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RN&R presents a guide to civic engagement for the whole family
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Biggest
little citizens
Thanks for getting your civics on with us
I
’m so glad you grabbed the latest edition of Family Guide. If you’re a regular reader, you may know that we put together three or four of these a year— as opposed to our other guides, which are annual affairs. It makes sense that we’d return to the theme of family more often, because—while it might seem counterintuitive to some— Reno’s a pretty family-friendly place, with a community that strives to be inclusive of people of all ages. We’ve got youth-oriented arts at places like the Holland Project and the Nevada Museum of Art. We’ve got citizen science opportunities for children through groups like Sierra Nevada Journeys, the Discovery Museum, the university and the Oxbow Nature Study Area. Most importantly, we’ve got adults— moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles—who get the kids in their lives involved in community causes. And it has been refreshing to see young faces among the crowds at marches and protests and solidarity vigils in recent months. In fact, the presence of young people at these events is what inspired this edition of Family Guide, which we’ve dedicated entirely to civics. Anna Hart took a look at Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada. Based on the “village model” model, this local
movement seeks to connect neighbors through transportation support, social activities and time banking. That’s on page 4. On page 11, you’ll find a guide to useful civic engagement apps from Josie Luciano. Tim Prentiss put together a primer on community activities families can get involved in through Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. You’ll find that on page 14. Now, another thing you may know if you’re a regular reader is that I love books, and I often compile lists of them that fit the themes of our guides. This time, I put together a list of books that teach important civics lessons. It’s on page 12. You may also want to check out page 8 for an interview I conducted with a young woman named Carrie DeBarger and her parents. Ms. DeBarger testified on a bill in front of Nevada legislators in 2015. It’s rare for minors to testify, and I wanted to know what inspired her to do it. Happy reading and engaging! Jeri Chadwell-Singley RN&R Special Projects Editor
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The Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada is a nonprofit organization where locals can exchange services
Friends and neighbors by AnnA HArt
I
n this day and age, we live with the power to connect with people around the globe in the time it takes to make a Facebook update. But for all the time we spend on social media, it’s astonishing how little we’ve actually focused on building up any significant social capital, or even social support—the very systems that help us function and thrive emotionally and practically, both as societies and individuals. As a millennial, I can attest to the fact that I could get at least 25 or 30 people to like a status update I wrote saying I need help with my taxes, long before I could ever find a friend to help me do them. But this is the kind of problem that nonprofit organization Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada seeks to heal by taking a multifaceted approach to building a network in the local community that can exchange services. N4 began by taking the concept of the “village model” and running with it. In 1999, a group of friends in Boston gathered together, expressing desires to maintain a sense of community, while also seeking to find solutions to multiple issues that members of an aging population face, like housing, transportation and social activities. Thus, the Beacon Hill Village was formed, enrolling its first members in 2002. It sought to serve as a hub for individuals over 50 years old to get into contact with local health professionals, businesses and volunteers to improve their quality of life. This is the model that N4 has worked from since it began a few years ago. N4 tries to build this extended community without any limitations based on age, yet with the added objective of integrating target groups, like the elderly, or those with a physical or developmental disability, into the greater population. The idea of strengthening a community is nothing new. It frequently becomes the goal, yet infrequently becomes the actual result. While many initiatives foster a sense of civic connection, these bonds often exist
4
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solely in niche groups or within boundaries set by socioeconomic standing. This happens because many group memberships come with fees, are isolated to a single area, or simply overlook subpopulations that often go unnoticed, yet would probably benefit the most from the interactions. Thus, when N4 was established, its founders saw the potential that a model like the Beacon Hill Village could have in the Reno and Sparks areas, especially for our most at-risk communities, like citizens who are aging, or have disabilities. N4 has established four key elements as the bedrock of the organization. The first is their Time-Exchange program. According to Amy Dewitt-Smith, one of the co-founders of the organization, the program is a “reciprocity-based system of trade.” The program employs a type of economy where one’s time is the currency. Members can employ their own skill sets to trade and earn hours to spend in the system to receive services performed by other members. The exchange is egalitarian. Everyone’s skills and time are valued equally in the economy, which fosters an environment in which anyone, regardless of their age or physical abilities can make meaningful contributions to society, while receiving services they may desperately need, like transportation to appointments or simply help running errands. Another core aspect is a thriving volunteer program, which is built on both individual and group participation. N4 coordinates with volunteers to provide a number of important services. While some activities give opportunities to work hands-on with a start-up nonprofit organization by assisting in things like the grant-writing process, marketing and event coordinating, other tasks allow participants to directly impact the community by providing translation services, aiding in transportation, or simply filling in the gaps between requested and available services on N4’s community time-exchange program.
