April 20 marks the tenth anniversary of the tragedy at Columbine High School, a dark day in the history of our country and our schools. We can probably recall where we were when we heard of the horrific news. On this day, we can and should reflect on the lives lost and the lives changed forever. In fact we were all changed a little that day.
We need to see that out of the senseless something good could come forth.
Today, we think differently about our schools and their safety. Districts have taken proactive measures to promote overall safety and to deal with crises. Our awareness of such issues as bullying have been heightened and programs developed and implemented to help students cope with their daily lives, their toxic environments, and destructive behaviors.
On the national, state, and local levels, agencies and community groups are reaching out to students to help them see their self-worth and value, to do what is necessary to shine a positive light on our students. This week, talk to your teachers and students about Columbine High School. But let it be more than a moment of mourning. Let it be an opportunity to look toward the future. To build stronger minds and stronger hearts. To awaken a spark of determination that we can shape a better tomorrow if we care for each other today. There are lessons to be learned if we chose to learn them.
I encourage you to visit the website of the National Association of School Psychologists. NASP has quite a bit of literature about the tenth anniversary of Columbine. The organization offers practical suggestions for how to handle discussions with students on this very sensitive and emotional day.
On behalf of the School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program, I want to thank each and every one of the SVPDP teachers, trainers, and coordinators for all that you do for the program. I know that no one program, curricula, or piece of legislation could wipe out the roots of what caused this tragedy. But everything you do, every child you touch, is one more glimmer of hope. We at Center for Civic Education will continue to provide to you all the support and resources possible to help you in this honorable endeavor of shaping our future by providing for our youth.
Maria Gallo, Director, School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program
The Center for Civic Education's School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program is a curriculum, training, and research program that provides students with opportunities to engage in high quality civic education and group participation exercises. The program is designed to improve students' civic knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It provides training opportunities for teacher participants that support the curriculum and emphasize critical thinking, cooperative learning, group problem-solving, and performance-based assessment. It also provides research and evaluation of changes in students' civic knowledge and attitudes as they relate to tolerance for the ideas of others; civic responsibility; authority and the law; and social and political institutions.
The program began in May 1999, when the Center was awarded a grant from the United States Department of Education to study ways in which civic values and principles might be used to create a positive effect on violence among youth. Research studies had demonstrated that excellent civic education programs, such as the Center's We the People program, could have positive effects on students' attitudes towards society. The 1999-2000 school year pilot implementation of the program in seven large school district sites was premised on that belief and began the attempt to draw attention to ways in which civic education can be used as a violence prevention tool. The expansion of the program since the pilot year has been significant, and the program now includes twenty-two sites in public, private, urban, rural, and Native American school sites.
The professional development component of our program is what makes the School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program unique. Often referred to as trainings, what a teacher actually receives is intensive staff development. The objective is to lend support to the teacher through the course of the program year. Teacher participants attend a minimum of fifty hours of professional development during the school year and incorporate the program curricular materials -- Foundations of Democracy, We the People, and Project Citizen -- into their regular social studies curriculum. Participants are expected to integrate 90-110 hours of program instruction and involve students in culminating activities for Project Citizen and We the People Curriculum.
The program is implemented in grades four through twelve in large urban public school districts, rural school districts, private school districts, Indian Reservation schools and in some primary grades in response to local requests.
Current Sites
| Urban Sites | Suburban Sites | Rural Sites | Native American Sites |
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Pilot Programs
Ripon, Wisconsin
The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
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