Arizona Civics Podcast

Empowering Future Leaders: How Civics Education Drives Career Success and Civic Engagement with Allyson Cook

• The Center for American Civics • Season 4 • Episode 1

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Can civics education be the key to career success? Join us as we explore this compelling question with Allison Cook, the Chief Program and Impact Officer at Generation Citizen. Our discussion reveals how essential skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and ethical decision-making acquired through civics education aren't just for passing exams—they're crucial for thriving in any professional environment. Together, we unravel the intertwined roles of civic engagement, media literacy, and financial literacy in shaping informed citizens and responsible contributors to a vibrant workplace culture.

Educators, take note! Discover Generation Citizen's dynamic approach to empowering teachers and engaging communities. We discuss the organization's innovative support system, which includes professional development and adaptable curriculum materials designed to resonate with students. Allison takes us through the art of authentic teaching, where project-based learning turns local issues into practical lessons, enhancing student engagement with their civic surroundings. This isn’t just about teaching—it’s about creating a collaborative environment where students and community members bring real-world problems and solutions.

Young voices matter more than ever, and this episode emphasizes the power of youth civic engagement. Allison and I delve into how youth can drive change long before they reach voting age, offering fresh perspectives often missed by adults. Personal stories, like the impactful example of Aunt Sarah, illustrate how close connections can ignite a passion for civic involvement. As we discuss pathways for students to foster democracy through programs like Generation Citizen, we leave with renewed hope and enthusiasm for the democratic journey ahead. Join us to learn, be inspired, and perhaps discover your path to making a difference.


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Liz:

Hey everyone, welcome back Today. We're thrilled to welcome Allyson Cook, a dedicated advocate for equity in education and a leader in innovation in curricular development. Allyson is a lifelong learner who has spent the last 12 years ensuring that students and teachers have access to the resources and support they need to thrive. Currently serving as the chief program and impact officer at Generation Citizen, she leads the organization's effort to scale an equity-centered curriculum, strengthen teacher training and enhance coaching supports, all to empower students to be informed, engaged citizens. Before joining Generation Citizen, Allyson spent seven years at College Spring, where she reimagined teacher training and developed a coaching model that built foundational skills for college and career readiness. Her passion lies in equipping young people with 21st century skills, fostering character development and expanding access to high quality educational and professional pathways. She also works to engage families and communities in student academic success.

Liz:

Join us as we dive into the conversation with Allyson

Liz:

about her journey, the power of civic education and how we can create more equitable learning opportunities for students. Let's get started. I feel like I always say I'm excited, but I have a really cool job. So I get to meet so many amazing people, and Allyson and I were in a meeting and we just kind of started talking. I'm sure there were other people in the meeting, but I really focused on you because I was like, yes, we think alike, we have a lot of things in common in the civic world and how we kind of think about things, especially youth. So I am over the moon to have you on the podcast. So, Allyson, I'm going to let you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Generation Citizen.

Allyson:

Thank you so much, Liz.

Allyson:

I am also over the moon to have this conversation One because, just as much as work is an opportunity for me to live and exist in the world, I couldn't be more excited to have a conversation about something that just is meaningful to me as a human being and means that I get to have impact and really ensure that I am contributing to society in a really meaningful way.

Allyson:

So yeah, my name is Allyson Cook. I serve as the Chief Programming Impact Officer at Generation Citizen, and we are a national nonprofit organization that really works to ensure that all young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills to participate in democracy. We do this through community-based civics, where we are really ensuring that students learn how to identify and address issues in their communities by becoming engaged and informed citizens. Right now, as the Chief Program Impact Officer, I lead a really dynamic team of content developers, instructional designers and evaluation folks who really work to ensure that our staff on the ground also have the coaching supports to ensure that they can support teachers. In my work, I really focus on emphasizing the importance of building strong relationships, not just with adults but also with students, and really ensuring that students are guided to their full potential.

Liz:

I just love that. So my first question for you you know we're looking at career readiness for students, right? What is the connection between civics and supporting skill building for students for their career readiness?