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The program also encourages connections between the local population and local businesses and professional services, by using an asset-based community development approach. “So often, when we talk about strengthening our local community, the conversation focuses on our deficits, all the negative things about the area,” said Dewitt-Smith. “But this approach allows us to highlight the services and businesses that are already here, connecting people with these under-utilized assets, and growing the economy in that way.” The fourth and final segment is social connection. Whether it is through monthly potlucks, participation in local community events like the annual Earth Day celebration, or putting on workshops for engaging activities like swing dancing, N4 promotes positive community relationships by providing opportunities for Northern Nevada neighbors to meet. By fostering this sense of camaraderie, the organization stimulates every aspect of their other programs. Volunteers can interact with the people they are serving. Members of the time-exchange can bond with each other, making the exchange feel more like trading favors with friends than trading currency with strangers. And personal interaction can make individuals more willing to pay a little extra to support local businesses. At its core, Neighbor Network of Northern Nevada is bringing back the spirit of a village for modern times. With convenience stores on every block, drones dropping off groceries, and the invention of frozen pizza, you may never need to ask your neighbor for a cup of sugar. But maybe one day you will want to get help learning computer skills or find a ride to a doctor’s visit. This is what N4 has to offer—not merely a way to love thy neighbor, but an opportunity to meet them, too. Ω
X For more information, visit neighbornv.org.
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I wonder—because people sometimes react to others’ testimonies, and a minor testifying is generally less common—were there any negative reactions when you testified? Or did you [mom and dad] get any negative feedback from anyone?
Testify
Carrie:
An afternoon.
And going to testify at the legislature, obviously, is the kind of thing—we were like, “Hey!” … Although, I don’t think—we wouldn’t have necessarily hesitated if it had been something more controversial, I don’t think.
Terry:
by Jeri Chadwell-Singley | jer i c@ n ew s r ev i ew . com
Yeah?
Whose idea was it that you would testify? Carrie: That was actually my friend’s mom. So there were a couple of us at my school who, since we’re in the Spanish-English program, we all wanted the biliteracy seal on our high school diplomas. So the mom had the idea that we would all testify. So three of us testified.
So, a lot of people, when they speak in front of the legislature, they write out a statement with what they’re going to say, you know, because you’ve only got a few minutes to get your point across. Did you write a statement, Carrie, and read from it? Carrie: Terry:
No, I just talked.
Only in Spanish. Well, I guess I said it in Spanish, and then I translated, so both.
Carrie:
Well, I told them that being bilingual has already helped me in so many ways and that having the biliteracy seal would be, I don’t know, in my opinion, it would be kind of official. And then they asked me what my favorite Spanish word was, and I said, “jeringa.” So that’s what I remember.
Carrie:
Syringe. It’s kind of embarrassing, but it just sounds cool.
It’s a nice sounding word. I get that. I sometimes wonder if some of the bands I write about choose their names because they’re nice sounding words. Anyway, how did you feel on the day that you went to speak?
Another mom contacted us and just said that this opportunity had come up, and would we be interested in going down to Carson City? It was pretty much, “Yeah, yeah, we would. That would be good.”
Kind of nervous but also excited, because I felt like we were going to testify, and so they would listen and honor what we said.
