Classroom Activism

We are currently recruiting teachers to lead our two classroom activism programs during the 2010-2011 school year. 

Mikva trains youth in the skills they need to become activists inside and outside of the classroom.

Issues to Action

In Issues to Action, over 1,500 students from 40 high schools engage in civic action projects that address local issues and advocate for policy change.  Students identify issues in their communities and learn about local government and the political process through research, analysis and the creation of action plans that tackle these issues.  Students involved in this program attend a Youth Activism Conference to gain essential advocacy skills and present their final action projects at our Annual Civics Fair.  

Below is the six-step process that students follow in the ITA program:
SixSteps_IssuesToAction_(2).pdf (17 KB)

Democracy in Action course

This course, which was piloted in 9 CPS high schools in the 2008-2009 school year, 23 schools in 2009-2010 and will be in 40 schools in 2010-2011. DIA is a comprehensive curriculum that empowers students with the skills, knowledge and dispositions to be "superstar citizens." At the core is the idea that students explore their communities from an asset based perspective, identify issues that are important to them and important in their community, research the issue, analyze power, and ultimately develop an action plan and take action.