Civics are a necessary component of a well-rounded education but unfortunately that critical topic is being taught less frequently in our public schools. In response, PESA created a civic engagement program to provide students with the tools they need to become Responsible Community Activists and vehicles of change in their communities.The program was developed to educate students on how to advocate for change in their communities without having to put their freedoms or futures at risk. By teaching them about the inner workings of government and the successes of movements of change, they learn how to support and, when necessary, cause change in their communities through advocacy.
Students at Fremont High School in South Central Los Angeles have been diligently working—on Saturdays, no less!—with a team of PESA staffers and interns on this civic engagement program. Students learn how to be Responsible Community Activists by using their advocacy skills. They learn that the essential element for a responsible community activist is to ask, question and advocate. Ask: Why is this the way it is? Question: Through questioning and research they are able to investigate why something is a certain way. Advocate: Upon completing their investigation, they then decide what needs to be changed and advocate for this change, by using successful practices of past movements of change. They are able to develop these skills by listening to presentations designed to teach them these skills. Then they break out into smaller groups to share their ideas and discuss hypothetical scenarios, designed to hone their skills to become Responsible Community Activists.
The program is available to all grades of high school students. By going through the program, commencing as early as the ninth grade, they are able to perform all the tasks necessary for them to earn the California State Seal of Civic Engagement on their high school diplomas. In order to qualify for the certificate, students have to complete a capstone project, in addition to participating in the presentations, with the help of a community-based organization such as PESA.
The capstone project the qualifying Fremont High seniors did this year to qualify for the Seal of Civic Engagement was to research the issues that their fellow students felt were impacting them. They did this through designing and administering a survey to their fellow students. Their research showed that having safe and reliable transportation to and from school was paramount, citing rampant drug use, graffiti, prostitution, homelessness and littering in their neighborhoods as hindrances preventing the students from participating in after-school programs. The result of their work is entitled I Need to Feel Safe in My Community: White Paper on Crime Presence, Prevention and Rehabilitation of Student Safety in 2022, and in it, among other solutions, they proposed a community-funded shuttle-bus service. They are now in the process of presenting their research to their local neighborhood council, school board and city councilmember to facilitate this change.
“The students’ eyes light up at the prospect of change happening within their reach,” says Stephanie Santillan, a PESA community representative. “I am grateful to be a part of the PESA family, because our work is giving a voice to these students in dire need of role models and encouragement to reach their potential." ■
If you’d like to support PESA’s many social and educational initiatives, please contact us.