Michigan Students Gain Key Insight Through Civic Education Effort

 

During this month’s State Board of Education meeting, students from East Grand Rapids High School and East Kentwood High School stepped into the role of constitutional scholars, delivering prepared testimony on the significance of the Declaration of Independence as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. State Board of Education members then took on the role of a Congressional panel, engaging the students in thoughtful civic dialogue.

LANSING—Through a key partnership between the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) and the Michigan Center for Civic Education, students are being empowered through active civic engagement in a unique demonstration of teaching and learning.  

Two goals of the partnership are to expand secondary learning opportunities for all students, which is Goal 4 in Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, and to increase the percentage of all students who graduate from high school, which is Goal 5.

“We are excited about our partnership with the Michigan Center for Civics Education and how it benefits Michigan students,” said State Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko. “It helps schools meet the core purpose of Michigan’s social studies standards, which is to prepare students to be actively engaged in fulfilling their responsibility of civic participation.”

An element of the partnership is “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution,” which was developed in the 1980s to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The joint initiative promotes civic competence, civic responsibility, civic appreciation and overall enthusiasm for the study of the Constitution.

The research-proven program is inclusive of curriculum, community outreach and connection to real world issues. It makes the U.S. Constitution, history and current events relevant and meaningful to students. Students prepare a response and testify in front of civic leaders who engage the students with a dialogue on their presentations and ideas, according to the Michigan Center for Civics Education website MiCivicEd.org.

Since 1982, over 3,000 students have taken part in “We the People” hearings at a regional level. During the 2025-26 season alone, over 800 observers from across the state witnessed the events.

Ellen Zwarensteyn, executive director of the Michigan Center for Civics Education, believes that it is important to amplify the role of the student voice and the role of the educator.

“We believe that civic literacy is the base, the cornerstone for all other forms of learning,” she said. “It gives purpose, it gives meaning to why we study science, to why we study math. It helps in every aspect. And it is increasingly our goal to make sure that social studies, especially civics, has a PreK-12 continuum.”

Zwarensteyn said the Michigan Center for Civic Education wants to provide as many pathways as it can for students and educators to learn how to incorporate student voice into the classroom. She said the organization wants to make sure that different perspectives are honored based in Constitutional thought and that those practices can be advanced so that communities can be engaged in school life.

Dr. Delsa Chapman, deputy superintendent of the MDE Division of Assessment, School Improvement, and Systems Support, added: “The MDE values equitable access and opportunity for students to engage in social studies education.”

Local education agencies and communities can find educator opportunities and supporting materials using: 

• American History Resources, a website specific to teaching and learning comprehensive history.
• Teaching Comprehensive History, a website containing comprehensive history webinars.
• Mi Social Studies.org, an online statewide social studies hub.
• Personal Finance, a requirements and resources webpage.
• MiVoice MiVote, a collaborative resource from the Michigan Department of State, MDE and the Michigan Center for Civic Education that assists high school students in registering and preregistering to vote and provides civic education and engagement resources for K-12 educators.

Established in 1982 as a nonpartisan and nonprofit corporation, the Michigan Center for Civic Education was created to be an organization dedicated to preparing an active and informed citizenry through law-related and civic education in Michigan. The organization provides and strengthens authentic civic education and professional learning. It advances the knowledge, skills and outlook of teachers, students and communities to foster their engagement in equitable civic life.

 ###

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.