Earlier this month, middle and high school students from the Susan B. Anthony, Rumney Marsh Academy, Garfield Middle School, Revere High School, and CityLab participated in Civics Day at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston. Civics Day is like a science fair, but for civics, where Revere Middle and High School students present their state-required Action Civics projects to business, civic, and nonprofit leaders.
As community advisors, the Revere high and middle schoolers engaged with students, receiving and providing feedback on action civics projects. The experience not only allowed students to showcase their hard work but also fostered meaningful discussions on civic engagement and community involvement. Through this event, Revere students gained valuable insights and inspiration for future projects that aim to make a positive impact in their neighborhoods.
The topics of the Revere students' presentations included adding vocational schools and classes to Revere, Revere school safety, free and adequate education, preventing gun violence, immigration services in Revere, and more.
“I’m incredibly proud of the hard work our teachers and students have shown as we have worked to implement the state-required Civic Action Projects in middle and high school,” said Revere Public Schools Civics Coach Tina Marie Petty. “The project requires students to choose an issue that matters to them and their community, research the root causes of the issue, talk to community leaders to learn more and propose action, and showcase and reflect on the process. Civic advocacy is perhaps one of the most important and relevant skills we can nurture in schools, and watching these students develop their civic voice has been amazing.”
Reflection from Some of the Revere Students
“The project was very time-consuming and took a lot of effort, which made this project more impactful. Being able to be one of the only kids in my school to go felt very rewarding and refreshing. Being able to talk to many amazing people, like the Secretary of Education, was an amazing opportunity, and he was very interested in our project. This allowed me to represent my community and show off what I learned. I learned crucial research skills and social skills. I get to learn to come up with solutions to questions under pressure. I had a wonderful time and look forward to going to another civics fair again in the future.” -- Sarah Benabderrazak, Garfield Middle School
“The project was difficult at first because we did not have a lot of information, but after speaking with community leaders, we got more information. The project became easier; it was like puzzle pieces fitting together. After reading many articles and researching different bills in MA, we found one that we felt fit the goal of our civic action project. We decided this bill needed more support and awareness, so we chose to write to legislators.” -- Jisell Urbina, Susan B. Anthony
“I learned that I can present this type of information to others, and I became more confident in my English. I would tell people that we can do whatever we want (in a good way).” – Michel Balbin Mazo, Revere High School
“Working on this Civics Action Project allowed us to feel like we can make change in the world, and it’s not every day that we get the chance to talk to community leaders who ensure the best for us and our community. I did feel a bit nervous at first, but as soon as I started speaking, it wore away completely, and I felt genuine connections while speaking with our awesome community advisors. We are very thrilled that we were given the chance to participate in events like these, especially ones that made us feel heard.” -- Sofia Stojani, Rumney Marsh
“One thing I learned by doing this project is that you will never know what you can achieve with your voice if you don’t dare to speak up to make the world a better place.” –Francisco Navarette Granados, Revere High School
See more photos here.