The Edith Bowen Laboratory School, a K-5 public school affiliated with Utah State University, is a solid example of how the First Amendment  program can provide an excellent focus on good civics practices.

The school has always been a little unique according to Principal Kaye Rhees. 

"We've always encouraged students to speak up, have opinions, be kind and respectful."  In 2004, Edith Bowen secured its commitment to a civic mission by becoming a First Amendment School.  

Following a baseline survey of the faculty, Edith Bowen worked with First Amendment School staff and Utah State University social studies elementary education faculty to develop lesson plans and bring attention to civic learning issues in the school.  The experience proved so worthwhile that since the grant has concluded, the faculty and PTA have opted to keep a lot of the practices in place. 

CURRICULUM

Even teachers who are new to the school have caught the vision, Rhees reports.  Since faculty designs and writes the curriculum following the state core, Edith Bowen has been able to use trade documents, chapter books, or informational books to bring civic-related subject matter into literature classes.  For instance, teachers address issues such as rights and security when reading about the internment of Japanese-Americans in Utah, California, and Nevada. 

In December, students put on the "Canned Film Festival."  In order to get inside to watch the movie, each child brings a food item for the local food pantry.  "'Canned' combines a service ethos and fun," says Rhees.

The student school newspaper has also turned out to be an effective civic learning tool, notes Rhees.  Additionally, all students are invited to submit editorials for the EBTV program that 5th graders put together and air on Monday mornings.

Finally, Rhees says that the school incorporates international education into classes, bringing in ideas from other cultures and religions by inviting guest speakers.

POLICY

Rather than particular policies around civic learning, Edith Bowen teachers include civic learning goals in their regular teacher-child-parent meetings.

"Not everything on the report card relates to academia," explains Rhees.  "Students also have to show improvement on working well with others, being respectful, and kindness.  These elements are not soft.  They are required.  How students treat each other is right at the top."


CLIMATE AND CULTURE

Rhees describes the organizational culture as critical to teachers' willingness to speak up and find ways to engage students in civic learning.  The school culture has also inspired the PTA to initiate a "citizenship record."  They include in their budget money to print trifolds for every child, laying out activities she or he might complete at home. 

For instance, for second grade, the trifold includes:

OBJECTIVE: I recognize and accelerate diversity in the school and community.
1) Talk to someone of a different faith.  Make a list of common beliefs.
2) Talk to a senior citizen.
3) Eat dinner at an ethnic restaurant.  Show good manners by eating what is served.

Citizenship Record goals -- which have been drawn from the state core across a range of disciplines -- include

• Learn to respect yourself and others
• Understand the meaning of community
• Develop a world view
• Respect the rights of others.

Participation is open, although most students opt to do it, notes Rhees.  Those who do are honored in a school assembly.  In recognition of their achievement, they may choose either a First Amendment t-shirt or to have a contribution made in their name to a gift program, which might include helping to buy a bicycle for someone in China, or a donation to help stop child labor. 

"We've been doing this for five or six years, and I'm still astonished these little children are picking to do something for someone else in a country they've probably never heard of," says Rhees.  "You'd expect them to want instant gratification, but last year 104 out of 300 students participated, and I think I gave out only seven t-shirts."

Participating students have their picture taken and put on a world map, with a string attaching the child's photograph to the country where she's making her contribution.

Rhees concludes, "As a lab school, we have students here from so many ethnicities, geographical areas, and faiths.  We expect many of our children belong to the Church of Latter Day Saints, but we also have Jewish, Ba'hi, Muslim, Buddhist, Protestant, and Catholic students.  It's fun to sit in the cafeteria and listen to kids talking about their beliefs and not be concerned about discrimination."

She credits the students' acceptance of each other to the school's culture of civic values.  "So many parents tell us there's something different in this building, and it's true."