August 28, 2018
Contact: David Thornburgh
President and CEO
215-439-0879 (c)
dthornburgh@seventy.org
Seventy welcomes student and educators back to school this week
The Committee of Seventy welcomes back to school this week students and educators across the City and the Commonwealth.
“A quality education that prepares young people for the rigors and pace of the 21st century economy is urgent,” said Seventy CEO David Thornburgh. “But no less important is the cultivation of the next generation of informed and engaged citizens.”
The challenges facing our political system – particularly with the transformative impact of social media – are steep, and we will need their skills and energy to navigate these tumultuous years.
“For Seventy’s part, we urge a renewed commitment to civic learning, one of several areas of study to have lost attention and resources in recent decades,” said Thornburgh. “Opportunities to participate directly in our civic and political life should be offered early and often.”
Seventy’s Election Ambassadors program is one of several initiatives in the greater Philadelphia area for students to gain real-world civic experience.
Meanwhile, the The Rendell Center for Civic Engagement offers a slate of programs for K-8 students and the National Constitution Center presents numerous interactive exhibits and lessons on the creation and maintenance of our democracy.
And with the 2021 redistricting cycle fast approaching, Draw the Lines PA– a statewide civic education and engagement campaign that inspires ordinary people to reclaim the political redistricting process and end gerrymandering by enabling them to draw their own maps – is launching this fall with a new mapping tool and curricular resources to put the power of the redistricting pen in the hands of students.
Seventy encourages interested teachers to contact our staff about the Ambassadors and Draw the Lines PA.
###
The Committee of Seventy is a nonpartisan civic leadership organization that advances representative, ethical and effective government in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania through citizen engagement and public policy advocacy.