Our Civic Voices Gives Students Chance to Speak
College now feels attainable to students at Federal Hill Preparatory School in Baltimore, thanks to a UMBC afterschool program focusing on social studies. Assistant Professor of Political Science Tyson King-Meadows and students from his class, “Our Civic Voices,” visited Federal Hill Prep biweekly in spring 2009, engaging students in activities surrounding civic issues and self-governance.
The students at Federal Hill Prep, a school that does not have any social studies teachers, had mixed academic levels. That mix was not expected in the initial planning stages of the project.
“It was a task for us,” said King-Meadows, “because we hadn’t originally intended on Federal Hill Prep being the site for this project.”
For months, King-Meadows, his student assistant and The Shriver Center had designed a curriculum based on another school’s needs. That school had a dedicated social studies teacher. When that school canceled at the last minute, Lori Hardesty, program coordinator of Service-Learning/K-16 Partnerships at The Shriver Center, connected UMBC with Federal Hill Prep. That connection proved to be the perfect match.
“One of the goals of The Shriver Center is to be a resource to UMBC faculty, to help connect their students with more applied learning experiences into their courses/curriculum which could come in the form of service-learning, internships, performance,” said Hardesty.
The project was divided between readings and discussions and special events. Students were asked to read specific books throughout the semester and the Civic Voices team then engaged the students in class discussion. Each activity was geared toward a particular lesson or situation.
“The experience empowered students, and real bonds were formed. They felt comfortable talking about their concerns, and asking UMBC students what they cared about,” said Katie Dix ’10, political science major and student leader.
Several special events included “I AM speeches,” in which students gave presentations in a UMBC auditorium. The Federal Hill Prep students also took two field trips, one to UMBC for a college visit day and another trip to Washington, D.C., where they received a tour of the capitol.
“Everyone was glowing after giving their speeches,” said Sherry Barr, Federal Hill Prep teacher. “They really enjoyed talking about who they were, where they were from and something that concerned them. The list ranged from trash, gangs and drugs to homework.”
When asked why such a program is important, King-Meadows spoke emphatically about the quality of political participation among America’s youth.
“We do young people and the political community a disservice by not enhancing their preparedness for civic activity. To me, America must prepare its citizens for self-governance at a very early age,” said King-Meadows. “If a child can learn to tie a shoe, he or she can learn that government officials determine the quality of the roads and sidewalks those shoes will walk on.”
For more information on the Our Civic Voices project, contact Tyson King-Meadows at 410-455-2194.
(7/2/09)
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