Project Citizen
Educating Tomorrow’s Citizens Today
Joseph E. Kahne, an education professor
and researcher found that…
“…students are more likely to be active in
civic and political life after they leave school
if they take part during their school years in
civic education activities.”
“Classroom-based activities have a
statistically significant impact on students’
civic and political involvement and their
intent to vote.”
Educating for Democratic Citizenship
Questions to Consider
1. What is the problem?
2. Who has the authority to resolve the
3.
4.
5.
6.
problem?
What is one viable solution to the problem?
Who in the community might support your
solution? …oppose it?
How would you convince others to support
you solution?
How would you convince the responsible
authority to adopt you solution?
What is Project Citizen?
 Education for democratic citizenship
 Teaches students how to appropriately and
effectively monitor and influence public policy
 Interdisciplinary instructional program for
adolescents and adults
• Focuses citizen engagement in self-governance
• Applies learning to real world issues
• Uses cooperative learning
• Serves as a model performance assessment
What are the Goals of Project Citizen?
The primary goal of Project Citizen is to
develop in citizens a commitment to active
civic participation and self-governance by
 providing the knowledge and skills required for
effective citizenship
 providing practical experience designed to
foster a sense of competence and efficacy
 developing an understanding of the importance
of civic participation
Project Citizen Programs in Latin America
Project Citizen has been implemented throughout
Latin America in partnerships with various NGOs,
universities, and ministries of education.
 Argentina
 Guatemala
 Bolivia
 Honduras
 Brasil
 Mexico
 Chile
 Panama
 Colombia
 Paraguay
 Costa Rica
 Peru
 Ecuador
 Venezuela
What is the Sequence of Project Citizen?
 Students work together to identify and study a




problem in their community.
They propose a solution in the form of a public
policy recommendation.
They develop an action plan for getting their
policy proposal adopted and implemented.
Students present their work in a visual and
written display and present it in a simulated
public hearing.
Although not required, in many instances students
appear before the government authority
responsible for enacting their proposed policy.
Project Citizen- Step 1
Identifying public policy problems in
communities
Identifying Public Policy Problems
Students identify public
policy problems in their
communities by
 discussing them with
each other
 interviewing family
members and other
adults
 reading newspapers and
other print sources
 listening to news reports
on radio and TV
Project Citizen - Step 2
Selecting a problem for study
Problems in
our community
1. Drugs
3. Pollution
2. Violence
4.
What Criteria is Used to Select a Problem?
Is the problem you selected important to
you and other people in your community?
2) Does government have some responsibility
to deal with this problem?
3) Will there be sufficient information about
the problem to develop a good project?
4) Is there a realistic possibility of solving the
problem selected?
1)
Project Citizen - Step 3
Gathering
information
on the problem
Gathering Information
 Students gather information on the
chosen public policy problem from a
variety of sources
Interviews and surveys t Printed sources
Radio and television t Libraries t Internet
Scholars and professors t Lawyers and judges
Community organizations and interest groups
Legislative offices t Administrative offices
Project Citizen – Step 4
Developing a
display
Our
Problem
Action
Plans
Alternate
Policies
Public
Policy
Visual Display
Written Documentation
Project Citizen - Step 5
Presenting the project to the public
Step 6 - Reflecting on the Learning
Experience
 What and how you and other students learned
 civic knowledge
 civic skills
 civic dispositions
 What you learned from being part of a team
working to solve a problem
What are the Instructional Advantages of
Project Citizen?
 Throughout the project students have real world




opportunities to practice English language
learning skills – reading, writing, speaking
Students connect with real problems and events in
their communities
Students integrate a variety of related concepts
and ideas
Students may use knowledge and skills from
multiple disciplines
Students work with clear, attainable goals
What are the Instructional Advantages of
Project Citizen?
 Students learn to cooperate with peers in
group settings
 Students evaluate their own progress through
self-assessment
 Students relate assessment activities to
instructional activities
 Students benefit from the involvement of
parents and other community members
For more information contact
Michael G. Fischer
Educational Consultant
Los Angeles, California, USA
Ph: 818-610-9075
Email: mgfischerLA@yahoo.com
Facebook: Michael G. Fischer
24
PROJECT CITIZEN
A CIVIC EDUCATION
PROGRAM AT THE
BINATIONAL CENTERS
IN PERU
Civic Education at
the Peruvian Binational Centers
The Peruvian Binational Centers have been implementing
Civic Education Programs with very positive results among
their English teachers and students since 2004.
The pilot program was carried out at the Chiclayo BNC
with the support of the Center for Civic Education and the
US Embassy in Lima.
The program has three components:
-Project Citizen is part of the ELT Advanced Program
-READ Chiclayo
-Summer English Language Institutes for Public School Teachers
Proyecto Ciudadano – Mejores
Ciudadanos
Project Citizen for Better Citizens is a civic program, sponsored by the
U. S. Embassy in Lima with the cooperation of the Peruvian Binational
Centers, which aims to strengthen the Civic and Citizenship Education
area of the Regular Basic Educativo
System in Peru.
The main objective is the integration
and implementation of Project Citizen as
a participatory project to be developed by
high school students as part of the national
curricula.
MOU Agreement with the Ministry of
Education of Peru
“Project Citizen for Better Citizens” was approved to
start under the Resolución Directoral 0166-2010ED, which was signed on February 09 of 2010 by the
Peruvian Ministry of Education.
This document legally authorizes the training of
Peruvian Public School Teachers in Project Citizen,
as part of the Peruvian National Curriculum for
Public Education.
Program objectives:
To join efforts with the civil society in order to support,
strengthen and enhance Civic Education at Public Schools in Peru,
through the promotion of civic and democratic values.
To promote a culture of peace and legality through workshops for
public school teachers, improving their insight and understanding
of the policies and governmental institutions that safeguard the
coexistence of Peruvian Citizens.
To reinforce youth education, raising awareness among high
school students on the importance of a peaceful and organized
participation of civil society in solving common problems in their
neighborhoods and communities.
Project Citizen program:
A Diploma for a total of 220 hours is awarded to
teachers upon the completion of the Project
Citizen Program:
-40 hours of training workshops
-20 hours of research and project preparation
-80 hours of in-class implementation
-80 hours of monitoring students performance to
undergo a Project Citizen program.
Project Citizen tools in social networking:
Project Citizen Showcases
- Local Showcases
- Regional Showcases
Ámbitos y metas
Public School teachers: 2010 - 2012
Regiones
2010
DOCENTES
0
2011
DOCENTES
0
2012
DOCENTES
95
TOTAL
DOCENTES
95
0
2
0
2
108
57
30
195
AYACUCHO
0
16
42
58
CAJAMARCA
25
23
0
48
CUSCO
40
113
65
218
ICA
0
6
0
6
JUNIN
0
78
0
78
LA LIBERTAD
9
52
0
61
101
60
35
196
LIMA PROVINCIAS
0
5
0
5
MADRE DE DIOS
10
16
0
26
MOQUEGUA
28
0
0
28
PIURA
0
103
120
223
PUNO
28
22
0
50
TACNA
29
0
0
29
TARAPOTO
0
0
2
2
BINACIONALES
0
0
150
150
16
378
553
539
1470
LIMA
107
336
552
995
2465
AMAZONAS
ANCASH
AREQUIPA
LAMBAYEQUE
TOTAL