Design transformative civic learning for the next generation
An immersive civic education fellowship for educators from Jewish day school and yeshivas on Long Island.
Providing professional learning, individual support, and a network of peers, the Long Island Educators Cohort brings together teachers and school leaders who are interested in strengthening civic education in their school communities.
Over the course of the program, fellows develop their knowledge and skills as civic educators and introduce new approaches in their educational settings.
Participants convene for an 2-day Winter Institute In December and a 1-day Spring Institute in March to study foundational texts and gain new tools to bring back to the classroom.
Sessions include text-based seminars with leading scholars, interactive workshops on teaching civic skills, goal setting and curriculum planning, and discussion exploring the intersection of religion and civic life.
Participants engage in 3 coaching sessions throughout the school year with Civic Spirit's education staff.
Coaching sessions focus on supporting participants in articulating their civic education goals, applying new content and pedagogies, identifying resources and partnerships, and cultivating meaningful civic learning experiences.
Participants develop and implement a Civic Spirit Project, aligned to their school’s mission and civic education goals.
The Project might be a new framework for learning, a new or updated curricular unit, a school wide program, or student club. Fellows will have an opportunity to present the design, outcome, and reflections of their work at the end of the program.
Who is this for?
We invite lower, middle and high school educators and school leaders who teach or support social studies, history, government, humanities, Judaic studies, and student life to apply. We encourage multiple representatives from a school to apply so that they can collaborate as a team.
When are the gatherings?
What are the participation expectations?
The full school team (2-3 educators) is expected to attend the Winter and Spring Institutes, 3 coaching sessions, and at least 2 out of 3 virtual Learning Gatherings.
Participants will be expected to complete readings in advance of the Winter Institute.
What is Civic Spirit's approach to civic education?
Civic Spirit’s multi-disciplinary approach seeks to foster civic belonging, democratic fluency, and urgent civic skills in students who are coming of age while navigating our complex civic and political life. You can read more about our approach here.
How much does it cost?
With generous support from funders, the Educators Cohort is fully subsidized and there is no fee to participate. Each fellow will receive a stipend of $1200 upon completing the yearlong program.
Who teaches in the Educators Cohort?
The Educators Cohort is facilitated by cross-disciplinary scholars, facilitators, and Civic Spirit staff.
See here for the schedule from the 2023 Summer Institute.
What else will my school gain from participating?
Participating schools have the opportunity to:
How do I apply?
Complete this application form by Friday, October 20th 2023.
For more information, contact Audi Hecht, Director of Education and Innovation at audi@civicspirit.org