Firsthand experience takes the boredom out of Western Pa. civics classes
It isn’t ego that makes Hal Biehl think his civics class at Riverview High School is so valuable for students.
“I tell the kids on the first day of class, ‘This is the most important class you’ll have in high school no matter what field you go into because government decides and controls what you do,’” he said.
The students don’t have to take his word for it. They find out firsthand, as Biehl makes them attend at least one municipal or school board meeting as a class requirement. It’s not widely required at high schools across the region.
“I want to make it important,” Biehl said.
Students are free to select any town or school for their meeting. For most students, it’s their first time going to a public meeting.
Surprisingly, it isn’t always hard to get the students interested in seeing how government works firsthand.
Senior Nate Sprajcar, 17, said he plans to attend a Verona Council meeting.
“My dad goes to meetings sometimes and said it’s a good thing to do,” Sprajcar said. “He said it’s important to know what’s going on locally.”
Students have to give a report to the class on what they learned from attending a meeting.
Ken Stough’s Project 18 class at Hempfield Area High School also requires students to get involved in local government.
The class encourages students to attend public meetings to introduce them to the processes that local leaders use to make decisions for their communities.
Project 18 was created in 1974 in response to legislation passed that same year allowing 18-year-olds to vote.
Hempfield is Pennsylvania’s only public school to offer the course, now in its 50th year.
“Like a lot of the things I try to introduce them to, they’ll be more inclined to feel comfortable doing it as adults, and it’s really something that citizens should be doing,” Stough said.
As part of the course requirement, Stough assigns each student to do five hours of political science-related activities each semester.
That can entail a variety of civic duties, such as working at polling places, participating in a political campaign or attending local public meetings.
Watching and learning at public meetings can be boring or entertaining, often depending on what issues are discussed, said several Hempfield seniors taking Stough’s civics class.
Hempfield Area senior Shawn Murray frequently attends school board meetings and said the issue of loaded guns resulted in a surge in meeting attendance last year.
In October, three 15-year-old male students were caught passing two loaded handguns on a Hempfield Area High School bus and on campus in a high school bathroom.
The school board changed the student security search policy, allowing for random or daily searches, as authorized by the superintendent.
“I went to two meetings because of the gun issue to advocate for school metal detectors,” said Murray, who has political aspirations.
But more often, Murray said, meetings are underattended by students. He’s hopeful that will change.
“There’s usually just two students at board meetings. I’ve noticed it’s hard to fill the shoes of a school board member,” Murray said. “Those people are volunteers, unpaid, and it requires a huge amount of time in addition to their full-time jobs. I think people need to go to a meeting first and see how it’s run before they complain.”
At Fox Chapel Area High School, Jennifer Klein has taught AP government and civics for 31 years.
She incorporates real-world civic experiences as a staple of her curriculum.
“I truly believe seeing how government works firsthand is more meaningful than just listening to lectures,” Klein said. “While scoring well on the AP U.S. government exam matters, my real goal for each student is to be lifelong, engaged citizens.”
Students enrolled in Klein’s politics and AP U.S. government classes have various avenues in which to complete their required civic engagement projects.
Whether it’s shadowing an elected official, serving as a poll worker, volunteering for a campaign or attending a government meeting, students can apply their classroom content and learning in the real world.
Fox Chapel Area student Micah Shelley said he is applying classroom learning in government to everyday life.
Shelley, of O’Hara, said that since starting the semester-long class in January, he has attended a Fox Chapel school board meeting and an event featuring Vice President Kamala Harris as a guest speaker in East Liberty.
Shelley also registered to vote and is educating friends on how to register.
“It’s an election year, which makes class much more exciting. Following these events, I’ve put together presentations and spoken to my class about my experiences and how our class learnings were applied to these firsthand experiences,” Shelley said.
He described Klein’s teaching style as phenomenal, engaging and fun.
