The American Forum,Inc.,New York
Center for Global Change, Indiana University
Center for the Study of Global Change, Harvard University
Close Up Foundation, Washington, DC
Constitutional Rights Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
Constitutional Rights Foundation, Chicago, IL
Also see: http://www.crfc.org/deep.html
Curriculum online is available at: http://www.crfc.org/pubs.html (Youth and Society) and http://www.crfc.org/newsletter.html (Legal Circle Newsletter)
Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, DC
International Educational and Resource Network (iEARN), New York
Mid-America Center Indiana University
Social Science Educational Consortium Boulder, CO
Street Law, Inc. Washington, DC
The goal of the DEEP program is for educators and policy makers from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Republics of the Soviet Union to work with their counterparts from the United States to promote civics and government education through a broad range of activities which include (but are not limited to) seminars, educational visits, home stays, translation and/or development of curricular and training programs.
Our aim is to assist educators and others in meeting the need of their students to learn about and develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will foster constitutional democracy. DEEP will also provide American educators and policymakers with experiences and opportunities to gain and apply, and transfer knowledge about emerging democracies in schools in the United States. This exchange program is designed to enable teams from selected countries and their American counterparts to:
- identify their country¼s current needs in civics and government education at the elementary, secondary and teacher education levels.
- engage in civics and government education activities to strengthen professional development for civics and government teachers and consequently improve students¼ learning about civics/democracy.
- design plans of action to improve civics and government education in their country for policy makers, teachers, students and NGOs.
- foster Internet links among teachers, university faculty, governmental officials, NGOs, and students within and across CEE/NIS countries and their US counterparts.
The twelve-month project has several phases:
1. Democracy Education Inventory Conferences- Teams of American and CEE/NIS educators, policy makers, program and curriculum specialists will attend two regional conferences to be held in Budapest. Attendees will assess civics education needs and achievements. They will also have the opportunity to survey various civics education program approaches, as they begin to plan for future needs and/or directions for each of their countries. In addition, preliminary steps will be taken to connect all of the participants via the Internet to facilitate communication and the exchange of ideas.
2. Study Tour/Seminars in the US for CEE/NIS Educators. Selected country groups of CEE/NIS educators will attend specialized programs on civics, government, and civics education in the United States designed by the American host organizations and other consulting organizations. This includes visits to national US and local governmental institutions as well as home stays and visits to American schools, institutions of higher learning, nonprofit organizations conducting exemplary programs in civics and government education. All groups will attend an orientation in Washington, DC and later a site visit in either Greater Washington Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Denver.
3. Country Plans of Action. CEE/NIS country teams will summarize their present needs in civics education and identify which of the programs, materials, organizations, and people in the US will be most likely to help meet those needs. CEE/NIS leaders and educators will begin to integrate and implement program ideas that were gleaned from the seminars. There will be a special focus on research and evaluation, technical assistance and training. CEE/NIS teams will receive seed funding from the grant to begin activities.
4. Dissemination and Curriculum Development in the US. Representatives of the Consortium and its consultants will collaboratively develop, organize, and exchange model frameworks of civics education. In collaboration with CEE/NIS educators, The American Forum will develop curriculum materials for American teachers and distribute these materials through existing networks of the collaborating organizations. In addition, iEARN will establish an electronic network that will connect civics and government educators and policy makers in the United States with their counterparts in CEE/NIS.
Educators, administrators, and policy-makers with expertise in and commitment to civics and government education. Participants are a diverse team of professionals who have the ability and desire to foster change, and the vision to improve civics education in their country. A complete list of participants can be seen at: http://www.iearn.org/deep/participants.html
A committee formed by The Consortium selected the teams of participants who attended the Democracy Education Inventory Conferences 29 January-9 February, 2002 in Budapest. The initial country teams received guidelines at the conference in Budapest for selecting additional team members to join them during the study tour of the United States April-May of 2002. The pilot project program will extend through December 31, 2002 including:
1. A 5 day conference in Budapest (January 29-February 2, 2002 and February 5-February 9, 2002. (participant list, pdf) (agenda- conference 1.pdf)
2. A 21 day study tour to the United States. A complete list of participants can be seen at: http://www.iearn.org/deep/participants.html
- First Visit (April 2 - 23): Poland - Constitutional Rights Foundation - Los Angeles (CRF-LA) Czech Republic - Constitutional Rights Foundation - Chicago (CRF-C) Azerbaijan - Street Law, Washington, DC Kazakhstan -SSEC, Denver, Colorado
- Second Visit (April 16 - May 7 ): Russia- Constitutional Rights Foundation - Los Angeles (CRF-LA) Uzbekistan- Constitutional Rights Foundation - Chicago (CRF-C) Moldova - Street Law, Washington, DC Croatia -SSEC, Denver, Colorado
- Third Visit (April 30 - May 21): Lithuania - Constitutional Rights Foundation - Los Angeles (CRF-LA) Estonia - Constitutional Rights Foundation - Chicago (CRF-C) Ukraine- Street Law, Washington, DC. Armenia -SSEC, Denver, Colorado
3 Local implementation through December 31, 2002. Check back for updates.