CiviConnections is a three-year teacher grant program funded by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service and National Council for the Social Studies. From 2003-2006, CiviConnections will involve more than 297 teachers and 7,425 3rd-12th grade students nationwide in linking local history inquiry with community service-learning activities. A team of three teachers can apply for a $7,500 grant to cover their costs for attending a summer workshop, implementing the program during the 2006 - 2007 school year, and attending the 2006 NCSS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Dr. Rahima Wade, Professor at The University of Iowa, is the project director. Dr. Wade and Dr. Linda Levstik, professor at The University of Kentucky, will co-facilitate the summer workshops. The deadline for applications is February 24, 2006.
CiviConnections will engage selected teachers and their students in the following sequence of activities: 1) Students and teachers choose a current issue of concern or need in the local community, 2) Students become inquiring historians as they investigate the issue through their community's history, 3) Students compare their local findings with learning about the selected issue in our nation's history, 4) Students look at how the issue is impacted by one or more government documents, such as the Bill of Rights, 5) Students design and conduct quality service-learning activities to work on the issue and strengthen their community, and 6) Students create a public display to educate the community and celebrate their collaborative service projects. Teachers will develop and adapt these activities based on their students' interests and abilities, the needs or problems in the local community, and their local social studies curriculum requirements.
Requirements for the application include the following:
1) apply in a team of three teachers from grades 3-12 in the same public school district,
2) be members of National Council for the Social Studies (or agree to join if your application is accepted),
3) partner with at least one local community agency,
4) involve at least 25 students per teacher in at least 20 hours of service each (this may include a variety of activities including community interviews, advocacy activities in the classroom, service with individuals in the community, creation of the public display, and attendance at the culminating community celebration),
5) attend one 3-day summer 2006 workshop and the 2006 NCSS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. (all funding for the workshop and conference is to be paid from the $7,500 grant),
6) implement the program during the 2006 -2007 school year
7) comply with grant evaluation and reporting procedures. For further information about CiviConnections or the application process, contact
civiconnections@ncss.org.
The deadline for applications is February 24, 2006.
National Council for the Social Studies