Allyson:

Such an important question and really during a critical time, and there really is a powerful connection between civics education and supporting skill building for students and career readiness. It's not just about understanding how the government works, but it's also about developing the skills and dispositions necessary to be an engaged and effective member of society, which really translate directly to the success in the workplace. So I think about this in a couple of different ways. First and foremost, critical thinking and problem solving. Civics encourages analyzing information, a lot of information, evaluating many different perspectives and really forming evidence-based arguments, which are essential skills for navigating complex workplace challenges, debates and group projects. Civics teaches students how to work effectively with others, communicate ideas clearly and build consensus, which is crucial for teamwork and leadership in literally any career. Of course, I also think about civic engagement and social responsibility. Civics really is a powerful mechanism that instills a sense of responsibility to one's community and encourages active participation in addressing social issues. This translates to ethical decision making, a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging and the ability to contribute positively to workplace culture.

Allyson:

What we're seeing across educational initiatives, information and media literacy In today's world, navigating information overload and evaluating sources is critical. Civics education really does equip young people with a set of skills to discern what's credible, identify bias and also make informed decisions. And, of course, as grown adults, this is something that we're doing on a regular basis in our careers. And then the last point that I'll highlight is advocacy and persuasion. Civics empowers students to really identify issues that they care about, develop persuasive arguments and advocate for change. These skills are valuable in any career that involves negotiation, presenting their ideas or influencing others. So, when we think about success in the workplace, really fostering these particular skills are related to civics education, and they prepare students not just for their future careers but for actively engaging in citizenship right now, which, I think we can all agree, ultimately benefits both individuals and our collective society.

Liz:

I love that because I think sometimes people think civics and they just think here's a bunch of facts, but it really does prepare you for the real world. As you're going through this list, I'm like I need that in my job. I need that in my job, like I need all of these. So it is. It's such a powerful thing to do. So you did talk about media literacy. So what are the connections, then, with media literacy, financial literacy, things like that?

Allyson:

Absolutely so. In any place in the world you really do need these three things civics, media literacy and financial literacy and they're all deeply intertwined. And really, when you think about fostering all three of these skills, we're coming back to the same thing of empowering young people to be informed, responsible and engaged. So here's how they connect. Civics is really the foundation around informed decision-making, where we're providing knowledge for understanding, again, how the government works, economic systems and social structures. This foundation really is essential for that informed decision-making about your own personal finances, evaluating media messages about economic issues and advocating for policies that promote financial well-being. I also think again about active participation. Again, we don't need to wait until we're 18 or 21. Civics and getting involved right now really encourages active participation in democracy. So, again, our young people are not citizen-in-waiting, they're citizens right now, and that goes beyond voting, so engaging in public discourse and holding elected officials accountable. This active participation is crucial for advocating for the policies that really support financial literacy and fair economic practices that are really going to support informed choices in the marketplace. And then I also think about what role media literacy plays. So we're thinking about the fact that information is literally at our fingertips at any given moment of the day, and so media literacy really empowers students to critically analyze what those media messages are related to money, finances and economic issues. Students will be able to really learn how to identify bias, evaluate resources and discern fact from fiction, which is literally what is top of conversation whenever I'm talking with a teacher or even a parent. Media literacy also encourages responsible creation and sharing of information related to finances and economics. This really helps combat misinformation and promotes informed public discourse on important financial issues.

Allyson:

And then the last point around financial literacy's impact. We really have this economic empowerment. Financial literacy equips students with the knowledge and skills to manage their own personal finances effectively and make informed financial decisions, ultimately building financial security. And anytime I'm having a conversation with a young person, they always say why aren't we talking about financial literacy in the classroom?

Allyson:

This seems like a missed opportunity, and so what I love about really being a part of an organization that talks about civic engagement, it really is advocating and understanding those financial concepts and systems that are really essential for informed civic engagement. And so when we think about students who actually have financial literacy and that deeper understanding, they're then able to go out in the community and advocate for stronger economic policies, advocate for policies that promote financial fairness and really ultimately make responsible choices as consumers and investors, which, again, the young people that those are the roles that they're going to be taking over very soon. So, really, civics provides that framework for understanding how society and economic systems function together. Media literacy provides the tools to navigate all of the information that's coming out of many different forms, that is surrounding these systems, and then financial literacy really puts individuals to make informed and responsible decisions related to these systems.

