1. AP American Government Social Action Project "Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people. The general government can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any despotic or oppressive form so long as there is any virtue in the body of the people." George Washington

2. The Origins: “An awkward phone call” Students designed the project Students developed the assessment criteria Students evaluated their own progress and peers contributions The evolution of this student designed learning opportunity

3. An authentic learning experience that: o Engaged students o Increased learning o Integrated real world application of technology o Improved communication and collaboration skills o Showcased the personal power that each of our students have to change our world The Outcome

4. SWERC Students for Water and Environmental Resource Cooperation

5. ➢ Mission Statement: SWERC believes in every human’s individual right to water. Acknowledging the fact that water is a vital resource for civilization, we believe it is a grossly under-regulated one. Through it’s campaigning and research, SWERC hopes to coerce Congress into defining a national law outlining water rights, and allow state governments to work together in regulating environmental hazards such as invasive species and pollution in these waters. ➢ Mission evolved over time as resource constraints became evident The Project

6. ➢ Communication with important figures ○ Jason Goldberg (US Fish and Wildlife Service) ○ Lori Benson (USGS) ○ Elizabeth Esty ○ Wendy Flynn (DEEP) ○ Larry Marsicano (CLA) ➢ Built a Website ➢ Created questions for the CT Boater Certification Exam ➢ Research ➢ Social Media Outreach What We Did

7. ➢ How difficult it is to get legislation passed ➢ How to contact and talk with important figures ➢ It takes a lot of time, people, and money to implement change ➢ How to work with social media What We Learned

8. c c Website http://sbacus.org Facebook Students for Bipartisan Action and Compromise Twitter @sbacnf Students for Bipartisan Action and Compromise

9. The Project Mission Statement SBAC is a student-led organization created on the premise that through education and political participation we can encourage bipartisan congressional action and compromise. SBAC will: 1.Raise awareness of congressional affairs 2.Foster opportunities for people to express their political opinions on potential bipartisan solutions 3.Encourage people to contact their elected officials 4.Promote active participation of the younger demographic in the democratic system 5.Rally a large body of citizens under the SBAC initiative

10. What We Did 1.Reached out to special interest groups including Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), National Organization of Women (NOW), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) 2.Formulated action plan & mission statement 3.Created professional looking website 4.Researched political issues that we could address such as gun control, budget, gay rights, health care, among others 5.Wrote editorials: “Demanding Responsibility in Congress”; “Congress and Gun Violence: Nearing the Sandy Hook Anniversary”; “Congress Nearing Budgetary Compromise: Resurgence of Bipartisanship” 6.Launched social media campaign (Facebook, Twitter, emails) 7.Provided means for people to reach out to Congress 8.Interviewed students around the school

11. What We Learned 1.How to formulate an action plan 2.Implementing change is very difficult and requires making contacts, having money, and a significant time commitment 3.About current congressional affairs 4.Importance of social media and public outreach

12. Legislative Action Against Domestic Abuse Website: laada.org Twitter: @LAADA_1 Search for LAADA on Facebook!

13. The mission of Legislative Action Against Domestic Abuse (LAADA) is to advocate for legislative action to both provide support for those who are domestically abused as well as to put a stop to domestic abuse altogether. LAADA is taking on this task on its own as well as providing an outlet for those in the community to vocalize their stance on the issue. The organization operates in cooperation with government representatives and leaders to create legislation that will benefit victims and is a rising voice against domestic abuse. Mission

14. ●Domestic Abuse ●Intragroup Cooperation ●Research ●Laada.orgLaada.org ●Social Media Path to Success

15. ●Outside Communications ○ Melanie Danyliw (WCGD) ○ School Resource Officer Kevin Casey ○ Eliza Andrews (CCADV) ○ Elizabeth Bliss (NYADV) ○ Helen Boylan (My Sister’s Place) ●No MoreNo More Path to Success

16. ●How to effectively organize and work in a group/team ●How to define a purpose, create an action plan, and execute that plan ●The difficulty in achieving legislative action ●That small victories by numerous organizations can amount to change(116 No More allies) What We Learned