☆ MCCC Civics Initiative ☆
Email mercercivics@mccc.edu
Recommended Links
Recent New Jersey Elections Results
New Jersey Council for the Humanities
$339,000 Grant to Bolster Community Journalism
Voices & Votes: Democracy in America
Democracy Conversation Project
Democracy and the Informed Citizen
National Endowment for the Humanities
NEH Civics news
The Citizens Campaign
about
Trenton Civic Trust
MCCC Citizen Leadership Center Kick-Off Video
League of Women Voters of New Jersey
home page
NJ Voting Information
Voting and Voter Registration Advocacy Toolkit
U.S. League of Women Voters Energizing Young Voters
home page
NJLWV Facebook
Energizing Young Voters Facebook Group
Civic Educational Programs
Civics Cultivation Challenges
New Jersey We the People High School Civics Competition
APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl
National High School Ethics Bowl (NHSEB)
Middle School Ethics Bowl (MSEB)
Civics Bowl on PBS
New Jersey Ballot Bowl
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
Bill of Rights Institute: MyImpact Challenge
Smithsonian Museum Exhibit - Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
MCCC Exhibit Highlights
Overview
Traveling Exhibition to Arrive in New Jersey in April
MCCC Library Guide
Free Power Civics Course
with Mercer Civic Leadership Certificate
Voting and Voter Registration Advocacy Toolkit
with Mercer Civic Leadership Certificate
Voting and Voter Registration Advocacy Toolkit
Civics News
- [7/24] Major funders bet big on rural America and ‘everyday democracy’
- [3/24] Philadelphia’s Civic Landscape Set to Transform: Public Called Upon to Shape Future Center City Arena
- [7/23] National Civic League: Civic Journalism: New and Improved Local News
- [4/23] Civic Engagement News, Research and Analysis - The Conversation
- [3/21] The Crisis in Civic Education | Harvard Magazine
- [3/23] Democracy must be reborn in every generation. That requires a civic education. | Opinion by Arlene Gardner, president of the N.J. Center for Civic Education at Rutgers University
- [2/23] Black History Month: New Jersey has a rich history of Black civic leadership | Opinion NJ.com
- [12/22] New Jersey Bus Driver Hailed With Civics Award for Teaching Kids to Read
- [12/22] Belmar youngsters learn about civic duty and participation for Youth Government Day
- [11/22] Ramapo College Nationally Recognized For Campus Civic Engagement
- [6/22] Hoboken HS Students Participate In First-Ever Civics Week
- [4/22] The Civics Bowl - Civics Education Made Fun
- [2/22] Civics education is back - NJEA
- [12/22] MCCC Places in 2022 NJ Ballot Bowl
- [11/3/22] NJ Council for the Humanities Receives $339,000 Grant to Bolster Community Journalism
- [6/30/22] Tribute to NJ Assemblyman John S. Watson Stresses Civic Engagement as Smithsonian’s ‘Voices and Votes’ Exhibit Ends Its Run at MCCC Gallery
- [6/6/22] Princeton University will name Philosophy Building in honor of Laura Wooten, who was recognized as longest serving U.S. poll worker
- [5/26/22] Civics Education and Leadership Series at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP)
- [4/19/22] Smithsonian's Free Exhibit "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" Comes to the Gallery at Mercer County Community College
- [4/13/22] Smithsonian’s 'Voices and Votes: Democracy in America' Exhibit Comes to MCCC Gallery May 18 to June 20
- [3/19/22] N.J. Committee Approves Measure That Would Require Civics Education for College Students
- [12/1/21] MCCC program would help build residents' engagement in their community
- [10/25/21] MCCC And The Citizens Campaign Partner To Establish Leadership Center In Trenton (News @ MCCC)
- [10/20/21] Citizen Leadership Center Kick-Off (Vimeo)
- [10/20/21] Mercer County Community College and The Citizens Campaign Partner Establish Citizen Leadership Center based in Trenton (Insider NJ)
- [10/6/21] Can Civics Education in Colleges Strengthen Democracy? (Inside Higher Ed)
- [6/23/21] Don’t downplay the role of community colleges in healing a nation (THE Campus)
- [8/26/20] Judiciary Report Underscores Commitment to Civics Education
- [10/11/19] Art as a Tool For Civic Engagement is Lecture Topic at MCCC Oct. 22 (News @ MCCC)
- [11/4/18] CBS Sunday News: The importance of civics lessons
- [4/18] The Public, the Political System and American Democracy - Pew Research Center
- [1/18] Young People's Civic and Political Engagement and Global Citizenship - United Nations
- [10/21/15] "Leading Communities to a Better State of Health" Conference
- [9/14/15] MCCC Hosts Two Speakers in Observance of Constitution Day, Sept. 17
- [12/5/13] Gov. Christine Todd Whitman Shares Perspectives on Government and Policy with Political Science Students
- [5/23/11] Alum Wayne DeAngelo's Path to Legislature Begins at MCCC
Civics Education
(Civics at Community Colleges, Civics Education Research, Nearby Academic Civics Centers)
Goals of Civics Education
Civics education has three broad goals:- To strengthen students’ grasp of essential civic knowledge. Civics education seeks to ensure that all students acquire a level of understanding… of the major themes of U.S. history from the nation’s founding onward, the nature of the American systems of government at the federal, state and local levels, and how they have changed over time and the controversies and crises that the country has encountered and how these predicaments and watersheds were resolved, overcome or persist.
- To cultivate the civic skills that are essential to engaged and responsible citizenship. These include the ability to weigh evidence, read closely, explicate and analyze primary sources, understand conflicting perspectives, make evidence-based arguments in applied real world practice.
- To help students develop the civic dispositions that are essential for the successful functioning of a diverse, democratic society. These include the commitment to democratic processes, individual rights and the common good, as well as values of tolerance, empathy and open-mindedness; respect for complexity, nuance and differing perspectives; and a willingness to engage in respectful dialogue.