Liz:

I love that, especially financial literacy, like it doesn't have to just be a siloed thing that teachers teach. It can be a part of this bigger conversation and again, not just things for students to memorize, spit back on a test. This is real life. This is going to actually impact them. Yes, so one of the things that you and I kind of bonded over is teacher support. Right, because teachers are asked to engage with young people, follow state standards. How can we help teachers authentically do this? You know, not just read from a script. How does Generation Citizen support teachers and how do you engage with the community?

Allyson:

Absolutely. We did an activity this week with our entire Generation Citizen team that really grounded us to remind us the why we do this work. And so when I think about supporting teachers and the work I get to do with my team and my colleagues every day, supporting teachers is a part of my why, and so Generation Citizen really recognizes that teachers are such an impactful part of the process when we think about supporting young people. Oftentimes they're the ones that know the students better than us as parents. Sometimes, right, they spend all of their time in the classroom with our, with our young people, and so I take that as a great responsibility. And so what does it mean to provide support to these teachers? Really, I see it in two buckets one providing professional development and ongoing support and resources, and then the second bucket really is fostering a supportive school culture. And so at Generation Citizen, we do this by offering professional development and training workshops on a myriad of things related to civics, education, gaps in their community that they care about, and so we do this by really providing teachers with essential spaces to have those conversations. We provide not just professional development and training workshops, but we also provide coaching opportunities for teachers where we can actually have a Generation Citizen staff member come to a school, have a virtual coaching session where we dive deep into what are the effective strategies for incorporating student voice and choice. We also provide access to high quality curriculum materials and supplemental resources that really do align with standards at a state level but also allow room for flexibility and student-centered adaptations.

Allyson:

As a former classroom teacher, one of the things that was really important to me was making sure that I had some autonomy in taking content and lesson plans and making them work, providing adaptations that work for my teaching style and facilitation style, but also to really incorporate what mattered most to my students being that we all have different needs.

Allyson:

And the last element related to support for teachers that I'll talk about is really creating opportunities for teachers to collaborate and share best practices with each other.

Allyson:

Right now, what's really important is a community, for so many different reasons, and when we talk with teachers, they're often saying I want to learn from more generation citizen teachers, and so we are actively working in states to bring teachers together for their program-launched teacher training, where they're able to hear about what does it mean to be a generation citizen teacher and share those best practices, and all of this does lead to really fostering a supportive school culture.

Allyson:

So we do, from a practical lens and a partnership lens, focus on what does it mean to encourage a school-wide culture that values student voice, respects diversity and promotes a sense of belonging for all students. Again, I mentioned the opportunity for teachers to adapt the lesson plans to meet the needs of students, not just from their interests but also from an instructional level, but then offering that ongoing support and mentorship, where we do include opportunities for peer observation and feedback. And so Generation Citizen really values being entrenched in the communities that we serve. And so we're often thinking about what does it mean to be a part of a school culture that already exists and how do we strengthen this, this notion of elevating and valuing student voice and choice?

Liz:

so there's so many nuggets in there. I love because I asked about authentic teaching and I think that one of the biggest ways that you allow somebody to be authentically themselves is providing them a framework, but letting them look at their classroom, look at their learners and say how can I adapt this to best serve the needs of my students? And that, to me, is authentic teaching. And I I'm over like I'm just bursting that you said that and I also love the coaching.

Liz:

Right, it's not just drive by PD, it's not just hey, here's an hour, it is, we're going to be there, we're going to help you and, kind of, you know, make sure that if you have questions, because I think a lot of times I mean, you know we're both former classroom teachers Sometimes you have these amazing lesson plans and then in practice you're like, well, that didn't work, but having somebody to talk to about it and really work through that is such a powerful thing for teachers in their classrooms that I think sometimes PD isn't always able to do. And that's one of the things I love about Generation Citizen is it is a bigger model than just sit for an hour, get what you need and we'll see you later.

Allyson:

Yes, you hit it nail on the head with all of that.

Liz:

Okay, so we talk about authentic teaching and whatever else, but you talked a lot about engaging with the community. What does it mean to effectively engage with community?

Allyson:

Such a great question, and I often think that's what differentiates Generation Citizens civic education model from some other organizations is because we're not going to let go of the community. We do have a local, place-based model, even though we are a national organization, but we do rely on the relationships and the stakeholders within the community to support the implementation of our civics curriculum. And so we have students building relationships with community organizations and leaders to really identify the local issues and opportunities for collaboration. So when students are engaging with the curriculum, teachers are really the ones stewarding and creating the safe space for students to kind of say this is an issue in our community. We want to build consensus on addressing these issues, and it doesn't just stop there.

