communities explore the legacy of racism. It includes three comprehensive units and printable resources. This curriculum was developed as part of NYHS’s current exhibit, Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow, that explores the struggle for full citizenship and racial equity. This powerful exhibit uncovers not only the overt and hidden racism that marked a pivotal era in our history, it highlights the day-to-day acts of courage that so many people took to claim citizenship as belonging. It is impossible to see this exhibit without thinking about the parallels for today.
We invite you to use and share this curriculum with students, coworkers, family members, and community members. And then we invite you to work with us at Everyday Democracy to use your learning as a catalyst for expanding the dialogue and creating equitable change in your community and our country.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
The Indian economy is classified into different sectors to simplify the analysis and understanding of economic activities. For Class 10, it's essential to grasp the sectors of the Indian economy, understand their characteristics, and recognize their importance. This guide will provide detailed notes on the Sectors of the Indian Economy Class 10, using specific long-tail keywords to enhance comprehension.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Speaking up, taking action to improve education for all
1. Speaking up, taking action to improve education for all
Across the country, people are concerned with
how our children are doing in school. In
Arkansas, the school boards association has been
running “study circles” allowing local residents to
weigh in on educational decisions in their
community since 1998.
Soon after the program began, the Lakeview
School District sued the state of Arkansas for not
providing equitable and quality education for their
youth. The courts agreed and required the state to
reform its education system. The effort forced
Arkansas legislators to increase the state’s sales
tax, putting an added burden on a state steeped in
poverty.
The Arkansas School Boards Association (ASBA) decided to step up their ongoing efforts, organizing a
statewide study circles event called Speak Up, Arkansas! on Taxes. More than 240 people in 20 counties
participated in these discussions to learn how their tax dollars work and offer recommendations to
improve the tax system.
“We believe people tend to support what they help to build, and we have a chance now to validate that
premise,” commented Dan Farley, Executive Director of Arkansas Friends for Better Schools. “Education
is at the core of everything we aspire to – including the democracy we all cherish.”
The ASBA has continued the Arkansas Study Circles Project beyond the dialogues on taxes. In the last
decade, more than 6,000 people have participated from 90 sites across the state. They have expanded to
include other topics around education such as student achievement, family involvement, early childhood
care and education, and diversity. Some accomplishments of the program include:
• Bringing community recommendations for tax reform to policymakers,
• Helping smaller schools consolidate,
• Defining goals of parental involvement, and
• Developing after school programs.
About Everyday Democracy
A national leader in the field of civic participation and community change, Everyday Democracy helps
people of different backgrounds and views talk and work together to create communities that work for
everyone.
www.everyday-democracy.org