Adrienne:
Carrie:
So there was no hesitation on your part.
Do you think after this experience you’ll be more likely to testify in the future in front of a state legislature or speak to a city council on an issue you care about?
No, not for this particular situation.
Carrie:
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05.11.17
So, even in our current, heated political climate, if it’s an issue that you as a family care about, you’ll go for it.
Yeah, I mean, Carrie, you have issues you care about, right?
Terry:
Do you recall what you said?
Carrie:
I think she brought it up to you [mom] first.
Adrienne: Yeah, I do. I think we work really hard to—Carrie has an older brother who’s 14—and I think we work really hard. It’s a family value that you speak the truth and that you stand up for things you think are important. And we don’t shy away from those kinds of opportunities—or from hard conversations. We work a lot on being assertive. We talk a lot about that in our family, you know, being assertive, not being aggressive, but being assertive, making sure that people know where you stand. And so it was a good opportunity to practice that for real.
But did you talk only in English?
What does it mean?
How did you bring up the topic with your mom and dad?
8
Terry: We didn’t have any conversations about hesitations. If we’d had any hesitation, it would have been like, “Oh, Is it OK if she misses a day of school?”
Adrienne: No. I think we still would have jumped in pretty fast.
I
Adrienne:
Cool.
A local student has a lot to say about being civically engaged
f you follow news of Nevada’s biennial legislative sessions, you’ve no doubt seen how often Nevadans turn up at the legislature to testify on bills they care about. What’s rarer is for minors to testify. But that’s not something that crossed Carrie DeBarger’s mind in 2015, when—at 10 years old—she testified in front of the Senate Committee on Education in favor of Assembly Bill 166. The measure was ultimately passed, establishing the Nevada State Seal of Biliteracy Program “to recognize pupils who have attained a high level of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English.” Ms. DeBarger, now 12, is a seventh grader enrolled in the Washoe County School District, where her parents, Terry DeBarger and Adrienne Fisher, are teachers. The family recently sat down to discuss the testimony experience, and why they think it’s important for kids’ voices to be heard in arenas typically dominated by adults.
Carrie:
Adrienne: For the biliteracy seal in particular, I wouldn’t say so. It’s pretty innocuous, not super controversial. I would say more, on a tangent, the two-way immersion program gets more heat than the actual biliteracy seal because it can be for any language that students can show proficiency in. So the seal itself thing going down, it didn’t seem like it was in any way contentious.
Probably.
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I mean, I like to know what’s going on in the world and stuff, and there are issues that I like to hear about. But a lot them don’t, like, affect me personally, I guess, but I would still want to testify.
Carrie:
Adrienne: What about things that we’ve talked about as a family that you’re curious about or care about?
Maybe immigration policy. I know that we’ve talked a lot about that, and I would testify for that.
Carrie:
Would either of you have any advice for parents who are going to let their children go down to the legislature to speak? Adrienne: I guess making it normal, and that it’s an expected thing. It’s a thing we’re lucky we get to do. So making it as normal as you can and talking a lot about it and making sure that they’ve had time to maybe practice and think through what they want to say and why they want to say it.
Yeah, because I didn’t have, like, a speech, but we talked about what I was going to say.
Carrie:
Carrie DeBarger and her parents, Terry DeBarger and Adrienne Fisher, believe that learning to be civically engaged is not that different from learning to drive or read. photo/jeri chadwell-singley
Did your parents help you figure out how you were going to get your point across?
Yeah. And it makes you feel, well, at least for me, it makes me feel more confident when I kind of have a plan, even if I don’t follow it.
Carrie:
Sure. Sounds like a solid rule to live by. Terry:
Have a plan—
Adrienne: —even if you don’t follow it. Is this what you were looking for, or were you looking for something more specific?
