Engaged Citizen Core Curriculum
engaged citizenship = responsible membership in the communities to which we belong
”In Ancient Rome, the Latin term civitas, according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the cives, or citizens, united by law. It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities on the one hand and rights of citizenship on the other.” Wikipedia
Engaged citizenship has three essential features (3 Rs): relationships, reflection, and responsibility.
As engaged citizens, we are mindful of our relationships to other human beings and the world around us. These include our relationships to families and local communities as well as to diverse people across the nation and the globe. We are also mindful of our relationships to nature and to technology, the non-human elements that shape our lives.
As engaged citizens, we practice critical reflection about questions of importance to our communities and the relationships mentioned above. This reflection requires informing ourselves about the world by using rigorous methods of inquiry. It also involves entering the intellectual conversation, formulating, and critiquing arguments as part of the public discourse.
Finally, as engaged citizens, we act with responsibility, working to build a more just society and to find solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Informed by ethical reflection, we are actively involved in our communities, exercising empathy in our service to others.
The Student Learning Outcomes include:
- Cultivate behaviors conducive to life-long learning.
- Develop and demonstrate essential knowledge, habits and values for ethical, engaged citizens in diverse communities.
- Develop and demonstrate essential skills for future careers.