Below is a list of suggested activities that will provide you with an opportunity to learn more about how your community operates and encourage you to become a more active participant in your community:
- Read the newspaper and stay informed on local, national and international news
- Attend a city council, town hall or school board meeting
- Volunteer for a local charitable organization
- Write a letter to someone in the military thanking them for their service
- Learn the history and significance of each federal holiday and celebrate these holidays with family and friends
- Write a letter to someone else who works for the government such as a policeman, a judge, a teacher or a bus driver and ask them to tell you all about their job
- Volunteer to clean up a local park or roadway
- Ask someone over the age of 18 about important issues in an upcoming election
- Send a care package to soldiers deployed overseas
- Write a letter to a public official who represents you (on either the local or national level) about an issue that is important to you
- Brainstorm solutions with your friends/classmates about issues you see in your community, then share your ideas with your teachers and parents
- Ask your parent, teacher or another adult to describe their role and responsibilities while serving on jury duty
- Visit a local or federal court and ask to watch a trial
- Familiarize yourself with The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Declaration of Independence and other important national documents
- Ask your parents and teachers about the different levels of taxes and what they help pay for
- Write a note to someone from a different country and ask about their roles and responsibilities as a citizen and how they differ from your own
- Read a book about American history
- Visit a national historic landmark or national monument
- Take a field trip to your state capitol and learn how your local government operates
- Write a letter to a school in a different state and inquire about what makes their school unique and special
- Plan a trip to visit one of many national parks in our country
- Visit a local museum or cultural center
