Rep. Linda Dean Campbell told constituents in her most recent newsletter she and Sen. Harriette Chandler continue to advocate using state money to further the state’s nearly four-year-old Civics Education requirement.
Campbell, who represents Methuen and Haverhill and is not seeking re-election, said Civics Education is part of the solution to end division in the country.
“We have all experienced firsthand that our country feels more divided than ever, and so many good people are searching for ways to mend it back together,” she said, adding, “this is why civics education, especially for our young people, is so important.”
Campbell said the legislature committed $1.5 million for civics education in each of the past three state budgets. She said much of this funding goes directly to schools to help with implementation of the curriculum.
Campbell, who called sponsoring the civics law one of her “proudest achievements,” provides a nonpartisan approach that includes educating students about the most important documents that frame the nation’s democracy, including the Constitution and amendments as well as the role of each branch of government, how to fact-check information and how to critically consume media.
Most importantly, she noted, it includes “a hands-on, project-based approach that helps students learn firsthand how our democracy works and how they can make their voices heard!”