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ADVOCACY AND CITIZENSHIP

Module IV: Students and Advocacy

Curriculum Connections: Student Handout

Select one the projects below to further explore how students can practice advocacy. Each project will require you to . . .

• Research a topic or idea that will take you deeper into what it means to be an advocate.
• Plan or design something that allows you to communicate your new knowledge and understanding of advocacy to others.
• Share your work through the presentation or display of the finished product.

Project #1:Jimmy Carter and Habitat for Humanity
Curriculum Focus: Mathematics

Jimmy Carter.
39th President of the United States

People underestimate the potential of a former president. I happen to be one of the youngest ones who ever survived the office. And the access that I have to world leaders is unlimited. I don't mean just political and military leaders, but leaders in the field of education or health or agriculture, food production, environment. And so, this is one aspect of it. Also, the influence we have. We can bring together people who have a common goal, like immunizing children or planting trees or solving the starvation problem in Africa, where they're all working at the same target, but in different ways, and create a team effort that can be enormously more successful than any of them can be working independently. And I have some ability as a former president to dramatize a particular problem, and to reach the news media and therefore reach the consciousness of people.
[ Video ] Low High    [ Audio ] Quicktime	[ Key to Success ] Vision

Challenge: Using the Academy of Achievement Gallery of Public Service to get started, research the advocacy activities of former President, Jimmy Carter. Focus on the organization, Habitat for Humanity, in which he participated. Conduct additional research including its activities in your area. Outcome: Write a detailed profile of Habitat for Humanity including its use of student involvement and a per-house budget that shows how it can build affordable housing using volunteer help.

Project #2: Memories Curriculum Focus: Creative Writing/Art

Challenge: Think about a time when you gave of yourself and made a difference to a person or your community. What were the circumstances? What did you do? What did you give? How did it make you feel? Outcome: Write a poem or a personal narrative that captures that memory of your effort to be an advocate. Include photos and artwork to further express the experience and the feelings it created.

Project #3: An Athletic Difference Curriculum Focus: Physical education

Challenge: Students have a tremendous amount of energy and physical skills. What are the programs and opportunities available to turn an interest in sports and physical hobbies into advocacy? Research organizations like the Special Olympics that focus on sports and recreational advocacy. Outcome: Create a storyboard for a commercial to interest students in volunteering in a sports and recreation program to address a need and make a difference to others.