x post participatory citizenship

From: Fran Keenan (fran@cal.org)
Date: Wed Dec 06 1995 - 14:48:37 EST


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From: Fran Keenan <fran@cal.org>
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Subject: x post participatory citizenship
Date: 6 Dec 1995 14:48:37 -0500
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The message below is crossposted from the NLA list (12/6). Although
not explicitly about "becoming a citizen," this project (Equipped for
the Future) and the citizendship listserv may be of interest to
readers of the NIFL-ESL list: (FK)


The National Institute for Literacy is funding a planning effort
based on  Equipped for the Future (if you have not read this report
on what adult  learners have to say about Goal 6, you should, copies
from NIFL).  There are  eight projects, two of which are addressing
learners in their role as  citizens.  The Center for Literacy Studies
in three southern Appalachian  states (TN, KY and VA) and the New
England Literacy Resource Center in its  states are collaborating on
one of those projects, and the other is led by  the Mayor's Office on
Literacy in Philadelphia.

Together the Equipped for the Future projects are addressing two
questions:   what do adults need to know and be able to do, and what
should adult  education be teaching?  Collectively we are addressing
the three roles  identified in Equipped for the Future -- worker,
family member/parent, and  citizen.  All of us are addressing the
four purposes for literacy which were  identified by the 1500
learners who responded to the NIFL request --  literacy for access,
voice, independent action and as a bridge to the future.

In our project on citizenship with NELRC, we are doing focus groups
in each  region with people who are active citizens in various
contexts, about what  citizenship (or civic participation - we use
both terms) means to them, and  what they needed to know and be able
to do in order to be active.  We are  also doing inquiry groups in
both regions with teachers and learners to get  into more depth about
the ways in which adult education programs can support  learners
becoming more actively involved citizens (within the classrooms, 
programs and community).

One of the things we had talked about was having a list serve open to
anyone  interested on the topic of citizenship.  We would be
interested in being  part of a wider conversation.  In the terms
framed last week in a meeting of  all the NIFL projects, "building a
public argument."  I am not sure how that  conversation could best
happen, but count us in.

Juliet Merrifield and other staff at the Center for Literacy Studies,
TN



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