No. I think that getting your perspectives on why your family did this is the interesting thing. I do think it is something that some people are OK with and some are not. It’s a debate—maybe not so much when it comes to testifying in front of governing bodies, but in court cases and the like—whether or not minors should testify. And if you look at videos that are on YouTube of minors testifying on other issues, like marriage equality, the feedback, the comments people leave, can be—both critical, and also adult-themed.
Yeah, and I guess I would say in response to your question about supporting families and making the decision—or in terms of “What tips do you have?”—that piece about making it normal is really important. I think that kids are often—maybe their opinions are downplayed, and so that piece of making it normal would be that their opinions are important, and that they do have a lot to say at the tender age of 10, which is what Carrie was when Adrienne:
she testified. But I think now she would be more prepared to take on a bigger topic if the opportunity came up. … That piece of it being normal, not just for adults, which it should be, but also for a little person who still—she knows a lot more about biliteracy than anybody on that education committee probably did. Oh, that reminds me. Carrie, you mentioned that being bilingual has already helped you in a lot of ways. Can you give me examples of ways it has been advantageous for you?
Actually—a really recent example—my grandma is a member of a Rotary club in Virginia, and … they were going to give books to a school in Costa Rica. And she doesn’t speak Spanish, so she asked me to be her translator. So I got to go with her and be her translator. So I think that’s a pretty good example.
Carrie:
Right on. Terry:
And you actually translated.
Carrie:
And at the Rotary club there.
Is there anything that any of you want to add?
Well, I just think as parents you want your kids to be participants in the things that are important, and so that can include being a democrat—small “d”—being involved in democracy. So, you know, if you want your kids to drive well, you have to model good driving. And if you want your kids to read well, you have to model reading. And if you want your kids to love sports, you have to take them to sports. And if you want your kids to be involved in politics and work on issues, you have to model that. And that doesn’t have to be a big project, but it’s one of those things you can take opportunities to do.
Terry:
What an intriguing way to explain that idea. … If you want your children to be sports fans, you take them to sporting events. It’s not necessarily that it’s a big to-do. It’s just that it’s a part of daily life. So if you want your children to be civically engaged adults, you involve them—in the same way you’d take them to a baseball game.
So that’s the normalization. You know, like what are your values? So we have value around the content that she was representing. But we also have the big value in the process. Ω
Adrienne:
Oh, wait, where did you join your grandmother? Carrie:
Costa Rica
Oh, so not just to Virginia. You didn’t just lend assistance from stateside. The Rotary club went to Costa Rica, and you got to be the translator. Neat. Adrienne: At the school and with the person who was responsible for driving them.
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a social media skeptic reviews civic engagement apps
T
echnically, I’m a millennial, but spiritually I’m a baby boomer. I have workaholic tendencies, harbor a deep mistrust of social media and a big love for blended vegetables. When it comes to volunteering, give me a slow burn—I’d rather commit to the same thing for 10 years than skip around. That’s why I was a little wary when RN&R Special Projects Editor Jeri Chadwell-Singley suggested a round-up of civic engagement apps. But I decided to suck it up and update my iPhone, download a dozen apps, and rate them according to science. Points were given on a scale from 1-10 in three categories—design interface, usability and feelings—for a total possible score of 30. In the end, there were winners, losers and two apps that will stay on my iPhone for the next decade.
Citizen sCienCe apps
City government apps
X
X
Globe Observer: report cloud conditions to NASA
Globe Observer was created by NASA, so it is exactly what you’d expect—straightforward and heavy on the text. All of the designed elements feel like afterthoughts. Usability: 5/10 A lot of the basic features in this app are clunky, from opening to navigating to taking photos of clouds within the app. However, the user experience gets better once you figure out how to submit data and sign up to get notifications for satellite flyovers. This app also offers a realtime map of global cloud cover. Feelings: 5/10 I wanted to love this app, but it could really benefit from some design upgrades. With fixes, Globe Observer could be great for science classrooms that want to contribute to climate change data. Design Interface: 3/10
Total: 13/30 Pros: Real scientists look at your data. Cons: NASA needs more funding for
app design.
