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Inside the Classroom with Sabrina

In Fall 2014, I became a Democracy Coach at the High School for Public Service in Brooklyn, New York.  Before the first class, I was extremely nervous.  I wasn’t sure if 32 high school seniors and juniors (and one sophomore) would laugh at the 17-year old college freshman trying to boss them around. However, I felt absolutely amazing after that first class.  What felt great about it was that my students believed in me and had faith that I would dedicate time and effort for their cause. I explained that while I couldn’t guarantee a complete change in the world, I would make sure that their voices would be heard and that together we could make a change in their community.   

Together, my students and I created the concept of a college-readiness course in an attempt to better prepare students for life after graduation.  My students felt as though they did not know how to handle anything on their own such as building a resume, applying for a job, budgeting their money, or even opening up a bank account.  These students created this idea so that they could have a head start when entering the “real world.”  Our action plan included a survey to students who would be taking this preparatory course and a sample curriculum that we later showed to the school administration.  The best part of our project was that my students were motivated on their own terms and they were determined to get the results that they wanted--which they did! They ended up getting approval from the principal to make their class “Real World Prep” an option for seniors starting in the spring semester.  Seeing their hard work and dedication motivated me to do whatever I could to help.  

While I was the person who taught them about advocating for a cause, they ended up teaching me more than I could have ever expected.  

When presented at Fall 2014 Civics Day, Sabrina’s tenacious class was awarded the “Change Makers Award.”

This semester, Sabrina serves as GC at Pace’s Education Director and Vice President. 

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#Repost @gcatpace ・・・ We like this photo because there are 3 “generations” of GC Democracy Coaches and Executive Board Members who have worked with one another: @alvi.r (2013-2015), @heynells (2014-present), and @tis.is.shar (2012-2013). While they have different majors and career aspirations, their love for social justice and youth empowerment is one of their essential personal beliefs. It doesn’t matter who you are and what your major is - there are no requirements to #leadchange than to be yourself. When you find other people who believe in that, you’ll unexpectedly get lasting friendships out of it. #gcatpace #paceuniversity #paceu #paceunyc #pacebound #tbt

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#Repost @gcatpace ・・・ As #paceuniversity student we all understand we are the lucky ones. Gaining a great education in this amazing city. Many student don’t get the same opportunities we had. Here we stand for #edequity for all. #gcatpace #pacepride #paceuniversity #paceunyc #generationcitizen #socialjustice #leadchange #paceorientation #nyc

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#Repost @gcatpace ・・・ Outreach Director Kisha setting up for yesterday’s #pacecommunitarian15. We loved meeting everyone and can’t wait to meet more people when we start making classroom announcements! If you are searching for a civic engagement/service learning opportunity this semester, being a Democracy Coach fulfills the AOK1 course requirement. Email us at pace@generationcitizen.org or visit the link in our profile for more information. #paceuniversity #paceuconvocation #paceu #paceunyc #pacebound #pacepride #gcatpace

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Inside the Classroom with Kat

In my Spring 2015 semester, one of the classes I took was “Education: Understanding Our Schools.” I picked that course because of its civic engagement component; additionally, I am passionate about teaching. Generation Citizen (GC) was one of the options for my class field work. As soon as I learned that GC’s mission is to teach action civics to high school students, I knew I had to become a part of it.

When I was younger, any talk about politics went over my head. Now, I recognize the importance of actions civics skills. During the two-day training, GC walked us through their advocacy curriculum, possible classroom scenarios, and provided a strong crash course on local NYC politics and action civics.  The training was the most challenging yet beneficial part of the whole experience. Walking into class on my first day as a Democracy Coach, I knew that I was prepared and bursting with information!

My class was an amazing group of 28 students from High School for Public Service who chose to focus on "Reduced fare metro cards for full-time commuting CUNY college students". We came up with this mouthful after a few weeks discussing one of their community issues: the fact (and painful reality) that potential college students cannot afford to commute to school.

What I love most about GC is that education and politics become a hands-on experience. Once my students established their focus issue, the most engaging part began: implementing advocacy tools. The students researched which politicians could assist them with their goal, they emailed and called officials, they organized a petition, conducted a survey, and wrote opinion pieces for the local newspapers. Seeing the enthusiasm in my students when they finally got to work was the most rewarding part of being a Democracy Coach.

