Generation Citizen
Model & Strategy
Generation Citizen aims to strengthen our nation’s democracy by empowering young people to become engaged and effective citizens. The solution starts in our schools. Generation Citizen partners college students (called Democracy Coaches) with classroom teachers to teach an action civics course in which teens solve problems they are facing in their own communities. Over the course of the in-class program, students choose an issue they care about, develop a focused, strategic plan to address the issue, take real action and then reflect on their successes and challenges.
Through direct engagement in real-world advocacy, guided by near-peer college Democracy Coaches and teachers, students gain the civic knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary to effect change in their communities. Generation Citizen closes the civic engagement gap by teaching students how to harness the power of our democratic system to make a difference in their own lives.
Scott Warren, co-founder and Executive Director of Generation Citizen, grew up abroad and his passion for activism stems from his experiences living in Latin America and Africa. In 2002, Scott served as an observer in the first truly democratic elections in Kenya’s history, where he began to recognize the transformative potential of democracy. During college, Scott served as the National Student Director of STAND, a national student anti-genocide coalition. Scott also helped lead successful campaigns to divest Brown University, the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island from companies conducting business in Sudan.
Scott founded Generation Citizen his senior year at Brown with the aim of helping to create an authentic democratic experience for all youth across the country, keeping in mind the transformative power he first witnessed in Kenya. He is an Echoing Green Fellow and was recognized as one a Forbes “30 Under 30”.
IMPACT
Through GC’s Action Civics curriculum, students recognize the power of their individual voice to advocate for change in their communities. Evaluations have shown that GC students are not only increasing their civic knowledge and skills, but also their intended civic motivation (i.e. the likelihood of voting, volunteering, and participating in the political process).
To date, GC has served over 80,000 students and is on track to serve 30,000 additional students in the 2020-20 academic year. GC has sites in California, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as remote programming in Utah, Alabama, and Kentucky. It has helped to organize the entire civics education field as it becomes a more prominent discipline.
Generation Citizen News
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RT @GBHForumNetwork: In an increasingly digital world, how do Millenials, Gen Z’ers, and those in between see their role in civic engagemen…
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Why should 16- and 17-year-olds have a say in local elections? We’ll discuss this and more in our #vote16 IG Live… https://t.co/4PETZUeTDT
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Democracy isn't just something we have - it's something we do. And we can't do it fully until every community has… https://t.co/SJW28H3Nbo
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Students should "be validated not only as learners, but as peers in this work." -Solyana Mesfin, a Kentucky high-… https://t.co/CVmmDhc1HH
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"The good news in all of this is that it’s young people themselves who are increasingly clamoring for more and bett… https://t.co/RTHUvjySr5
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RT @YVoteNY: spoiler alert: the answer to @gencitizen's question ⬇️ https://t.co/eHVX8Q8phi
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What could we accomplish if every young person in America had access to quality education that equipped them to ful… https://t.co/TomwqoATO5
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Our NY team met with City Councilmember @OsseChi this week to discuss efforts to protect civics education and expan… https://t.co/nhBMSqc55b
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Honest, open conversations about our history are essential to building community trust and understanding each other… https://t.co/xIIgEQif31
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#HighSchoolVoterRegistrationWeek in action - we love to see it! 👏👏 https://t.co/npnnPlkb0X
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"I’m thrilled that our work ... is being recognized alongside the work of leaders and creators like The Honorable J… https://t.co/2wa9hxlI4p
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RT @CivXNow: "Recognizing, valuing and protecting the Constitution must be a year-round activity first and foremost in our public schools."…
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A huge congrats to our CEO @lizclayroy, who was just named one of @EBONYMag's 2022 Power 100! 👏👏👏 https://t.co/qNd5D22iuR
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RT @TheBodyShopUS: Under 18? Follow @gencitizen to get engaged at a local level & prepare to flex your vote in the next election season. #V…
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RT @TheBodyShopUS: Are you ready to Flex Your Vote? Start by finding your registration deadline by state and visit https://t.co/pct7HcxDa2…
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It's #NationalVoterRegistrationDay! When's the last time you checked your registration status? 👀 From your School… https://t.co/M5ywVrKD4n
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RT @TheCivicsCenter: Today is THE day! High School Voter Registration Week 2022 has officially kicked off! Make sure to tag us in your phot…
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Tomorrow is #ConstitutionDay, but protecting and strengthening it is a year-round activity - one that our public sc… https://t.co/xfm7tW74Th
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"SO BASICALLY SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF STUDENTS, AND IF WE LOWER THE VOTING AGE FO… https://t.co/3fXcbVVBNz
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Take it from social studies teacher @bakerleft: Students deserve a teacher-supervised space at school to navigate… https://t.co/cyCzx4yslc