Allyson:

Students are actually encouraged to go outside of their school walls, whether it's emails, whether it's letters, whether it's phone calls to talk to local vendors, elected officials what have you, depending on what the focus is of their project or their issue. And so when we think about project-based learning, it's this opportunity to have an experiential, hands-on experience, but also take students to engage deeply in their community and talk to people. We also invite community members into the classroom to share their expertise and their experiences with students, and so those are the opportunities where we're bringing those outside the school community walls, folks that actually may have decision making power on what happens in a particular community. And so what's unique about this experience for young people is they often don't have those outlets or channels to make those direct conversations or those touch points, but by the Generation Citizen team and their teacher, we're supporting them and having those connections and then letting students do the talking, not the adults, and this really does provide that opportunity for students to engage in authentic civic action projects that really address real world issues in their community.

Allyson:

We actually had a conversation for an impact webinar yesterday with a student who was talking about just those things the opportunity to say I didn't have the opportunity to talk to someone in the community before Generation Citizen, and so it really is about not just what's happening in a school community but the larger local community and how to make those connections, which I think can be challenging when you don't have a mechanism or a vehicle that can support you in that process, which again is why I think the coaching element of our teacher support model is key, because we're asking teachers to do more, but how do we also support them in doing that, and so it's really powerful to see, at our local civics days that happen a few times a year, it's really powerful to see students having the microphone and talking to the adults, but then the adults also asking questions like well, how can I support you after today?

Allyson:

What does the support tomorrow look like? And really take their projects to the next level, beyond just the four walls of a classroom, beyond just the curriculum lessons as they stand. So it really makes the community experience real for young people, where they do take their projects outside of the community and have further conversations to really ensure that they're closing the gaps in their community.

Liz:

And that circles back to what we talked about at the beginning, like these are workplace skills. Yes, right, they can develop projects, and I think that students are often afraid to talk to elected officials or like to reach out, and it is always been amazing to me that they're nervous because I'm like anytime I've reached out to an elected official, a police officer, fire, like anybody in the community, they're stoked to talk to students. They want youth to have involvement in their community.

Allyson:

Yes, absolutely. I do often reflect on the fact that young people I think a young person said to me recently that sometimes they're not listened to and why is that Right? And I think there's there's a variety of different reasons as to why young people sometimes aren't listened to and why is that right? And I think there's a variety of different reasons as to why young people sometimes aren't listened to. But I think when we create the open channels of communication and young people know that they have the support of another adult, it does give them the opportunity to stand in their power right, which I think now more than ever is critical to stand in their power right, which I think now more than ever is critical.

Allyson:

We're experiencing a lot of different opinions, a lot of frustration, and what we need now, in these times, is community.

Allyson:

And so how do we I think, a lot about what we have conversations around internally, at Generation Citizen as well how do we create that safe space? And that's what civics days are. Those are the moments where we're bringing students together from all of our community school relationship partners and we're giving young people the opportunity to showcase their research projects, their focus issues, their solutions to real world issues and the adults are just listening or saying, like I mentioned, how can I take this to the next level for you? How can I help you? What does support look like for you after today? And so you're right, adults want to listen. But I really think what Generation Citizen can support schools and support communities in doing is creating that vehicle, which sometimes is where we just missed the mark. We're all busy, we're all trying to do the next best thing, and so Generation Citizen tries to meet schools and communities where they're at and say we can help you and provide those vehicles where we're elevating young people's voices and adults are here to listen and respond to the call to action.

Liz:

So can I ask why I think students sometimes think like well, I'm not really a citizen until I can vote right Until I'm 18 years old, so why do anything before that? What would your response to that be?

Allyson:

Such a common, I want to say maybe a misconception. But I think there are two things that I think about. One we always associate that civic engagement means voting. That's one aspect of being civically engaged. Civic engagement means being a part of your community, and young people are often the ones who are yielding solutions. They have ideas.

Allyson:

I think as adults, we are busy, busy, busy, but young people are the ones who are there at the park, they're at the local grocery store or bodega, providing an opportunity to have a connection. And so what does it mean? To actively engage in your community and be civically engaged is an opportunity for young people to say what they want change to look like. And I think that's the misconception too comes back to adults. How do we talk to adults?

