Posted in CERL Research
Project Community is an innovative civic education program designed by the Center for Civic Education to integrate media literacy into its existing Project Citizen curriculum. The program is designed to develop media literacy skills in students grades 4-8 as they engage in public policy projects. The curriculum intervention is also expected to enhance teachers’ and students’ civic knowledge, civic skills, and civic dispositions. The overall goal of Project Community is to help teachers prepare students to become responsible digital citizens capable of researching and proposing policy solutions that enact meaningful change in their communities.
Project Community is a three-year, grant-funded project awarded to the Center for Civic Education by the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program of the U.S. Department of Education. The project includes professional learning opportunities, curricular materials, and program evaluation. The Civic Education Research Lab is responsible for evaluating the impact of the program on teacher and student civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions, with particular attention paid to students’ media literacy skills. The findings from the pilot study, completed in the 2024-2025 academic year, will inform subsequent versions of the program.
CERL Presents at Center for Civic Education’s Media Literacy and Public Policy Curriculum Institute
July 22nd, 2025
Annapolis, Md. – CERL Research Specialists, Dr. Patrick McSweeney and Jamie Joseph, participated in the first day of the Center for Civic Education’s Project Community: Engaging All Students in…
Project Community Pilot Study Findings Show Positive Impact on Teachers’ Media Literacy
May 7th, 2025
CERL Director Diana Owen and Research Specialist Patrick McSweeney recently presented pilot study findings at the Project Community workshop in Philadelphia, where state coordinators and…
