Wesleyan Reaches Out to High Schools with Course in Civics and Democracy

The teaching of civics in schools has been on the decline for decades, responding to a shift in emphasis to math and reading, coupled with a hesitance to wade into potentially divisive issues in the classroom, a recent article on the Wesleyan University website points our.  In response, Wesleyan is offering a new course to high school students through its partnership with National Education Opportunity Network (NEON), a nonprofit that facilitates the teaching of college-level courses to low-income high school students nationwide.

The course, called “Civics, Citizenship, and the American Imagination,” is taught by Khalilah Brown-Dean, the Rob Rosenthal Distinguished Professor of Civic Engagement, with the support of 15 Wesleyan student teaching fellows.

 A 2024 study found that one in three Americans could not explain the functions of our three branches of government.  The course is an effort to jumpstart civics education at the high school level across the country. 

The first-time course poses the critical question, Wesleyan explains, “What does it mean to be a citizen?” The answer goes beyond a dictionary definition. “Citizenship, as we use it, refers to connection and commitment,” said Brown-Dean, who is also executive director of Wesleyan’s Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life. “This may take many forms such as dialogue, creative expression, community organizing, public service, or acts of care. Citizenship is not limited to elections or government institutions. It is practiced wherever people make choices that affect the well-being of others. Citizenship is less about who is authorized by the state and more about how people choose to show up for one another.”

Connecticut residents may recognize the name.  Brown-Dean, in addition to her scholarly education responsibilities, is the award-winning host of the program “Disrupted,” which airs on WNPR, a Connecticut public radio affiliate. 

“The civics course will offer high school students from different backgrounds the opportunity to learn not only what it means to be a citizen, but to communicate with peers with diverse life experiences, and to imagine how they can contribute to strengthening our democracy,” said Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth ’78.

The course takes students through a history of what it means to be a citizen in the United States, tracing key civic debates from Reconstruction to the present. With a heavy emphasis on youth leadership, it also explores contemporary challenges such as voter engagement, media literacy, and political polarization, according to officials.

In her recorded lectures, Brown-Dean often pauses to pose questions about such topics as how her students currently participate in civic life, what issues they see in their communities, and how young people are leading on those issues, the website article explains.

“Too often we treat young people as if they are waiting to become citizens someday,” said Brown-Dean. “In reality, they are already shaping their communities every day. I want students to see that civic life is not limited to voting or holding office. It includes organizing, storytelling, problem solving, and caring about what happens to the people around them. When students recognize their own agency, they begin to understand that democracy grows stronger when their voices are part of the conversation.”

Thus far, high school teachers in six states—including California, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia—are partnering with Brown-Dean and NEON to provide in-class instruction to complement her lectures and lesson plans. In addition to assigned reading and reflections, the students are asked to explore a civic issue from different perspectives and practice respectful debate.

A key objective of the course is to have students develop a civic vision and pitch—a final project that offers new ideas to address a challenge in their community or the broader society. The pitch could take the form of a policy proposal, campaign, artwork, digital platform, or local action.

“My hope is that students leave this course with more than information,” Brown-Dean said. “I want them to leave with a sense of responsibility and possibility. When young people identify a challenge in their community and develop a vision for addressing it, they begin to see themselves as architects of our democratic future. That shift from observer to builder is where civic education becomes truly transformative.”

This spring, Wesleyan is offering five NEON courses to 1,433 students in 16 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to civics, the courses include Introduction to Psychology, Live Like a Philosopher, English Composition: Screenwriting, and Earth and Planetary Science.

More about this topic can be seen here.