Throughout the whole project, I was extremely proud of my students. Initially they said, "It's easy to talk about change, but no one does anything to make it happen.” Towards the end of the semester, they proved themselves wrong: they saw how their actions made a difference in their community. Within the school they conducted a survey and determined how many students considered metrocard fares to be a major concern when deciding to go to college. Also, the students contacted the Chair of the Transportation Committee and promoted their project’s issue. Working side by side with students and getting to know their stories taught me more than anything I learned from a textbook. This was a wonderful experience which showed that raising your voice to advocate for something you believe in will yield its results.

- Katherina Rukavitsyna 

Kat and her students were recognized at Civics Day Spring 2015 with the best in “Collaboration and Diversity” Award. This award acknowledged how Kat’s students engaged a variety of local community members in their work and clearly explained why each one had a stake in the issue.

This semester, Kat serves as GC at Pace’s first ARTivist Correspondent as she studies abroad in Florence, Italy. Be sure to visit GC’s Instagram once a month to check out her posts!

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Club President Nelli Agbulos taking a break at orientation with Women's Political Caucus President Larissa Szilagyi. As activists, both ladies understand the importance of grassroots-led movements and community building. Our Democracy Coaches cultivate that experience in the middle school/high school classrooms they visit. We're excitrf to meet more Pace Setters! #paceuniversity #pacethursdays #paceunyc #paceu #paceuorientation #pacebound (at Pace University)

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We kicked off the beginning of the Spring 2015 semester with our "7 Reasons to Become a Democracy Coach" campaign, now featured above. We are looking for fierce changemakers to join our organization and increase the number of NYC public school students who learn about political advocacy. 2015 is the year to #leadchange, and we want you to join us. 

7 Reasons to Become a Democracy Coach: 

1. With Generation Citizen's action civics curriculum, you teach young people about New York City's political structure and how to become involved in the political process. Students learn how to lead change. 

2. You will learn skills in classroom management and implement instructional activities to convey government structure and civic engagement. 

3. Acquire confidence to speak to large crowds eloquently and clearly. Facilitate the organizing of committees for different aspects of your class' project. 

4. Each semester culminates into Civics Day, where students present their advocacy projects to government representatives. Keynote speakers at Civics Day have been mayors, governors, and members of Congress. 

5. GC has contacts within: Teach for America, Common Cause, Make the Road NY, NYCLU, Blue Engine, City Councilmember Torres's office, City Councilmember Jumaane Williams's office, Public Advocate Letitia James's office, and CORO Fellowship. 

6. Are you a Political Science Major/Minor? If so, you can arrange to have your Democracy Coach experience count as internship credit. 

7. Generation Citizen counts as a service learning organization for civic engagement courses. Students have used their Democracy Coach experience for Doctor Welty and Professor Novak's classes. 

Visit gcatpace.jimdo.com/apply for info and to fill out a Democracy Coach application. Applications are due THIS THURSDAY 2/5 at 11:59pm. Email pace@generationcitizen.org if you have any concerns, we'll get back to you immediately! 

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We love engaging with fellow citizens whether it be on Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.  So say hi, ask us questions, and share your thoughts with us!

Drop us a message at pace@generationcitizen.org

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Looking for a #volunteering or #servicelearning opportunity for your #civicengagement course? WE ARE LOOKING FOR DEMOCRACY COACHES! A Democracy Coach is a college student who teaches an #actioncivics course twice per week in #NYC public schools. Democracy Coaches teach students how to address community issues such as college readiness, sexual assault, police brutality, and LGBTQ awareness. A Co-Democracy Coach can be requested to divide the workload and teaching schedule.

Interested in learning more? Visit gcatpace.jimdo.com/apply for info and to fill out an application. Questions and concerns can be emailed to pace@generationcitizen.org 

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We spy with our little eyes ... some of our very own Democracy Coaches! This photo was taken at the end of Fall 2013's Democracy Coach orientation weekend. It's one day early for "Throwback Thursday", but it's not a day late to apply for a volunteering position that will change your semester (and your life - but we're starting with baby step promises first). 