X
Lake Tahoe Citizen Science: report conditions at Lake Tahoe
The app has a simple homepage with attractive photos of Lake Tahoe. Cute animations pop up when you submit your data. This app is objectively better designed than Globe Observer. Usability: 9/10 The app gives you four distinct areas to learn about and report on—algae, local species, water quality and beach conditions—and automatically geo-tags your location when you submit observations. Bonus: there’s also a point system that is highly motivating. Feelings: 7/10 This is a worthwhile app if you live up at the lake; however, I was kind of hoping to see how my observations fit into the larger pool of research. Design Interface: 8/10
Total: 24/30 Pros: It’s super pretty. Cons: More context, please.
City of Reno: receive information about the City of Reno
There’s a nice Ken Burns photo effect on the home screen, but it reads more like a website that has been shrunken down into an app. Usability: 2/10 It’s glitchy and awkward, with lots of links that go nowhere. The only interactivity this app offers is the capability to “chat” (but you have to submit a contact form first) or to “report an issue” (but you have to sign up or login first). The audio on council meeting videos didn’t work for me, either. Feelings: 2/10 There is no reason for this app to exist. Basically, it’s a landing page for assorted buggy Wordpress widgets. Design Interface: 3/10
Total: 7/30 Pros: The City of Reno tried. Cons: They really shouldn’t have.
X
MyRPD: report crime and make official requests of the Reno Police Department
Design Interface: 10/10 The app features color-blocking, simple logos and swipeable sections that make for an intuitive interface. Usability: 9/10 There is a lot of information on this app, but it’s not overwhelming because the setup is seamless. Each section expands into its own map, report form, directory or informational text cloud. A word of warning: it is very possible to get sucked into a “Sex Offender Registry” or “Area Incident” wormhole, but I guarantee this is counterproductive to your actual safety. Feelings: 4/10 Overall, this is a great app, but I have mixed feelings about myRPD. It may not healthy for those of us who have paranoid tendencies. Also, for all of the transparency built into this app, there are no statistics on police incidents or shootings. Total: 23/30 Pros: The design is killer. Cons: Leaving some parts
out.
Cynic
engagement by Josie Luciano
volunteer opportunity apps
national politiCs apps X
X
GiveGab: get matched with volunteer opportunities
It has clean, bold, non-threatening colors. It also has irritating, gumdrop-shaped cartoon people everywhere. Usability: 5/10 The app has good transitions and an accessible homepage—not bad if your goal is to find service opportunities and network with other volunteers. Occasionally, it crashes when opening. Feelings: 1/10 Despite its positives as a volunteer-matching service, GiveGab is always going to be the app that forced me to take a bathroom timeout at Safeway to avoid smashing my phone into a bajillion pieces. This app manages to encompass the worst things about volunteering—oversharing and guilt-based interactions—while also providing an inadvertent symbol of everything that is wrong with humanity. (The gumdrop-shaped cartoons have sad faces if you don’t add any connections to your network.) Also, am I a bad person if I think it’s crazy to want to talk to people you don’t know just because they also happen to volunteer? Design Interface: 6/10
Total: 12/30 Pros: You
can find volunteer opportunities. Cons: Screaming into the void.
Ballot: track your support for bills in Congress
It has a minimalist design with salmon orange accents—heavy on the button-clicking, light on the scrolling function. Usability: 5/10 Ballot might be too simple. “Voting” in this app is as straightforward as it gets. You choose three issues you care about and then “oppose” or “support” the specific bills associated with them. But the timing of when the bills are being voted on is unclear, as is whether or not there is any in-app follow-up once bills go to the floor. Feelings: 6/10 I liked how easy it was to do my civic duty with this app, but ultimately I left Ballot with more questions than answers. When I “vote” on a bill, how is this information presented to my representatives? Why aren’t women’s issues, LGBTQ rights, or the arts listed as topics to subscribe to? Why can’t I add or change the issues I’m tracking? And because there is no “About” section in this app, we’ll never know. Design Interface: 8/10
Total: 19/30 Pros: It’s nice ’n’ easy. Cons: Questionable impact.
