NY Civic Learning Week | DemocracyReady NY at the Center for Educational Equity

Coming Soon! New York Civic Learning Week 2025 Events

New York Civic Learning Week Social Media & Communications Toolkit

Use this social media & communications toolkit to spread the word about your Civic Learning Week activities. Tag us on social media and we'll share the message! @DemocracyReadyNy @EduEquity

Hashtags

#CivicLearningWeek

#CivicReadiness

#DemocracyReadyNY

#MediaLiteracy

#MediaLiteracyEducation

#NYCivicLearning25

#NYRightToEducation

#YouthCivicEngagement

Graphics

Coming soon! Download the New York Civic Learning Week logo and social media graphics to use for your event promotions.

Sample Outreach Materials

Use this sample outreach email template to spread the word about ways to get involved during NY Civic Learning Week.

Ideas for New York Civic Learning Week Activities and Events

Possible NY Civic Learning Week Activities for Educators and Other Stakeholders

Join DemocracyReady NY in celebrating NY Civic Learning Week. Plan one (or more) of these activities for preK-12 students during the week of March 10-14, 2025, and we’ll help you publicize them. Contact us at equity@tc.columbia.edu.

Show us how you’re celebrating! Share pictures on social media! #NYCivicLearning2025 #DemocracyReadyNY #NYCivicReadiness

To download and print the social media toolkit and list of activities find a Google document version here.

Community Service	Provide youth and other community members with community service, service learning, or volunteering opportunities in your area.
Develop a Lesson Plan	Facing History and Ourselves offers a guide with a flexible collection of activities, readings, lessons, and strategies designed to help you develop a meaningful civic education experience in your classroom. Watch the KidCivics video series from Inquiring Minds Institute for inspiration on classroom conversations. The series is designed by kids to help children and adults understand how children can thrive during their time in school by engaging in democratic civic thinking and doing. In New York City, Civics for All provides resources, materials, professional learning, and student-facing programming to all NYCDOE schools. The initiative focuses on K-12 culturally responsive civic education models that are interactive, project-based, and relevant to students’ lives.
Essay Writing Contest	Raise a question about the importance of civic education for youth to think and write about; offer a prize and/or opportunity for publication during Civic Learning Week. Last year, DemocracyReady NY youth members wrote reflective essays after their Civic Learning Week experiences.
Host an Elected Official	Host a meeting, assembly, or classroom discussion with a school board member, legislator, or other local elected official.
Media Literacy	Plan lessons encouraging students to build media literacy skills by asking key questions about content on YouTube, TikTok, or other social media. Visit Project Look Sharp’s website for free classroom materials! Another example from The National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) is this lesson plan for grade 3-5 educators.
Multigenerational Advocacy	Collaborate with a multigenerational group of people to call elected officials and engage in advocacy about the importance of civic learning, media literacy, or other specific issues.
Op-Ed Writing	Plan lessons that encourage students to write op-eds and letters to the editor of a local publication or student newspaper on the importance of civic learning, media literacy, or another civic topic they care about. Here are some helpful resources from the Op-Ed Project.
Plan a Debate	Plan a debate on a school policy or other topic of interest to school community members. Check out this Classroom Debate Guide from iCivics.
Show a Movie	Show a movie that raises awareness about the importance of civic participation.
Student Interviews	Provide opportunities for students to interview policy makers and educators supporting effective civic education through print or video.
Student Podcasts	Encourage students to choose an issue that matters to them (local, state, national, or global), then make an audio or video commentary or podcast on that issue, combining personal experience and research/evidence. Here are examples from the Next Generation Politics youth-led podcast “The Round Table”
Town Hall Meeting	Plan a town hall meeting to discuss what the civic mission of schooling means to your school or community.

Need more inspiration? Check out the New York Civic Learning Week 2023 and 2024 events.