Program Area
Civic Education
Building a working understanding of how government functions and how to participate in civic life.
Civic Education is part of AVENUE JAM's national educational framework. Chapters create space for students to explore how government functions and how ordinary people engage with it — not through lectures, but through peer-based discussion, questions, and debate. The topics and activities below describe what the program is built to deliver as chapters launch, not a record of activity already happening everywhere.
Curriculum Focus
What students learn
How Government Institutions Work
The structure and function of government institutions at every level.
Federal, State, and Local Government
How responsibilities and authority are divided across levels of government.
Civic Participation and Public Engagement
The tools ordinary people use to engage with public life and institutions.
Elections and Democratic Processes
How elections and democratic processes work.
Public Policy and Community Decision-Making
How public policy gets made and how communities weigh in.
Rights and Responsibilities
The rights and responsibilities of citizens and residents.
In Practice
How chapters bring this to life
- Peer-based civic discussions
- Occasional guest speakers
- Educational events and forums
- Student-led exploration of civic and public-policy topics
Program resources
Chapter officers and educators can access lesson plans, facilitation guides, and activity templates for this program area in the National Resource Library after signing in.