September 2025 Exchange
On September 17th, 2025, CivicsNJ and Steering Committee member, Dr. Beth Rubin, hosted the monthly Exchange, Citizens of the Now: Supporting Youth Centered Civic Learning in the Classroom with YPAR. Dr. Rubin and her panelists, Leslie Calabrese, Tristian Cox, Amelia Irizarry, Orion Nolan, Lauren Opelia and Noa Ovadia, shared their forward-thinking approach to educating young people about civics: they are citizens now, not in the making.
Civic learning is borne from working together on projects and taking action in school, as opposed to reading about concepts in a book. Teaching students how to do the work (research, data analysis,etc) builds their confidence as they learn how to advocate for themselves.
We heard from audience members who were involved in similar programs during their time in middle and high school, that initiatives like YPAR not only work, but impact future career aspirations. Examples of current elementary, middle and high school programs across the state of New Jersey were inspiring and initiated spirited discussion.
Here are the resources shared during the Exchange:
Civically Engaged Districts Project Presentation
Civically Engaged Districts Website
Civically Engaged Districts Facebook Group
Civically Engaged Districts Instragram
Civically Engaged Districts LinkedIn
Civically Engaged Districts Youtube Channel
CivicsNJ is grateful to Beth and her guests for creating a dynamic and engaging Exchange where everyone learned more about what civic learning and engagement can look like in the classroom.
If you missed September’s Exchange, a recording of it can be found here.
