By Lara Gates
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) put their own spin on Civics Learning Week by hosting a student-led series of events.
Civics Week is dedicated to promoting active participation and raising awareness of civic responsibilities in a democratic society. According to the Civics Learning Week website, “Civics learning week is needed to ensure that each person across the country has the necessary tools to engage as a member of our self-governing society.”
Ashley Heath, program manager and lecturer in public and environmental affairs, said, “…this inaugural event is a collaboration between the Center for Civic Engagement and the Student Engagement Center, with the goal of making civic learning accessible and relevant to all students, regardless of their major or background.”
At UWGB, the weeklong initiative was designed to engage students in discussions and activities centered on civic participation and was curated by students and interns from the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE).
Emily Kjelland, CCE intern and Civics Week leader, explained that Heath had the idea to bring Civics Week to campus, and everyone involved with the CCE ran with it. “We started to think of different events that could go with Civics Week in spring,” Kjelland added.
The campus’s location was also a factor in the CCE’s confidence in planning the Civics Week. Katie Barlow, CCE intern and Civics Week leader, added, “It brings the community to the campus and at least gives students that first experience and meeting with different community leaders. From there, they can jump on to know opportunities or volunteer experiences.”
This year, the event took place a week from March 3 to 6, before National Civics Week, to boost student participation before they headed into midterms and spring break. The week consisted of a variety of activities, including Farmers Market Bingo, Women’s History Trivia, Poverty Simulation, Feeding our Future, Bridging the Divide: Homelessness, and a screening of the documentary Join of Die.
The Farmers Market Bingo consisted of prizes from the local community and started the week off with excitement, as bingo is popular on the UWGB Campus. The Student Engagement Center partnered with CCE to help promote Women’s History Trivia since it served the purpose of educating and highlighting voices that are not always heard.
The Poverty Simulator helped fuel an eye-opening discussion about the Green Bay area’s increasing homeless population. “It showed a lot of different aspects.” Kjelland said, “A big part of civic engagement is volunteering and being aware of your community and what’s going on with it as well as all the resources that are there.”
Wednesday’s events consisted of a hands-on activity called Feeding our Future, where students filled jars with non-perishable foods to provide for the Campus Cupboard, along with some notes of encouragement.
For Bridging the Divide, students were invited to share a meal and talk about the ongoing housing crisis. “We’re going to be talking about the issue of homelessness because, again, obviously, it is a very big, important issue everywhere in the U.S. and also specifically in Green Bay as well,” Kjelland added. The event also touched on some controversial topics about how homelessness is talked about and what compromises everyone can agree on.
The final event wrapped up the week by discussing the impact of social engagement on the community and how there are fewer community-led gatherings. Katia Levintova, professor and co-director of the CCE, expressed how students should attend Civics Week to connect with the community and explore ways to create meaningful change, and that the Join or Die documentary wraps up the entire week by emphasizing the importance of being at these kinds of events.