Core Components/Dimensions of Civic Education

• An understanding about how societies work and the relationship of self to the local, national, and global community.
  
• Knowledge about how American government (process) works and how it came about (history)


• Commitment to and practice in democratic values such as mutual respect, freedom of thought, commitment to diversity, and social justice.


• Development of personal skills for finding information, thinking critically, communicating, and acting as informed citizens in a democratic society.
• Opportunities for civic engagement, taking personal and collective action for the public good.
• Exploration of current critical public policy issues.
• Active, student centered pedagogies such as problem-based learning, service learning, and other forms of experiential learning that model responsible civic engagement.

ADP Steering Committee
Revision October 7, 2003