“She has us do fun, exciting group activities that allow us to engage socially while efficiently learning,” Shelley said. “We play fun review games and this class is a class where there’s little to no down time, and I’m engaged and eager to learn the whole time, unlike some of my other classes, where I find myself reaching for my phone or watching the clock to see when the class will end.”
Shelley’s classmate, Emma Kim of O’Hara, can now add political experience to her resume.
In November, Kim worked the O’Hara Township polls and learned how to check in voters, set up the voting equipment, educate herself on how the ballots work and recognize the importance of privacy during the voting process.
Kim plans to work the polls again during the April primary at St. Joseph Church.
Sitting in a classroom to learn about civic engagement has limitations, Kim said.
“I think it’s extremely important to get out in the real world to learn about civics. In order for everyone to fulfill their duty as a U.S. citizen, they need to know what exactly they need to be doing, as well as what their efforts are heading towards,” Kim said.
Not yet old enough to vote, Fox Chapel Area senior Lila Valkanas volunteered for a campaign in a municipal election last fall.
“Without this experience, I don’t think I would’ve recognized the importance of voting, even in smaller, local elections,” said Valkanas, who campaigned door to door for former Indiana Township Council candidate Emily Cook.
Cook lost, but Valkanas learned from the experience.
“It was interesting to see the dynamics of all the different families and people living in Indiana Township,” Valkanas said. “Some responded at the door very kindly, others with a rude tone and some not answering at all.
“I now understand the importance of voting for our local rights. I don’t live in Indiana Township but now see why it’s so important to have people representing what you want for your families. This experience is something I’m very thankful for, and I believe more high schoolers should be more civically involved.”
At Riverview, Biehl’s lessons focus on current events and how government works at the local, state and national levels.
Sprajcar said the course has stressed the importance of understanding how local government operates.
A popular component of the course is studying current events, with one recent class focused on Pittsburgh’s ban on plastic bags.
That sparked a lively discussion among students on how much is too much involvement when a government makes laws affecting how businesses operate.
The current events read by students vary and include local and national news outlets.
“I get my news from CNBC or New York Times. Before, I usually got my news from social media,” Sprajcar said. “This course is important because it teaches you what’s going on.”
And that can lead to involvement.
Two of Stough’s students at Hempfield serve as student representatives at Hempfield Area School Board meetings, and one is a junior council representative on the Youngwood Borough Council.
Quinn Horchak was appointed last fall as Youngwood’s junior councilperson.
Her duties include contributing to the borough’s social media presence and expanding its digital footprint.
Horchak said the Youngwood board is very organized.
“I’m trying to help them get ideas for social media, and I wanted to see how difficult it was to serve. It’s kind of difficult because the demographics of Youngwood are older,” Horchak said.
Riverview Superintendent Neil English said Biehl’s civics course results in an uptick in student attendance during school board meetings.
“We appreciate Mr. Biehl’s efforts and thoroughly enjoy seeing our students participate in local governance,” he said.
Riverview School Board President Jennifer Chaparro said seeing students attend school board meetings is a reminder to adults of the importance of their elected positions.
“Having students attend meetings not only demonstrates the importance of civic engagement for students, but is a reminder as to why we serve — and that is to positively impact our youth,” Chaparro said.
Stough stressed that, the earlier students learn and become involved in local government, the better.
“I want my kids to know what they’re doing is unusual, important and noteworthy,” he said.
Biehl served as a West Deer supervisor for four years but decided not to run for reelection when he accepted a position as Riverview’s varsity golf coach.
“I use a lot of my experience serving as supervisor that I had to deal with, the wins and the losses, and incorporate it into my class,” Biehl said.
For students, it’s about learning their role in local government.
Riverview senior Jack Loughren addressed the Riverview School Board last year.
“I brought the issue of us wanting to have a spring training trip for the baseball team,” Loughren said. “They approved it. But although we didn’t go last year, it was important they approved it because we’ll be able to go in the coming years.
“It helps me understand a little bit more the way citizens are participants in the government, by voting, going to meetings and speaking their minds. I’ve experienced that now.”
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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