The Citizen and the World

THE CITIZEN AND THE WORLD Rumsey Creates Better Citizens Within

L to R: Students at the Bryan Memorial Town Hall, Washington CT; “Blue Dog Mock Election” November, 2016; Students at the 44th New York Infantry Monument in Gettysburg, PA

As we navigate through the changing global world of the 21st century, we have an obligation to teach students how to become active citizens and what their rights and responsibilities are as vital members of both small and large communities, cities, states, countries and the world. During this past Fall Term a new course was introduced to Rumsey’s Upper School curriculum, The Citizen and the World, to help raise awareness about the importance of citizenship. The class, developed for VII th Form students, examines the constitutional framework of the United States, American economic and foreign policy and the history of civil rights. Students learn to think critically about the role of the individual citizen within these contexts by reflecting on lessons learned from the past while considering the significance of taking active roles in shaping the outcomes of current events.

Civic engagement begins at home— its meaning better understood if it is experienced first hand. During the presidential election season, students studied the Electoral College, the science of polling and the democratic process. The class visited the Town Hall in Washington, CT to learn about the voting process and how democracy works at the civic level, inspiring the students to organize their own “Blue Dog Mock Election” on Election Day, November 8th. Students played the roles of pollsters and the press, encouraging all in the community to cast their ballots. The following day the results were shared at Morning Meeting.

The Winter Term began with a study of the concept of individual liberties and the role the Bill of Rights plays in protecting them. Students examined and discussed current events relevant to this topic and were encouraged to consider opposing arguments and develop their own individual positions. The class examined the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws in the United States. The meaning of the Thirteenth Amendment was discussed and students learned about the convict leasing and peonage systems that took shape after the Civil War. The class then read Steve Sheinkin’s work of historical nonfiction, The Port Chicago 50, a book describing segregation in the military during WWII. The Winter Term concluded with an examination of the Civil Rights movement in the fifties and sixties with discussions focused on the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the centrality of African American voting rights to the movement.

To extend the learning experience beyond the classroom, a four-day trip during Spring Recess was organized for students to Washington, DC to visit sites of national importance. In addition to seeing the original US Constitution displayed at the National Archives, an awe-inspiring tour of the US Capitol brought the group to the heart of government to observe lawmakers in action. Students explored the new National Museum of African American History & Culture and viewed a special exhibit on Civil Rights telling the story of the struggle for racial justice through historic newspapers and magazines at The Newseum, a museum dedicated to the education of first Amendment freedoms. A final stop at Gettysburg National Military Park, PA brought students to the battlefield that defined the outcome of the Civil War.

Students sit at the Lincoln Memorial, looking across the National Mall at the Washington Monument

Through analyzing developing events in the world and drawing parallels with historical events, students learn how to become change agents in a dynamic and increasingly connected global village.

This Spring Term will cover topics about US Foreign Policy and individual rights around the world as well as introducing the topic of today’s refugee crisis.