Re-Imagining Civics

I'm just a bill.
Yes, I'm only a bill.
And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it's a long, long journey
To the capital city.
It's a long, long wait
While I'm sitting in committee,
But I know I'll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.

Who recognizes the words to this catchy tune intended to explain how a bill becomes law? If you were a student in the 1970s and 80s, you likely watched “Schoolhouse Rock” on television or in the classroom. The creators of this 64- episode series knew what they were doing when they created bright, captivating cartoon characters who talked and sang about subjects such as grammar, science, economics, history and of course, civics.

Civics education has evolved throughout the years and today, each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., requires students to study civics at some point in their educational journey. The extent to which civics is incorporated into curriculums varies based on state-mandated requirements as to what exactly students should learn and how long educators are permitted to spend on the subject.

Imagine an educational setting where students not only learned the fundamentals, such as how a bill becomes a law and the what many of already know as the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government, but also how to apply that knowledge outside of the classroom, so that it’s manifested into a lifelong pursuit of a commitment to being civically engaged.

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