Classroom Activism

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 1100 students from 24 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 will be piloted in 9 CPS high schools in the 2008-2009 school year, allows students to incorporate their own neighborhood problems and issues into class discussion, evaluate their issues within the context of historical case studies and take authentic action to address those issues. The course will culminate with a collective class project in which students synthesize their skills and work cooperatively to select a single issue and create an action plan to effect positive change.