Kudos to Anne Fuller of the League of Women Voters (LWV) for the excellent My Turn column published Sept. 22, addressing what can be done to make democracy work. Her focus was on the need for improved civic education in our schools and community. She mentioned the high expectations incorporated in the Juneau School District’s newly adopted social studies curriculum. As an active member of the LWV, I was fortunate in serving as a community representative on the Social Studies Curriculum Committee of the Juneau School District (JDS) and was pleased that the School Board adopted the document with its two dominant themes: civics and place-based education.
The League of Women Voters “walks its talk” by taking seriously its mission of cultivating participation in our democracy. In 2016, in support of the newly adopted focus on civics in the schools, the LWV launched Capitol Visits: A Civics Education Initiative, which brought all 365 of Juneau’s 8th-grade students and their teachers to the Capitol during the legislative session. The goal of the program was to introduce students to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Alaska.
The program was designed to ensure that Juneau’s students experience the educational opportunity which exists in the state’s capital and to stimulate knowledge and interest in the workings of government. It included:
• A tour of the Capitol where they met legislators, were introduced on the House or Senate floor, and listened to presentations on the budget;
• Exposure to the executive branch, meeting with the Lt. Governor and learning about his role and that of the governor and visiting the State Office Building;
• Attendance at court arraignments and presentations by judges and attorneys who introduced them to the judicial branch.
We want to institutionalize Capitol Visits so that every Juneau student has this opportunity at least once during their years in Juneau’s schools. We began accomplishing this dream with volunteer LWV members, all of whom have had working experience with government — Joyanne Bloom, Mary Hakala, Marjorie Menzi, Chris Niemi and Bridget Smith. Funding was provided for student bus transportation by the League of Women Voters of Alaska Education Fund.
We are starting to plan for the 2017 program and will be seeking community supports. We hope that the citizens of Juneau join us in celebrating our good fortunate in living in Alaska’s capital by ensuring that our students have a personal, “real life” experience with democracy in action.
• Marjorie Menzi is the Chair of Capitol Visits and a member of the League of Women Voters Juneau.
Read more League Points to Ponter, a regular segment by members of the Juneau League of Women Voters published in the Empire during election season:
