Teachers to gather at Pitt-Johnstown for civics summit
Oct. 19—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Teachers from schools across the region will gather on Monday at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown for a summit aimed at promoting civics education in the classroom.
The concept of a civics summit arose when the Bill of Rights Institute contacted Greater Johnstown School District in the spring for a collaboration.
At that time, Greater Johnstown High School teacher Christian Wrabley was already beginning work with Pitt-Johnstown's American Civics Education and Literacy Initiative, which also has the goal of promoting civics education in classrooms to better prepare the populace to participate in the country's democratic society.
"The timing of everything worked out," he said.
Monday's event at the John P. Murtha Center on the Richland Township campus will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include remarks from keynote speaker Judge Marjorie Rendell, of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, who is participating virtually; model lessons for educators in kindergarten through 12th grade; networking opportunities; and related activities.
That includes analyzing images and graphics for kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms and a student-led congressional simulation.
Wrabley described the event as a practice in civics itself because the gathering is bringing people together to solve problems and shortcomings.
Mark Conlon, assistant professor of education and director of the social studies certification program at Pitt-Johnstown, said that for many people, their education about democracy and civics ends with high school, often leaving an inadequate understanding of how the government works.
Conlon, the ACE Initiative coordinator at Pitt-Johnstown, said this type of event is important because there's a lack of competency in the subject.
Last year's National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that just 13% of eighth-grade students were proficient in U.S. history and 22% were proficient in civics.
Conlon pointed to the social breakdown as a result of this deficiency, noting that secondary teachers will have to teach students how to have productive conversations and listen to other perspectives without being combative.
To date, Conlon said, more than 70 teachers, students and administrators from Cambria, Blair, Indiana and Somerset counties have signed up for the summit.
Monday's event is also acting as a catalyst for another gathering that will be scheduled in the spring. Wrabley said he and Conlon are planning a "Democracy Bowl" that students will run.
The concept is that teachers will take what they learn this month back to their classrooms, and in the later event, the students will demonstrate their new knowledge.
Wrabley said that the "Democracy Bowl" will give students ownership and allow them to lead the sessions to show their understanding, which may include project displays and other works.
"We're trying to make it meaningful and create value for people," he said.
