Giving Compass' Take:

• In this op-ed for The Hechinger Report, the authors argue that civic education in school must go beyond rote memorization and engage with communities out in the real world.

• With the Parkland students serving as prominent examples, young people across the U.S. are well-equipped to learn and lead when it comes to social justice, protests and policymaking. How can we support their journey?

• Here are eight lessons for today’s youth-led movements.

School systems are failing their students with outdated and inconsequential civics education that is only focused on facts and memorization ...

“Student engagement” does not mean passively watching or listening to something interesting. It means asking questions, grappling with diverse opinions and learning to articulate ideas. Students need frequent opportunities to practice engagement by doing work that is meaningful and authentic for them.

Community connections are also key to civic engagement. Students need to understand their local communities. People are not compelled to engage with something or someone they don’t know. This requires that schools go well beyond the traditional annual field trips and get kids out and into their communities on a regular basis.

City High School, in Tucson, Arizona, focuses on community connections and place-based education, emphasizing the importance of civic engagement in all grade levels through various projects. Students at City High School grapple with issues of public concern when they study the widening of city streets and the various businesses that will be affected; when they walk the perimeter of the Tucson Convention Center and learn about eminent domain; when they study water issues in the Southwest; and when they learn about legislation that threatens the very same natural wilderness areas they camp in during school trips.

Compare this learning to the types of questions on current state civics exams, which are based on fact-based citizenship tests. While it may be important for students to cite certain facts within evidence-based arguments, their understanding and application of principles must move beyond simple memorization.

Read the full article about civics education must be taken outside the classroom by Joan Gilbert and Eve Rifkin at The Hechinger Report.