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When people lack information about governance structures and opportunities for civic engagement, they are unable to effectively exercise and defend their democratic rights and responsibilities and hold their government to account. Civic education helps to build an engaged citizenry that can participate effectively in political processes and resist the proliferation of disinformation, corruption and electoral fraud. LACES supports educators and civil society to catalyze informed, mindful and active civic participation through:
Formal civic education courses through partnerships with universities.
Democracy summer camps that promote youth civic engagement.
New technology, including online games and social media campaigns, to expand the reach of civic education initiatives to diverse groups.
Civic education covers broad concepts underpinning a democratic society, such as the respective roles and responsibilities of citizens, government, political and special interests, the mass media, and the business and non-profit sectors, as well as the significance of periodic and competitive elections. It emphasizes not only citizen awareness but citizen participation in all aspects of democratic society.
Know Your Rights
Protecting Immigrant Students’ Rights to a Public Education
Access to public education is a right afforded to all children, regardless of a child’s or guardian’s citizenship, immigration status or English language proficiency. These rights were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in its landmark 1982 decision in Plyler v. Doe. These resources from the Southern Poverty Law Center can help you advocate for students facing language access or enrollment barriers in public elementary or secondary schools. The following, accompanying resources are also available in multiple languages:
