CERTIFICATION: BECOMING A DEMOCRACY SCHOOL
WHAT IS AN ILLINOIS DEMOCRACY SCHOOL?
Illinois Democracy Schools are accredited secondary schools that provide students with authentic experiences in the rights, responsibilities, and tensions inherent in living in a constitutional democracy. These schools consciously promote civic engagement by all students, have an intentional focus on fostering participatory citizenship, and place an emphasis on helping students understand how the fundamental ideals and principles of our democratic society relate to the problems, opportunities and controversies that matter in the present. Democracy Schools collaborate with parents, students, and their communities in developing a civic mission and in providing curricular and extra-curricular civic learning experiences for all students. They engage their students in a continual process of improving and increasing civic learning.
CERTIFICATION AS A DEMOCRACY SCHOOL
Schools interested in being certified as Democracy Schools must complete a two-part process:
Step 1: Conduct a Civic Audit
Step 2: Complete and Submit the Application for Certification.
Completed applications must be submitted annually by August 15. Applications will be considered and determined by the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition. Notification of certification will be made and announced in September. Certification is made for the years of submission, and all Certification decisions are final. Schools not yet certified may submit a new petition in the following year.
For more information, contact Carolyn Pereira at 312/663-9057x204, pereira@crfc.org.
ILLINOIS DEMOCRACY SCHOOLS
The list of Illinois Democracy Schools recognized by the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition since 2006 can be found
here.