Civic Engagement Training & Technical Assistance Curriculum

A Guide to Effective Citizenship Through AmeriCorps was developed under a cooperative agreement with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and meets their recommendation that programs incorporate citizenship training into their member development plans. Additionally, CRF also developed Active Citizens 101 for program sites unable to provide their members with the opportunity to explore its various themes in greater depth due to time or logistical constraints.

A Guide to Effective Citizenship Through AmeriCorps (PDF)
This handbook is divided into ten two-hour modules based on four elements essential to active citizenship: knowledge, skills, attitudes, and action. Each module has two sessions: a content session provides activities to help members delve into the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of effective citizenship; an action session that guides members through a service project in their community.

§ Table of Contents and Introduction
§ Module One: Active Citizenship
§ Module Two: Citizen Choices
§ Module Three: Opinion Polling
§ Module Four: Conducting a News Search
§ Module Five: Policy Anlysis
§ Module Six: Rights and Freedoms
§ Module Seven: Does It Make Sense?
§ Module Eight: Values in Conflict
§ Module Nine: Getting Involved
§ Module Ten: Differing Perspectives
§ List of Handouts, Resource Guide, Additional Ideas for Community-Service Projects

Active Citizens 101 (PDF)
Active Citizens 101 is organized into five modules and seven lessons that meet the CNCS-recommended citizenship requirements for most AmeriCorps programs. On average each lesson requires one hour of member development time. An accompanying evaluation instrument specifically designed to measure the civic outcomes associated with each module is also included.

  • Table of Contents and Introduction
  • Civic Knowledge Outcomes
  • How to Use Active Citizens 101
  • Workshop Planning Guide
  • Introductory Lesson: What is a Citizen?
  • Module One: Rule of Law - What Makes a Great Leader?
  • Module Two: Consent of the Governed - Term Limits
  • Module Three: Rights and Responsibilities - Visitor from Outer Space
  • Module Four: Equality and Liberty - Equal Protection
  • Module Five: Social Capital and Democracy - Draw Your Community; What's Your Problem?
  • Resource Directory
  • Members Survey (PDF)

For more information contact:

Gregorio Medina
Ph: 213.316.2105
Fax: 213.387.0459

www.crf-usa.org