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As Justice
Louis Brandeis said, “The most important office is … that
of private citizen.” New research shows what common sense has told
us all along — that engagement of young people in the community
through curriculum creates better citizens.
The report, Service Learning — Finding Common Ground, was
published by the highly respected American Youth Policy Forum and is
available for viewing online at www.aypf.org/pubs.htm.
We agree heartily with the findings and feel passionately that public
education has a vital civic mission and responsibility.
Toward that end, my office is cosponsoring a major conference on the
Civic Mission of Education starting at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct.
2, at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Barbara.
The conference is groundbreaking in that it is the first of its kind,
serving as an umbrella for regional networking in a four-county area
and bringing in renowned national speakers.
Luncheon speaker will be singer and educator Peter Yarrow, of Peter,
Paul and Mary, who will present his "Don't Laugh at Me" curriculum
about bullying. The morning’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Ginger
Hovenic, president and CEO of The Chamber Foundation Business Roundtable
for Education, based in San Diego. Her topic will be “Finding Common
Ground – Engaging Students in Citizenship.”
Breakout sessions will cover civics education, youth leadership, service
learning, and character education. There will also be a showcase of
more than 30 curriculum and program resources.
A panel discussion will cover Finding Common Ground - Program Implementation,
featuring the following panelists: Morgan Clayton, Bakersfield Youth
Leadership; Julie Dwyer, national director of Character Counts; Dr.
Chuck Weiss, county superintendent of schools, Ventura; Dr. Ginger Hovenic,
president and CEO of The Chamber Foundation Business Roundtable for
Education; and Debbie Genzer, executive director, Youth Service California.
Regional networking meetings will also be held by county to cover reflections,
sharing, and to craft the next steps.
A website has been crafted to answer questions about the event. It can
be viewed at www.sbceo.org/careers/civicmission.
Target audience for the conference is key educators and community key
leaders in the areas of civics education, character education, youth
leadership, and service learning. Further information is available by
e-mail at youthcapacity@sbceo.org or by calling 964–4711, Ext.
4407.
Democracy involves all of us and our future is in the hands of today’s
young people. We need to show them the responsibilities the joys and
the obligations of citizenship and we are committed to do all we can
to support efforts in this area.
As Isaiah Bowman said, “Citizenship comes first today in our crowded
world…No one can enjoy the privileges of education and thereafter
with a clear conscience break his contract with society. To respect
that contract is to be mature, to strengthen it is to be a good citizen,
to do more than your share under it is noble.”
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