Right now is a “virtual advocacy day” for Massachusetts S.2375, “an act to promote and enhance civic engagement. I’m doing my bit by blogging in support of the law–which will also need an adequate appropriation. The bill would:

• Require that all public schools teach American history and civics education in accordance with the History and Social Science Curriculum Framework.
•  Establish a “Civics Project Fund,” which shall be used by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to implement the various requirements of the bill (including offering professional development and developing model curriculum). The fund will consist of appropriations and donated funds.
• Mandate that every student in the Massachusetts public school system have the
  opportunity to participate in at least 2 student-led civics projects, at least one of which
  would be completed after 8th grade and would be a graduation requirement. Projects may be individual, small group, class-wide, or as part of required coursework.
• Allow DESE, subject to resources, to establish regional civics councils to monitor and
  provide resources for civics education implementation throughout the commonwealth.
  DESE may also hold annual conventions for such regional councils to meet and assess
  the state of civics education, share best practices, and make recommendations to the
  Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE).
• Require DESE, subject to resources, to create tools aligned with the History and Social
  Sciences Curriculum Framework to support districts in implementation .
• Require DESE, subject to resources, to establish the “Edward Moore Kennedy and Edward William Brooke III Civics Challenge,” which shall be available to all eighth-grade public school students. Student participants will present civics projects for evaluation and recognition.
• Direct the Secretary of the Commonwealth to establish a “High School Voter Challenge” in which every public high school may nominate one or more students to serve as voter outreach coordinators. Designated “high school voter challenge weeks” will be used to hold voter registration drives for students who are eligible to register or pre-register to vote. The Secretary will also be responsible for disseminating information to cities and towns to promote youth membership on municipal boards, committees and commissions.
• Require BESE to provide opportunities for educators to receive professional development.
• Require DESE to convene a commission to develop a proposal for the establishment of a civic education and public service program for Massachusetts youth.
• Require DESE to conduct a study on the implementation of the act.

See also: the first “civic ed” bill: 1642; my exchange with Beth Rubin about policy for civics; and new overview of civic education