New K-12 civic education offerings launched

If you’re a teacher looking for a uniquely engaging civic education experience for your students—plus a “virtual field trip” to historic Boston, Massachusetts—the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate now has dozens of classroom slots available for the winter and spring of 2022.

As part of a new initiative focused on reaching more K-12 students in the western United States, the Kennedy Institute next year will offer by Zoom connections dozens of classes covering voting rights, immigration reform, the Green New Deal, the Electoral College, and other timely topics.

Timed conveniently for 10 a.m. on school days in the Pacific Time Zone and 11 a.m. in the Mountain Time Zone, the Institute’s expanded programs are led by highly trained Institute educators who faithfully present Democratic and Republican viewpoints.

"These days we see more and more people from all across the political spectrum agreeing on how important it is for Americans, regardless of party affiliation, to gain a greater understanding of how our constitutional democracy functions,’’ said Caroline Angel Burke, the Kennedy Institute’s Vice President of Education, Visitor Experience & Collections.

"We want to partner with even more teachers across America to encourage participatory democracy and civil discussion of important current issues and to inspire their students--our next generation of voting citizens and leaders--to engage in the civic life of their communities and country,’’ Burke said.

Students in grades 6 to 12 can participate as “U.S. Senators for the day” in the Kennedy Institute’s “Today’s Vote in the Classroom” module, in which they participate in a simulated Senate session with a live floor debate on an actual piece of legislation pending before the Senate. Besides civics teachers, hundreds of history, social studies, and government teachers have also found valuable and relevant offerings from the Kennedy Institute for their classes.

Students consider issues from multiple perspectives, share their own ideas, and then cast their votes. For student groups connecting by Zoom from other parts of the country, a highlight of the program is a virtual tour of the life-sized replica of the U.S. Senate chamber at the Capitol that is the centerpiece of the Institute’s facility on the shores of Boston Harbor, close to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

Kelly Feurt, a 5th grade teacher at Bentley Academy Innovation School in Salem, Mass., signed up recently to have her class participate by Zoom in the “Pathways to Environmental Justice,” which focused on proposed legislation to protect people from the effects of climate change. She called it “the best virtual experience my students and I have experienced since remote learning began in March 2020.’’

“Our presenters created a professional atmosphere, referring to our students as ‘Senator Sanchez’ and ‘Senator Castillo,’ and treating them like colleagues debating ideas, rather than children,’’ Feurt said. “The fifth grade rose to the occasion and dazzled all of us with the level of discourse they engaged in.’’

Feurt noted that presenters moved seamlessly between interacting with students on video and responding to their questions and comments in the Zoom chat box, which many students found more convenient and comfortable for asking questions. “I would recommend this program to any fifth-grade class,’’ Feurt said.

The Kennedy Institute, named for the 47-year senator from Massachusetts, opened in March 2015, six years after Senator Kennedy’s death. The mission of the institute is to educate the public–and particularly K-12 and college students–about the role of the Senate in our country’s government and to encourage participatory democracy, invigorate civil discourse, and inspire the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities.

Among the many Republican leaders who have joined former Democratic officeholders in supporting the institute’s work and educational programs are former Senate leader Trent Lott of Mississippi; Andrew Card, chief of staff to President George W. Bush; and former Republican senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.

For school groups, the Kennedy Institute charges $6 per student for classes of up to 60 students at a time, with some scholarships and discounts available for qualifying schools. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the Kennedy Institute switched to offering classes by Zoom, and reopened for limited in-person visits this fall.

A two-minute video showcasing the Kennedy Institute's online educational opportunities can be found below.

A complete list of educational offerings may be found at https://www.emkinstitute.org/explore-the-institute/dynamic-educational-experiences/.

The form to register for an online class can be filled out at https://www.emkinstitute.org/resources/visit-request-form