The Civics Program at

Democracy Prep Public Schools

Democracy Prep® is committed to the revolutionary work of preparing the next generation of our nation’s policymakers, organizers, activists, and public intellectuals for the complex social landscape that they have inherited. We give our scholars an entry point to the world through our academic instruction and through our Civics program, we show them the power of integrity, empathy, and advocacy. The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) recently identified Democracy Prep® as one of the nation’s leaders in civic education.

We believe that a more equitable, inclusive, and interconnected society is possible, and we understand that it all starts with our young people.

Civics Program Model

Campus Initiatives

Active Citizenship

We define the term citizen as any member of a community who works to lift up the people around them. In order to prepare our scholars for lives of active citizenship, we teach them to:

★ Take passionate and well-informed stances on issues.

★ Engage with perspectives that are unfamiliar.

★ Invest in a greater good.

★ Find productive ways to advocate for themselves and others.

We teach our scholars to embrace and celebrate their identities while building bridges with others.

Our Motto

Work Hard. Go to College. Change the World!

The directives in our motto are not sequential. Our scholars can, and are, doing work to change the world right now! Our scholars:

★ Lobby the government for policy change.

★ Donate thousands of dollars through fundraisers

for various causes.

★ Volunteer at dozens of non-profit community organizations on our Day of Service.

★ Empower communities by engaging with voters. During the election season this year, scholars got over 700 voters to sign their names to pledge to vote.

Service Opportunities

Each year, in addition to completing at least 40 hours of volunteer service, Seniors at our High Schools conduct “Change the World” capstone projects. During these year-long deep dives, scholars select and address social issues ranging from childhood obesity to increasing the civic empowerment of underrepresented communities. All of these opportunities help reinforce the importance of active participation in our democratic society as a habit that should last a lifetime. A recent Mathematica study found that there is a 98% probability that enrolling at Democracy Prep® produces a positive impact on both voting and voter registration.

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