X
5 Calls: track issues and make calls to your representatives
There are no frills, but that’s OK. The vaguely patriotic color scheme and shades-of-gray text layout are easy on the eyes. Design Interface: 9/10 It looks and operates Usability: 8/10 This app makes it simple to like Facebook. get in, make your calls and get out. For those Usability: 9/10 Events makes it easy to create, RSVP and post about events within the of us who are new to this sort of thing, 5 Calls has a script that is very helpful. The only snag Facebook universe. My only complaint is the I encountered came during my first phone app’s tendency to list “trending” or “nearby” call, when I clicked on the button to contact happenings at the top of your feed instead of Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke (about listing them chronologically. protecting National Parks & Monuments) and Feelings: 10/10 There aren’t enough words had a moment of panic when the call went to describe how much I love FB Events. This to voicemail before I could navigate back to app takes everything good about Facebook (events) and blocks out everything from Hades the script. Luckily, I knew my own name and address so I was able to buy some time. (timelines). Compared to GiveGab, it’s a Feelings: 9/10 I now voluntarily make calls more natural space to stumble upon volunteer to my members of Congress because of this opportunities as well as chat with other users. app. It’s not as easy as Ballot, but at least you Total: 28/30 know you’re being heard. Pros: It’s practically perfect in every way. Total: 25/30 Cons: Nothing of note. Pros: It might be outside of your comfort zone. Cons: It might be outside of your comfort zone. Ω
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Design Interface: 8/10
Facebook Events: find events, including volunteer opportunities
05.11.17
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The
Civics-themed books
moral
by Jeri Chadwell-Singley | j e ri c @ne w s re v i e w . co m
I am America
R
eading is good for kids—obviously, right? Books broaden children’s horizons and teach them lessons. But how often do we stop to consider what those lessons are? Take, for example, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. It’s a best seller. And it’s the perfect book to give to any child whom you hope will grow up fearing altruism and embracing a distaste for social welfare. The lessons each of us want to pass on to future generations will vary, no doubt. Still, this short list of books isn’t a bad place to start looking for ideas.
This 2003 book from Charles R. Smith, Jr. is a good tool for introducing young children to ideas about cultural and religious diversity. It’s full of photographs showing children of different racial and ethnic backgrounds doing all sorts of different things, from eating to playing music. The photos are accompanied by short, poetic descriptions of the people in them—things like, “I am jet black hair/I am olive skin/I am my grandfather’s dimples framing my chin.” For more advanced readers, consider Smith’s Brick by Brick. The book tells the true story of the slaves who helped build the White House in the 1790s. It’s written in Smith’s easy, rhyming verse but tackles the horrors of slavery in a direct manner, while also acknowledging the immense talents slaves brought to the building of one of our nation’s most prominent symbols. X Charles R. Smith, Jr.’s books are on Amazon and Indie Bound: http://bit.ly/2pGLxeJ
Further awesome— at least tangentially CiviCs-related— readings:
Serving on a Jury This is one of several books Sarah De Capua has written for the True Books: Civics series, which presents adult responsibilities—like voting, taxes and jury duty—in a kid-friendly way. The photos are professional courtroom shots, and the author does a good job of giving straightforward explanations of the jury duty process—from the summons letter, to reasons a person might be excused from duty, to what happens when jurors take their seats in the box. The good news is, if the kids in your life like this one, there are more than 40 other books from De Capua for them to read—including several more from the True Books: Civics series as well as books on different Native American tribes and books on other countries. They’re generally a safe bet for readers between about 9 and 13 years old, depending on their reading proficiency.