Allyson:

And I think there's a lot of pressure on young people to show up and be politically correct or have all the right answers, and, honestly, no one has the right answers. We have a bunch of different answers, and so how do we build consensus Right? Thinking back to those 21st century skills and being ready for the workplace is how do you build a team and a community that can build consensus on? Here's a challenge, here's a solution community that can build consensus on. Here's a challenge, here's a solution, and young people are doing that. They have those ideas, and so I think, for young people who say, why should I get engaged? You already have the answers that we're looking for.

Liz:

We want to hear from you, so, yeah, I, I just I think that youth don't Liz how powerful they are because, you're right, adults are busy. Adults also get kind of set in their ways, right, like this is the way we've done it, and they don't sometimes have this fresh perspective or the ability to kind of ideate right, and just have conversations be like what about this, what about this? And I love that you pointed out we don't always need to have the perfect answer. We don't always need to be politically correct, right, especially as youth. It reminds me of the Ted Lasso be curious, not judgmental. Like what do you mean by that? Let's work through this and, and you're right, in challenging times, community is the answer.

Allyson:

Absolutely, Absolutely. I love it too. I, I, I again. You know we had a moment earlier this week as a team where we reflected on our why, and we may not have the same answer or the perfect answer for challenges, but we all are connected by this one mission for one organization do need to lead with curiosity at the forefront, and so I'm often having those own reflections as an adult and thinking.

Allyson:

I often too reflect on like what was my experience as a young person with civics, education, with community, and sometimes it was a hit or miss. But I do think my experiences as a classroom teacher always remind me that there are so many diverse perspectives out there. I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't create opportunities to just hear what those other perspectives are and were, at the time, Right, and so I never forget my classroom teaching experience. I am constantly trying to find opportunities to really ensure that I as an individual, I'm listening to young people but also fostering safe spaces for young people to share, and I think Generation Citizen just wants to continue as an organization connecting with communities, hearing what matters to them and figuring out opportunities for solutions in real time.

Liz:

I love that. I'm going to throw one more question at you, because we are talking about civics. Who is your favorite historical figure or civic, you know, civic minded figure? I don't want it to be just oh, somebody we learned about in history class, like there are tons of people who had great civic minds and who did so much for their communities. Do you have a favorite?

Allyson:

Man. I mean that is such a great question me, of course, thinks back to so many predominantly revered public figures who have made a trailblazing mark in history, and I also think about the folks that did that for me in a very intimate way. Intimate way, and I'm going to say my aunt Sarah she's no longer with us, but she was such a civically engaged adult I would imagine, young person as well who modeled for me what does it mean to be civically engaged beyond just voting? She was someone who was often bringing me to her own classroom in Jamaica Queens, taking me on field trips to museums and reminding me that the world is your oyster. You know whether that's a museum in your backyard, what have you?

Allyson:

But she modeled what does it mean to be civically engaged? By being there for her students, by being there for community, showing up when someone needed a meal and didn't have a home or a working fridge what have you? And that to me is a definition of community. And so she modeled for me what does it mean to be actively engaged, not to be a citizen in waiting? And I always wonder what would she say about the world today and what I'm doing? So sure, there are those public famous figures but I often think about who had that really close-knit impact on me, and it was definitely my aunt Sarah.

Liz:

That is, I think, the perfect way to end this. That is students. It can just be the person next door, it could be a relative, and, yes, there are tons of men and women who helped build this country, who helped get us to where we are now, but sometimes it is the community, it is the people who are nearest and dearest to us, who make the biggest impact. So, alison, thank you so much for this conversation, for all the conversations we've had. I always leave our conversations just feeling a renewed sense of hope that there are ways forward. Right, we're in a challenging time. We face challenging times before. We will continue to face challenging times. I think that that's just life in this experiment of democracy. But places like Generation Citizen allow teachers and students a pathway, and I think that that is so important. So, thank you so much.

Allyson:

No, Liz, thank you, the feeling is mutual. I feel ready to tackle whatever is next on the to-do list, whatever is next for democracy, and thank you for creating a space for me to openly share about what energizes me and makes me feel, like you said, hopeful about what's to come. Thank you so much, Liz.

People on this episode

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Liz Evans

Host
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Allyson Cook

Guest