Democracy Coach applications can be found here. Don't hesitate to send any questions or concerns to pace@generationcitizen.org.  

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#PaceUEndRape was one of our featured student groups in our Activism Gallery last semester, and we're proud of their efforts in making themselves known on campus. Read the above post on their events and initiatives, and like their Facebook page to stay updated. 

As a student activist group new to the Pace University NYC campus this semester, we have gone from pressured Tweeting with our namesake hashtag to meeting with school administration and faculty to discuss sexual assault policy and program changes that need to be made. Working to end campus sexual...

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14 Moments that made our 2014

In no particular order: 

1. Working with a total of 23 Democracy Coaches and 10 Civic Allies for the 2014 school year. 

2. Taking home Pace University's Dean Emmanuel Heller Meritorious Service Award at the Office of Student Development and Campus Activities (SDACA) 2013-2014 Award Ceremony. This award is "in recognition of outstanding collective participation in University and community affairs."

3. Facilitating this moderated panel discussion, "Should K-12 Education be Privatized?" with Dr. Bolton, Dr. Gold and Dr. McDermott. Dr. Bolton is a political science professor while Dr. Gold teaches organizational behavior, leadership and change management courses and Dr. McDermott teaches literacy education courses. 

4. Democracy Coach Sabrina Lall and her students were recognized with a Changemaker Award at Civics Day Fall 2014. 

5. Executive Civic Ally Curtis Robinson began working with Pace University's cafeteria on the issues of price transparency and obtaining a weight scale for the buffet food section. 

6. Starting Fall 2014's Generation Citizen Awareness Week with DC Awareness Day.

7. Democracy Coach Nelli Agbulos and her students were featured in a National Journal article on Generation Citizen. 

8. Our members participated in Pace Protest Thursday Against Police Brutality.

9. Hosting an open gallery on "Women's Contribution to Education in America." 

10. Hosting our first Twitter chat, #NYCitizenChat, on online activism. 

11. New York City's Teens On Board Resolution was unanimously passed by the New York State Assembly.

12. Hosting our first Pace University Activism Gallery in the Pforzheimer Honors College lounge. 

13. Democracy Coach Annamaria Watson was awarded a Jeannette K. Watson fellowship, which provides outstanding students three consecutive paid summer internships.

14. Celebrating the start of the holidays with our club members and friends from Dyson, Lubin, and Seidenberg at our Ugly Sweater Mixer. 

Do you have a passion for teaching, political advocacy, or volunteering? Apply to be a Democracy Coach next semester and you can lead a class through civics and action planning. Visit our website for more information on how to apply. 

http://gcatpace.jimdo.com/apply

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Happy Holla-days!

Fall 2014, you were mighty good to us.  With a new executive board and GC program changes during the semester, it was a challenging semester. Before we ring in the new year, we thought it would be a good time to look back on some of our events from last semester. 

Ugly Sweater Mixer - We got cozy in our "ugly" holiday sweaters with food, drink, Christmas lights, and a photo booth. GC club members, Lubin, Dyson, and Seidenberg students got merry as they munched on appetizers and cupcakes. You can see us getting festive here. 

A Gallery on Pace University Activism - This gallery featured accomplishments of Pace University professors, faculty, and student activists who have done activism on and off campus. We hosted this gallery because instilling an activist spirit into New York City high school students at the end of each semester is what we hope the students will continue doing. It's important to acknowledge the same activist efforts on our campus to be motivated and to bring everyone together. 

Photos above, from left to right: Two of our featured activists, Caroline Craig and Roberto ("Berto") Chavez; a guest reading descriptions of activist clubs; and our featured panel of professors (Dr. Bolton, Dr. Welty, Dr. Bent, Alum Caroline Craig, and Dr. Rafferty) sharing their activism experiences with our 40 guests. Gallery photos can be viewed here and here. 

Photo credits: Roberto Chavez and the Pforzheimer Honors College.

Civics Day, Fall 2014 - Students from throughout the New York City area had a chance to display their project at Civics Day which they have been working on throughout the semester. Civics Day was held at Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian on December 9 2014.

