#MA Civics for All

The Civics Project Trust Fund will ensure that schools have the resources to provide every young person in the Commonwealth with high-quality civic education necessary to be participants in our democracy.

The budget amendment has strong support from the House, and will be introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, May 8th. 

Want to advocate for the amendment and make your voice heard? Contact Senate Ways and Means Chair, Michael Rodrigues; Senate Ways and Means Vice Chair, Cindy Friedman; Senate Education Committee Chair, Jason Lewis; and/or your local Senator.

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Boston and Gateway Cities

Last month, we celebrated another successful season of after school programming in Boston, Lawrence, Lowell, and Worcester. The success of our Stand Up For Your Rights and spring Mock Trial programs wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated school partners, volunteer attorneys, and middle school students-turned-lawyers.

Match Middle School Students from Team Foley and Lardner with the Honorable Andrew R. Grainger at “An Evening to Stand Up For Your Rights” in Boston.
Forest Grove Middle School students with the Honorable Timothy S. Hillman and volunteer attorneys from Middlesex Corporation and Mirick O’Connell at “An Evening of Mock Trials” in Worcester.
Henry J. Robinson Middle School students with the Honorable Leslie Donahue at “An Evening of Mock Trials” in Lowell. The team was mentored by volunteer attorneys Scott Hulgan, Sarah Spofford, and Daryl Zule.
Guilmete Middle School students with the Honorable Mark Newman and volunteers from the Law Office of Sandra Gutierrez and the Law Office of Joanna Rodriguez at “An Evening of Mock Trials” in Lawrence.
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An Evening to Stand Up for your Rights

In the spring of 2016, approximately 3,500 BPS students successfully staged a classroom walk-out in protest of public school budget cuts. We’re excited to announce that members of the UMass Boston Practicum Community Research Project on the 2016 BPS Student Walk-out Movement will be speaking at An Evening To Stand Up For Your Rights on Tuesday, May 21st.

Andrew King, a PhD Candidate in Public Policy, McCormack Graduate School at UMass Boston, Mariette Bien-Aime Ayala, a Research Assistant and PhD Candidate in Urban Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies at UMass Boston, and BPS student walk-out leaders will discuss their experiences and speak to the impact of youth-led social change.

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Congratulations to the Winners of our Essay Contest!

We’re excited to announce that two students have been selected to read their essays on leadership and activism at our upcoming gala, and present the 2019 Champions of Justice award to Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (above) and Conan Harris.

Congratulations to Sapna Malhotra, a second grader from the Eliot School, and Essence Smith, a junior from Excel Academy Charter High School, for their passion and hard work! Hear what they have to say at “Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Leaders” on Friday, May 31st at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter.

“Across this nation, young people are leading the way, which has been the case for every social movement throughout our history. They are organizing and mobilizing and calling us to action, making plain the high stakes the next generation faces, from gun violence to climate change to the future of work to the solvency of social security” – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
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Looking for Volunteers

We’re looking for volunteer docents to conduct tours on the following dates. Please contact Johnny Sadoff at jsadoff@discoveringjustice.flywheelsites.com if you’re interested and available!

  • Wednesday, May 22nd – 11:00am-12:00pm – Weston Council on Aging
  • Tuesday, May 29th – 10:30am-11:30am – German International School
  • Wednesday, May 29th – 2:00pm-3:00pm – The Boston Lawyers Group

A huge thank you to all of the incredible volunteers who worked with us in April:

Kevin Boyle, Zeta Crawford, Pascal David, Julia-Jonas Day, Betsy Gabrielson, Kathryn Gillis, Lauren Godles-Milgroom, Carolyn Hoffman, Sam Hurst-Macdonald, Lisa Jacobson, Hervens Jeanbaptiste, Rachel Jellinek, Anastassia Korin, Elaine Leete, Kaleigh Lightbourne, Palmetta Lightbourne, Allyson Lowitz, Claire Nivola, David Pearson, Jane Peachy, Alicia Pierozzi, Linda Robrish, Shawn Rosier, Jasmine Sadeghani, Jessica Sadeghani, Suzanne Schlossberg, and Kevin Wessel

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Civics Bill Signed into Law

On November 8, 2018, Governor Charlie Baker has signed Bill S.2631 into law, giving Massachusetts one of the nation’s most innovative statewide civic education programs. We at Discovering Justice are proud to have played a role in the development of this bill and are excited to help empower a new group of civic leaders!
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Kayla Nordman

Kayla Nordman believes strongly in expanding access to comprehensive civic education to provide the next generation with the resources they need to uphold and expand upon the values of American democracy and create a more equitable future. Before joining Discovering Justice, she worked as a Legislative Intern at the Massachusetts State House and as a Program Manager for the Massachusetts Center for Civic Education. Kayla graduated from Suffolk University with a BA in International Relations.