Adolescence is a time when we begin to make sense of our place and purpose in the world. But today’s young citizens – coming of age in a time of great social and technological change – are being offered little in the way of intentional civic formation. They are not invited into collective experiences where they can constructively explore who they are responsible for and what it means to be a contributor to the greater good.
A central and distinctive part of Citizen University’s theory of action is a simple, memorable equation: Power + Character = Citizenship. We believe that to live like a citizen requires both becoming literate in power (understanding who decides and how to make change happen), and cultivating civic character (the norms and habits of being a prosocial contributor to community).
We propose now to create a rich curriculum for teens dedicated to the integration of power and character. The time for such an endeavor is right, and indeed, urgent. This curriculum will be a multi-modal learning experience, supporting teens not simply to understand how political systems operate or to be encouraged to “get involved”, but to spend dedicated time, in community with their peers, reflecting on what commitment and participation can open up, why it matters, and to to affirm the habits they want to cultivate in ways that feel meaningful to them–not just to the adults in their lives, or their social media followers.
We will then equip hundreds of educators to lead this transformational civic formation experience with thousands of students in their communities. The Power + Character Curriculum will be aimed at changing the narrative young people are telling (or being told) about themselves, paving the way for them to build a lifelong civic identity that affirms their sense of agency as citizens, supports them in taking responsibility for the common good, and fosters a sense of civic imagination and possibility.
