I had the good fortune and good fun to be the Director of Civication, Inc. from 2008 through its close in 2021. Civication was a not-for-profit educational organization, which promoted civic learning, and civil responsibility ages two through 102!
The seriousness and diversity of the issues and questions surrounding the Constitution and the Bill of Rights make for stimulating debates and discussions. Our very survival as a representative democracy depends on active and informed participation. We are the government and the government is us – that is what WE THE PEOPLE means – you and me. We elect people to represent us in government. The government regulates the air we breathe, the food we eat, the drugs we take, our transportation, our currency, building codes, and much more. There is very little beyond the purview of the government. Political life is the medium we live in – therefore; we need to understand our governing process and learn to enjoy being part of the process.
At Civication we explored and discussed core issues as the rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, minority rights, the Bill of Rights, U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Legislation and the ideals of political, legal and economic equality. We can and must continue to debate the issues of the day and know the core constitutional values and concepts that form our society. The more we know, the better decisions we can make. Stay well informed!
We partnered with the Center for Civic Education to create a new program titled, Justice is Also Deaf. This program brought the excellent We The People civic education curriculum into the schools for the deaf across the country.
We were grateful to receive a Knight Foundation Challenge grant that enabled us to partner with the Austin Community Foundation which led to our production funding and collaboration with the Austin Community College for our unique television program called, ACCESS News. Hands on News! A Sign of the Times.