Life Among the Paiutes: Their Wrongs and Claims
by Sarah Winnemucca Travels with Charley in Search of America
by John Steinbeck The Gault Case: Legal Rights for Young People
by Thomas J. Billitteri Cecil Poole: A Life in the Law
by James Haskins The Flip: Turn Your World Around!
by Jared Rosen and David Rippe America’s Constitution: A Biography
by Akhil Reed Amar The Scopes Monkey Trial
by Randy Moore and William McComas
X Sarah De Capua’s books are on Amazon: http:// amzn.to/2q05hNE
So You Want to be President?
by Judith St. George Maniac Magee
by Jerry Spinelli
Freedom’s Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories
This book from Ellen Levine documents the stories of 30 black people who were young in the 1950s and ’60s, during the Civil Rights movement in the South. All of the stories are told in firstperson, through the eyes of the people who lived them—including people who participated as Freedom Riders on segregated interstate buses and those who took part in lunch counter sit-ins. The subject matter is at times quite heavy, but the book should be good for most readers whose comprehension is at a sixth grade-level or above. One of the best things about Levine’s book is that it tells the stories of everyday people who are not famous for their involvement in the Civil Rights movement. This illustrates beautifully for young readers their power to affect change in the world around them. For the young environmentalist in your life, consider Levine’s Up Close: Rachel Carson—a well-researched biography on the biologist and author whose warnings about pesticides played a role in the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. X Ellen Levine’s books are on Amazon: http://amzn. to/2pyVFbh
Under the Blood-Red Sun There are many books about Japanese internment camps in the United States during World War II. This one, by Graham Salisbury, is a historical fiction novel (and was a favorite of this writer when it was new). Geared toward young teenagers, the book takes readers inside the life of Tomikazu “Tomi” Nakaji, a Japanese-American teenager living in Hawaii before and after the war. The plot describes the persecution of Tomi’s family—including his father and grandfather, who are taken to a prison camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The book is quite heavy as it broaches topics of cultural heritage and racism, but readers will find some comfort in passages about Tomi’s friends and the baseball games he plays with them. These lessons in friendship are among the most powerful in the book. Salisbury also wrote The Eyes of the Emperor. Another World War II historical fiction, it recounts the experiences Eddy Okana, a Japanese-American who alters his birth certificate to join the Army at 16. X Graham Salisbury’s books are on Amazon: http:// amzn.to/2qGOYl3
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X Kathleen Krull’s books are on Amazon: http://amzn. to/2qAWFKc
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
X This and other books from James W. Loewen are on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2q0u9ot Ω
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James W. Loewen originally set out to survey a dozen of the top American history textbooks but instead ended up writing this exposé on the inaccuracies, falsehoods and Eurocentric views espoused in what were 12 of the most popular textbooks used in classrooms during the mid-1990s. Lies my Teacher Told Me won the 1996 American Book Award. It also took home the Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for Distinguished Anti-Racist Scholarship. While it’s written for an audience of advanced readers, it may be worth discussing its content with younger children. Part of the joy of this book comes from the shock it can cause readers who may be unaware of their own skewed views of history. So, in lieu of spoilers, here’s a quote to whet your appetite: “So long as our textbooks hide from us the roles that people of color have played in exploration, from at least 6000 BC to the twentieth century, they encourage us to look to Europe and its extensions as the seat of all knowledge and intelligence. So long as they say ‘discover,’ they imply that whites are the only people who really matter. So long as they simply celebrate Columbus, rather than teach both sides of his exploit, they encourage us to identify with white Western exploitation rather than study it.”
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Kathleen Krull wrote this book about a woman whose story is unknown to a surprising number of people, despite the fact that she was purported to be the first woman to own a newspaper, speak before Congress, and have a seat on the stock exchange. She was also the first woman to make a bid for president, in 1872. (Some delegates to the National Woman’s Suffrage Association convention that year supported Woodhull and nominated Frederick Douglass as her running mate, although he never acknowledged the nomination.) As many reviewers have noted, the book isn’t perfect. It glosses over the more scandalous parts of Woodhull’s life, but this is probably OK for the intended audience— kids in third grade and up.
