Students at State Competition

Project Citizen is a challenging and engaging activity for students in grades 5-12.  The curriculum teaches government and civics, while incorporating incentives that encourage student participation.

• Real world problem solving
• Student input in key decisions promotes “buy in”
• Competition
  • State competition for grades 9-12
  • State and National competition grades 5-8
• Team project allows all students to contribute
  • research
  • write
  • public speaking
  • graphic design

Project Citizen helps middle school students learn how to express their opinions in a respectful manner, how to support their opinions with facts, how to identify solutions to problems, and how to influence public policy decisions at appropriate levels of government.  Project Citizen national sponsors are the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Center for Civic Education.

Educational Benefits of Project Citizen:

Project Citizen incorporates Middle School Best Practices:

• curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory.
• multiple learning and

  At the State Capitol

  teaching approaches that respond to diversity in learning styles.
• team learning structure that supports meaningful relationships and learning.
• interdisciplinary – students use research, reading, writing and speaking skills.

Project Citizen supports Minnesota Government and Civics Standards:

·        Civic Values, Skills, Rights and Responsibilities

• Beliefs and Principles of United States Democracy
• Governmental Institutions and Processes of the United States

Steps to Project Citizen

Project Citizen offers opportunities for teamwork.  Teams can be as small as 2, or as large as a whole class.  Students, with support and direction, will:

• brainstorm problems in their community – what “bugs” them
• narrow their project to one problem
• research the problem
  • books
  • current events
  • interviews
  • surveys
• research the possible solutions
  • costs and benefits of each one
  • possible Constitutional issues
• choose one solution to promote
• develop an action plan to promote the solution, including
  • identify the governing body with authority to act on the problem
  • identify concerned people or groups
• create a portfolio and an oral presentation
• present to concerned parties, governing body, and at Project Citizen Competition