Civics Engagement and Outreach Initiative
Civics Education
What is Civics Education and Participation?
There are many ways that students and community members can become civically engaged! Some civic engagement activities include speaking to local representatives about an important issue, writing to Congress members, educating the community on how to vote, learning about your rights and policies that impact your city and state, leading or starting a club, and learning about legal systems and processes.
Understanding the Civics Crisis in California
The Chief Justice of California, Patricia Guerrero, has made civics learning a priority and for good reason. According to the study “Leveraging Equity and Access in Democratic Education”, or LEADE, a joint initiative of UCLA and UC Riverside researchers, they found that “more than five million of California’s six million students attend schools in districts that do not articulate a substantial focus on civic education and few districts have staff tasked with supporting civics, history, and social science compared with staff supporting other academic areas.”
Civics Engagement and Outreach
To fill this gap, the California Lawyers Association Civics Engagement and Outreach Committee offers civics education presentations and publications for K-12 students. Volunteer attorneys go to classrooms to present on civics topics and the legal systems and processes. We can go any day of the year. To request a presentation simply complete this form.
We encourage you to join us to celebrate Law Day (May 1st) and Constitution Day (September 17th) by hosting a civics education presentation in your classroom on one of these special civics days!