Name: From Voice to Action: Building Civically Engaged Students through Purposeful Schoolwide Practices
Start: 2026-08-28T09:00:00-0700
End: 2026-08-28T09:45:00-0700

From Voice to Action: Building Civically Engaged Students through Purposeful Schoolwide Practices

Friday August 28, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT

Willow Glen 2

How can School Boards/Districts/Schools move beyond isolated programs to ensure 100% of students engage in meaningful civic learning? This session highlights an award-winning school-wide model embedding civic engagement across instruction, leadership, and partnerships that improves engagement, climate, and achievement. Participants will learn how governance teams can support systems that shift classrooms from teacher-directed instruction to student-driven inquiry, where students lead discussions on real-world issues, participate in simulations of democratic processes, and influence school decision-making. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to implement scalable, low-cost civic engagement structures in their own districts.

Highlights
This session highlights the board’s role in setting priorities that elevate student voice and civic engagement, aligning efforts to LCAP goals, and ensuring equitable access for all students. It addresses policy considerations related to student leadership, student engagement, civic learning, and community partnerships. Budget implications are minimal, leveraging existing staff, collaboration time, and grants, demonstrating how boards can support high-impact, sustainable initiatives.

Key Takeaways/Call to Action:
1. Build systems that ensure 100% student engagement in civic learning. 2. Shift from teacher-directed instruction to student-driven inquiry and leadership. 3. Take action: align policies, leverage existing resources, and implement scalable civic practices across your district.

Speakers

Dr. Elida MacArthur

Superintendent, August Boeger Middle School/Mount Pleasant Elementary School District

r. Elida MacArthur was selected as Superintendent by the Mount Pleasant Elementary School District’s Board of Trustees in August of 2020. With more than two decades of service to the District, she began her career as a Kindergarten Dual Language Immersion Teacher and worked her... Read More →