Jessica Lander
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Jessica Lander
Teacher, Author, and Advocate

Generation Citizen

 
 

Action Civics Project: Mill Market

 

Each year, we do a semester-long civics project, tackling community issues. We don’t just learn about civics, we engage in civics partnering with the national nonprofit Generation Citizen. Over many years my classes have tackled a range of important community issues: Student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing anti-asian hate in schools, child food insecurity, advocating for common-sense gun reform, advocating for more robust school supports for teen mothers, tackling islamophobia in school, and advocating for increased digital literacy education in schools. 

Over the years their work has been recognized statewide by Generation Citizen.  In 2015, my class advocating for increased school support for teen mothers was awarded the statewide Advocacy Award. In 2018 my class advocating for common sense gun reform was awarded the overall statewide award for excellence. In 2019 one of my classes advocating for increased digital literacy education was awarded the overall statewide award for excellence. In 2021, my class advocating for increased educational training to address anti-asian hate was awarded the statewide Grassroot Changemaker Award. In addition my student Safiya Alsamarrai was awarded student changemaker of the year for Massachusetts in 2018, my former student Carla Duran was awarded Democracy Coach of the year for Massachusetts in 2017, and my former student Julian Viviescas was awarded Student Changemaker for the United States in 2020.

Four of my students have gone on from my class to be selected for Generation Citizens National Student Leadership Board, which is comprised of 14 student leaders from across the country working on advancing civics education in schools.

 

Our action civics work in more detail:

One year, two classes tackled, respectively, teen hunger and gun violence. We researched, invited speakers, and analyzed data. Students identified root causes and defined goals. One class worked to convince the Lowell Police to run a citywide gun buyback; the other to convince our school to create a food pantry. In teams, they got to work. They met with the police superintendent and the regional food bank.

My students drew on the strengths of their global perspectives. They understood hunger, having grown up in Ugandan refugee camps or with parents who survived the Khmer Rouge; and understood gun violence having lived through terrorist attacks in Iraqi and grown up in Colombian cities once terrorized by drug violence.

One class wrote an Op-ed for the newspaper; raised $4,500 to buy grocery gift-cards exchanged for firearms; collaborated with 40 houses of faith and the police; and spoke on radio. My other class conducted cost analyses; interviewed pantries; and met with stakeholders.

Their efforts led to a citywide gun buyback that collected 30+ guns and the opening of a school-wide food pantry that, three years later, is still in operation. And my students transformed from shy teenagers to confident advocates.