Civics Day is for students to present their issues and action plan to political and business leaders who served as judges. These projects came together with the guidance of our Democracy Coaches. 

Issues displayed include anti-rape awareness, college readiness, police brutality, teen pregnancy, LGBTQA awareness, school lunch, and more. This is an empowering moment not only for students, but also for our Democracy Coaches who have the chance to see the fruits of their labor, having juggled an entire semester of classes, teaching twice per week, and assisting students with the action building process. 

Top Photo: Democracy Coach Kevin (black blazer) giving a pep talk to his students before they present their advocacy project to the judges. 

Bottom Photo: Democracy Coach Sabrina (last on the right) and her students posing for a group photo with Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, Diana Reyna. Sabrina's class won a Changemaker Award for their advocacy project on college readiness. 

Left to right: Vice President Alisha, Treasurer Nelli, President Alvi, and Secretary Jessie.

From us to you, the Generation Citizen 2014-2015 Executive Board wishes you a relaxing winter break. Thank you to our Democracy Coaches and Civic Allies who always go above and beyond in their actions. We are forever grateful for your dedication and hard work, as we could not have survived this semester without your support. 

Get plenty of rest, we'll see you in the new year. 

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Let's Celebrate: Generation Citizen Awareness Week

We know heading back to school after Thanksgiving break fills people with dread, but Generation Citizen at Pace wants you to feel excited instead. Our solution? Cordially inviting you to celebrate Generation Citizen Awareness Week from December 1 to December 3.

Save these dates - Monday, December 1 to Wednesday, December 3. That is three days of events that feature our Democracy Coaches, our Civic Allies, and select faculty, staff, and students in Pace University. DC Awareness Day features some of our Democracy Coaches as speakers to share their classroom experiences. Our Ugly Sweater Mixer is a great networking opportunity to get crafty with students from Dyson, Lubin, and Seidenberg. Our Pace University Activism Gallery profiles our school's activists and their community work.

The flyers below provide details on the what, when, where and why of each event. Food, drink, and good company are provided at all events. We hope that you will consider attending our events and sharing the flyers with those who might be interested. 

Cheers to making the last few weeks of the semester the best yet!

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Inside the Classroom with Kisha and Maddy

I am a freshman at Pace University. Generation Citizen is one of the first clubs I joined and hands down the first experience of its kind.  My co-democracy coach, Kisha, and I were assigned to William Cullen Bryant High School in Queens.  Although extremely chatty, we have a great group of kids.  We had a difficult time choosing the focus issue that we wanted to work on for the semester. We went from teen pregnancy to child abuse to euthanasia, and then finally decided on the idea to create a "free store" in the school. This store would be a shop where students who could not afford supplies could discreetly go and pick up things they need. The store is to be called "Owl’s Nest", as an owl is their school mascot. The kids were extremely enthusiastic at the project we had chosen, even with being warned at how much work this project requires. The students love the idea of being able to make an immediate difference among their peers as well as leave a lasting impression on their school. The high school that I graduated from had a free store like this, so we were able to obtain the “How-To” manual from my old business teacher to guide us in getting our store up and running. 

Initially, we split the class into three teams: the letter writing team, the business plan team, and the advertisement team.  The letter writing team was assigned to write a letter to the principal of their school to get permission to run the store and to compose letters to send to prospective sponsors of the Owl’s Nest.  The business plan team was to identify our goals and ways to achieve these goals by creating a business plan.  The advertisement team was to make fliers to put around the school, plan morning announcements we will make about the Owl’s Nest, and plan the assembly we are going to have to raise awareness about the store. Thus far, our planning is going incredibly well. The students have risen to the challenge and pushed forward with passion and ambition to see this project through. Our teacher is also a great supporter; she is so down to earth and willing to do whatever she must to help.  It’s really amazing to watch all of this come together.    

By Democracy Coach Madeleine Kotz

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Collaboration is what Generation Citizen is all about - our Democracy Coaches and Civic Allies work with school representatives and elected officials to #leadchange on community issues. #ThrowbackThursday to one of our past meetings discussing the advocacy hourglass. See anyone you know? #paceuniversity #paceu #pacebound #gcatpace #studentactivism #generationcitizen #bethechange (at Pace University)