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7000 Dandini Blvd, Reno, NV 89512 775-674-7515, www.tmcc.edu/childcare 05.11.17
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13
PLAN ahead
The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada encourages political engagement for all ages
by Tim PrenTiss
I
wasn’t present when my six-year-old daughter asked her mother why she was wearing a cat T-shirt to the Women’s March back in January. (“Pussy grabs back!” I think it said.) But her curiosity about this odd garment reportedly led to a discussion that was both frank and framed in terms she could understand. The next day, my daughter shared with her grandparents the conclusions she had drawn regarding Donald Trump: “He’s not just mean to people,” she explained. “He’s also mean to cats.” So, she didn’t entirely get it. Still, as a parent who wants to foster a concern for social issues, it’s important to have these discussions and, more importantly, show that political engagement matters. The desire to instill this value, however, can sometimes conflict with my self-imposed mandate to never tell a child what opinions she should have. (Which, as an effete liberal, I really do consider a form of abuse.) Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada outreach coordinator Monique Normand, who sees her job as primarily educational, similarly avoids telling children what to think. “I want kids to figure it out for themselves,” she said. PLAN was founded in 1994 in an attempt to foster collaboration between various, sometimes competing, liberal advocacy organizations. As a 501(c)(3) organization, PLAN is barred from partisan politicking. Which basically means they cannot endorse political parties or candidates. They are, however, allowed to carry on educational activities and a certain amount of lobbying. During this current session of the Nevada Legislature, the group’s legislative priorities include raising the minimum wage, enacting automatic voter registration, and changing water allocation policy. While they have no programs that specifically cater to children or families, Normand points to several opportunities for involvement for people of all ages. Every other month, PLAN hosts PLAN 101, which Normand said is appropriate for high school aged kids and older. The program is intended as a sort of introduction to PLAN and an orientation for potential volunteers. The next PLAN 101 is at 1 p.m. on May 28 at the Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. Once every two months, they also host political education training on varying topics. These, Normand said, have been attended by high school students as well as retirees who have suddenly become galvanized by our very strange, current political moment.
Ongoing volunteer opportunities include helping with voter registration drives and testifying at the state legislature. Normand points out that citizens are able to testify in the state legislature—you don’t have to be a lobbyist—and that high school students have done so on a number of bills. For younger children, PLAN attempts to at least begin the process of political engagement with community rallies. Normand draws a distinction between the “protests” and the “rallies” PLAN organizes. While children are welcome at both, the former address specific issues, often target specific legislators, and can become somewhat confrontational. The latter are less likely to be issue-specific and usually feature music and activities for kids. “We talk about issues and things we want changed, but it’s more about encouraging each other,” she said of PLAN’s rallies. On May Day, for instance, PLAN hosted an event at Miguel Ribera Park. Children were probably drawn there less by the political significance and more by the colorful banners, Paiute drummers, painting stations and a mariachi band. Of course, there were speakers addressing issues of workers’ rights and immigration. For young children, the political content should at best be the beginning of a conversation with their parents. Normand doesn’t have any intention to indoctrinate children. “I feel like that’s the parents’ job, if they want their children to have a certain view about something,” she said. “For me, it’s more about educating on the issues.” But what may be more important than the specific education content, is simply the exposure to the environment of grassroots political engagement—to show children a place where people gather to affect how our society functions, and to instill a belief that their voices matter. That may sound like a small thing, but it’s actually crucial to the survival of democracy. Regardless of what opinions our children come to in their adulthood—whether they end up as liberals or conservatives— what matters is they see that government isn’t just something that’s imposed on them, but is instead a collaboration between themselves and other actual people—their neighbors, their friends, people they see at the park. Because without that belief, a democracy can’t survive. Ω
OngOIng vOlunteer OppOrtunItIes Include helpIng wIth vOter regIstratIOn drIves and testIfyIng at the state legIslature
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X For more information, visit www.planevada.org.
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