Askwith Education Forum Askwith Essentials: Education, Democracy, and Human Rights How students are participating in greater activism to protect their right to safety in schools. Posted April 24, 2018 By Sagra Alvarado Student Activism on the Rise:As students are claiming their rightful place in today’s ongoing dialogues on gun control and school safety — leading powerful demonstrations such as March for Our Lives and National School Walkout Day — there are an increasing number of educators who urge schools to allow students to voice their opinions, and make these conversations a regular occurrence. “The first time that people should be trying to talk about a controversial issue should not be when controversy has exploded within the school,” Professor Meira Levinson told Usable Knowledge. “It’s important to have these types of conversations happening as a regular part of the school experience.”How can we cultivate this civic-mindedness in young people? What is the role of educators? And how can civil rights organizations help?Resources for students:Youth in Front, a collaboration among Harvard Graduate School of Education, Usable Knowledge, and the MIT Teaching Systems Lab which offers advice and information for youth activists.Resources for educators:Be the Change, a lesson plan from Teaching Tolerance that promotes civic engagement.Facing History and Ourselves’ Fostering Civil Discourse: A Guide for Classroom Conversations.Panelists:Roger Brooks, president and CEO, Facing History and OurselvesMaureen Costello, Teaching Tolerance director, Southern Poverty Law CenterMelissa Garlick, civil rights national counsel, Anti-Defamation LeagueRosabeth Moss Kanter, Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration, HBS; chair and director, Harvard Advanced Leadership InitiativeMeira Levinson, professor of education, HGSEModerator:Fernando Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of Practice in International Education and director, International Education Policy Program and Global Education Innovation Initiative, HGSE; co-chair, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Askwith Education Forum Bringing innovators and influential leaders to the Harvard Graduate School of Education Explore All Articles Related Articles Usable Knowledge Educating for Democracy To encourage civic participation, getting out the vote is a crucial step — but it's just the first step on the road to lasting engagement. Askwith Education Forum Askwith Essentials: What Makes A Good Citizen? Askwith Education Forum What is a Good Citizen and How Do You Create One? The 2016 election has ushered in questions about how our schools prepare students to be good citizens. At the Askwith Forums on December 8, a panel of speakers will examine the challenges facing civics education in America. Watch live at 5 p.m.