Feature Session: Envisioning 21st Century Civic Education: Innovation and Adaptations in Practice

Envisioning 21st century civic education requires a wide lens. Designers and innovators (both young and old) push the envelope and show us what might be possible if we re-think our constraints and assumptions. Researchers show us emerging trends that may require us to shift our thinking about what civic engagement looks like and what educational supports are needed.  Institutional leaders help us put innovations into context so that they augment rather than simply compete with existing resources, and help remove barriers to innovation.

Ultimately, however, the practice of civic education is constructed by youth, their adult mentors and allies, and practitioners who innovate and adapt their practice to take advantage of new tools and technologies and to respond to the changing landscape of public life.

In this session, we spotlight youth and adults currently engaged in the practice of 21st century civic education. The  panelists will discuss the innovations and adaptations they are currently making to advance their goals for civic engagement, how they see the practice of civic education changing, how they are facing challenges posed in their educational settings, and their hopes for the future. We specifically focus on students and teachers working to move their schools toward 21st century civic education and connected learning.