Civics Education
An editorial in the Topeka Capital Journal stated, “Civics is about so much more than passing a written test…or reciting facts or figures about our country and Constitution. It’s about the spirit of America, about a country that includes Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, men and women, Black people and white people, gay people and straight people, and a few editorial writers besides. Civics, in other words, is about perfecting and pursuing a more perfect union.” [see complete editorial below.] What better place to understand how public policy is created than a collection of easily accessible and pertinent primary sources for students of all levels. The Kansas Oral History Collection consists of transcripts of oral histories of state legislators, state officials and notable Kansans describing their involvement with public policy in the last quarter of the Twentieth Century and the first decades of the Twenty-first Century. For students it is a treasure trove of information from primary sources. For teachers, there are short clips taken from interviews of actual policy-makers describing what it takes to make laws and policy. More are being added regularly. The Kansas Oral History Project works with the Kansas Department of Education and an advisory group of teachers to develop new materials from its collection of oral histories for use in the classroom. Civic engagement exists as part of the current KSDE accreditation systems, and involves both learning in the classroom and service projects in the community. KOHP is interested working with teachers to create oral history projects that engage the community. For more information use the contact form on this website.
What is Civics Education