Mikva Kicks Off Fall Programs

After a challenging but very successful summer of employing, empowering, and training more youth than ever before, we are excited to launch our core school year programs in activism, campaign work and public policymaking. We are on track to set new records this year at Mikva- our programs will be in more schools, provide professional development to more teachers, and train more young people in the skills needed to become active, life-long civic leaders.  Here is a look at our fall and spring programs...

CLASSROOM ACTIVISM: More Schools, More Teachers, More Students

Mikva's Issues To Action and Democracy in Action programs emphasize teaching civics by doing civics. Due to popular demand from schools and teachers, we are growing these hands-on civics programs this year: Mikva's six-step Issues to Action program, which teaches students the nuts and bolts of community organizing, will be in 36 schools and work with 68 teachers. The ITA program will train over 1,700 students this year in what it means to be leaders in their communities and schools.  Mikva's more comprehensive civic activism course, Democracy in Action, will be in 23 schools. DIA engages young people in all aspects of activism work. The course includes units on analyzing community and power, lobbying elected officials and power players, leveraging the media, campaigning and elections, and much more. In collaboration with our 26 teachers, we will be training over 575 young people to become super citizens! For the first time this year, clusters of teachers at four neighborhood schools will be using our Issues to Action program in an effort to change the school culture, while at the same time getting students engaged in community activism.

ELECTIONS IN ACTION: Let's Get This Campaign Season Started!

Our Election in Action program will be in 26 schools this year and will focus on local, state and federal races. Students participating in this program learn the inner workings of campaigning and elections. EIA students will volunteer for Republican and Democratic candidates running for the U.S. Senate and Cook County Board President. You can read more about our Elections in Action program here here. Announcing Mikva Suburban Mikva Challenge is piloting a suburban replication project this year for our Elections in Action program. Eight suburban high schools will participate in the pilot this year, including Proviso East, Barrington, and Elgin High Schools. These eight schools represent diverse economic communities and include two alternative high schools. Students participating in this pilot will volunteer for Republican and Democratic candidates vying for the Governor's seat in 2010. Read more here. Student Judge Program Mikva will again recruit and train over 2,000 students from 50+ high schools to serve as election judges for the primary election on February 2nd, 2010. Each election cycle, these young people bring technical savvy, bilingual language skills, and enthusiasm to the polling place. Read more about Mikva Challenge's student judge program here.

MIKVA ALUMNI: Working for Social Justice

The mission of the Mikva Challenge is to train the next generation of civic leaders, and our amazing alumni are certainly testaments to our progress. Former Mikva students are working in the Mayor's office, serving on the staffs of political campaigns, and organizing their communities as activists and advocates. This summer, one group of Mikva alums created an organization called the Youth Coalition for Change to advocate for good government in Chicago. Here is an excerpt from the YCFC's mission statement: Youth Coalition for Change is a social justice group committed to developing leadership among youth in Chicago and neighboring communities. YCFC is working to right the wrongs of corruption and pay-to-play politics that affect our communities... We commend these young people for continuing to be active, ethical and thoughtful  leaders both in college and in their communities. Read more about the Youth Coalition for Change here.

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