Dear Arthur,
Note: Nearly 200 photos from Saturday's workshop are available by clicking here.
Thanks to all the outstanding adult active citizens who met with active Civitas students last Saturday. We had a remarkable exchange of ideas; trust seemed to be the word of the day. Two panel discussions provided students with opportunities to hear from everyone; two sessions of small group meetings allowed everyone to have more informal questions and answers. The outstanding adult role models were: - Paul April, Activist / teacher, St. Louis Public Schools
- Mike Baldwin, community activist (North St. Louis)
- Jeffrey Boyd, St. Louis Board of Aldermen (22nd Ward)
- Betsey Bruce, Political Reporter, KTVI-TV, Channel 2
- Elliott Davis, “You Paid for It,” KTVI-TV, Channel 2
- Nikki Doughty, Director of Admissions, City Academy
- Jackson Foote, Citizens for Missouri's Children
- Ginger Imster, Director of Development, City Academy
- Rachelle L’Ecuyer, Community Development, City of Maplewood
- Felicia Pulliam-Jones, Community Development, City of Kinloch
- Jamala Rogers, Community Activist; Columnist, St. Louis American
- Jeff Smith, Missouri State Senator (4th District)
- Steve Sorkin, Community Activist
- Rachel Storch, Missouri House of Representatives (64th District)
Most photos by Marian Brickner
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We started with the question, "What was the first experience in your life that made you aware of injustice in the world (or perhaps in your community, school, family, etc.)?" Panelists were very open; sharing many experiences that they had when in high school and even earlier. As the morning moved on, we found that we had as many unanswered questions as we did answers; in this weekend's conference and beyond we will be delving further into the concept of Active Citizenship.
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This weekend students will be meeting on Friday afternoon at the Comfort Inn / Spazio's in Maryland Heights and further analyzing the essence of citizenship and making a difference. As the weekend moves on, we will develop a plan of action for interested students to pursue during the balance of this school year and beyond.
As we have said previously, Active Citizenship is a long-term project for Civitas. It is being documented by filmmaker Frank Popper and it is hoped that the first stage of the documentary will be available this summer after our Urban Go-Team in June.
More info on Active Citizenship Project 1. Conference Brochure 2. Brief Description of Conference 3. More complete description of Conference 4. On-line Application Form for Conference 5. List of Students Currently Signed Up 6. Directions to Comfort Inn & Spazio's, site of the conference. 7. Conference Resources
Upcoming Civitas Events
(Actual events in bold -- always subject to change when change occurs!) Black: High School Blue: Middle School | Date | Time | Place | Activities | | Fri., 02/15 -
Sat., 02/16/2008 | -- | Comfort Inn & Spazio's | Active Citizenship Conference | | Mon., 02/25 | 4:00 PM -
5:00 PM | "The Heights" (Richmond Heights Community Center) | Middle School MUN Teacher Meeting #3 (Resolution Selection) | | Sat., 03/01 | 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Crossroads | High School Discussion #12 | Reminder: this weekend's conference will be at the Comfort Inn / Spazio's in Maryland Heights (map).
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New Civitas Web Site
Thanks to some wonderful work by CIO Services, Civitas has a new web site. It is not completely finished, but we are adding important pages to it every day. Navigation is much easier and our aesthetics have moved from the early 1990s to the present. www.kidswhothink.org
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Middle School Model U.N. News
Middle School Model UN had a very busy month! Lisa and Arthur (98% by Lisa) just finished visiting all of the schools participating in the program, working with the students on understanding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and how to write a UN resolution for their session in the spring. In the course of the visits, there were interesting conversations about infant mortality rates, the difficulties of funding new programs, and even the art of diplomacy. The students were remarkably attentive and inquisitive, and we can’t wait to see the resolutions they come up with. In just a couple weeks, on Monday, February 25, classroom teachers will converge on The Heights for one last meeting to iron out the details for their spring General Assembly sessions. The meeting on the 25th will last from 4:00 until 5:00 and teachers are asked to bring rough drafts (or at least the topics) of their resolutions. We look forward to seeing everyone there!
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Arthur H. Lieber 314-367-6480 |
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Civitas Associates 10845 Olive Blvd.
Suite #155
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141-7760 Phone: (314) 367-6480
Fax: (314) 367-7742 Tuesday, February 12, 2008
(Abraham Lincoln would
be 199 years old today)
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