Kentucky Student Voices Team is pushing for more civics courses

AreportreleasedbytheKentuckyStudentVoicesTeamsaysKentuckyisoneofonlyelevenstatesthatdoesnotrequirestudentstotakeacivicscoursebeforegraduating.ThismeansmanyKentuckystudentsareenteringtheworldwithoutknowingwhatMerriam-WebsterDictionarydefinesas“therightsanddutiesofcitizens.” DanielaDiGiacomoisanassociateprofessorofyouthdevelopmentandlearningsciencesattheUniversityofKentuckyandKSVT’sadultresearchpartner.InaninterviewwithEasternStandard,shesaidtheycanseeadifferencebetweenurbanandruralschoolteachings. “Wehavethemajorityofthedatacomingfromwhat’scalled,geographically,theUrbanTriangle,Lexington,Louisville,andnorthernKentucky.Wedidseethatstudentsfromthoseareasreportedlearningaboutculturesoutsideoftheirownandhistoriesoutsideoftheirownmorethantheirruralcounterparts.” ChaseColvinistheresearchcoordinatorfortheKentuckyStudentVoiceTeamandajunioratDuPontManualHighSchoolinLouisville.HesaidmanyschoolsareemphasizingSTEMprograms.