Civic Engagement & 21st Century Skills

Schools may be the last platform for democracy. The Declare Ourselves! Project is devoted to make this last platform effective, relevant and inspiring to our students of the Millennial Generation. The Declare Ourselves! Project will develop a participatory action research toolkit as well as a student leadership model dedicated to developing 21st century student voice at Twinfield Union School and across Vermont. Ultimately, students will establish a foundation that will lead to collaboration with schools across the world and as a result, the students will break down the geographical borders rural schools face in Vermont. The goal of the project is to enable students to understand themselves as they seek to understand others.

How can civic engagement be infused with 21st century skills? I believe curriculum is the foundation for civic engagement. Participatory action research and deliberative dialogue is the foundation that students need to establish in order to understand others’ perspectives as well as realizing their own. A toolkit for action research, deliberative dialogue and rural issues action will be developed. I believe civic engagement needs to be modeled and supported at all levels of school leadership. Weekly Principal’s Roundtables will be established and led by students to honor that, in the words of Twinfield Principal Owen Bradley, “those with the most positional power have the highest responsibility to share it with those with the least positional power.” I believe 21st century technology has transformed the means of civic engagement and voice. The timing to infuse web-based technology with democratic dialogue and critical thinking is NOW! Twinfield will develop professional development to enable our school to meaningfully connect and collaborate with other schools across Vermont, the United States and the World using live video communication technology. In the end, we know civic dialogue and engagement happens best when it is concert with other youth voices. In knowing others we know ourselves, and as a result, we declare ourselves. Twinfield students will join with other students in Youth & Adults Transforming Education Together Initiative to provide a model for students and adults committed to find the most effective means to engage in youth voice and civic engagement.

“The Rowland Foundation Fellowship has provided credibility and momentum to a model of student voice in decision-making not only at our school but also throughout the state. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to reflect on my practice as well as have the ability to envision my next steps with a wealth of current research, best available resources, new experiences and inspired colleagues as my new foundation for continued growth.”

Schools may be the last platform for democracy. The Declare Ourselves! Project continues to be devoted to make this last platform effective, relevant and inspiring to our students of the Millennial Generation. The Declare Ourselves! Project developed a participatory action research model dedicated to developing 21st century student voice at Twinfield Union School and across Vermont. Students continue to establish collaboration with schools across the world and as a result, are breaking down the geographical borders rural schools face in Vermont. The goal of the project is to enable students to understand themselves as they seek to understand others.