In March, Annapolis hosted the 2024 convention for the oldest social studies council in America—the Middle States Council for Social Studies. MDI’s lead Principal Investigator, Lena Morreale Scott, along with her colleague, Genie Massey from the Maryland Civic Education Coalition, and President & Founder of New Voters, Jahnavi Rao, presented their workshop, Empowering Future Voters.
The session, Empowering Future Voters, was presented to current and pre-service K-12 Social Studies educators from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. The presenters introduced nonpartisan teaching materials from partners of the Maryland Civic Education Coalition and led participants through a discussion about strategies for incorporating the topics of voting and elections into elementary-, middle- and high school courses and extra-curricular activities. The presenters also shared resources and ideas for teachers to leverage community partnerships for enriching civic experiences like student-led, nonpartisan voter registration initiatives.
“As a high school teacher, curriculum writer and professional development specialist at a nonprofit civic education organization, and now on faculty here in our College of Education, I know it can be challenging to stay current about the high-impact practices that best support teaching civic content and skills,” said Scott. “I also know that teaching civics should not be siloed in one content area or for one age group. MDI believes teachers have a vital role in inspiring and preparing their students to make informed decisions, to become advocates for their communities, and to participate in our shared democracy.”
Teaching and learning are vital components of MDI’s mission to grow the capacity of all people for a lifetime of civic participation. Designing and providing materials and professional development for educators of students from pre-K through higher education supports their capacity to teach their students the content and skills necessary to become informed and active participants in our democracy.
The Empowering Future Voters presentation is one of the many ways MDI and its partners are working to strengthen teaching for civic engagement, a central pillar of MDI’s work.
Learn more about MDI’s Teaching and Learning pillar.