Why Civics Knowledge Doesn't Necessarily Lead to Civic Participation
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
04/17/26
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In part two of my S5E33 Schoolutions conversation, Colleen O'Brien, Ed.D., reveals what decades of research and classroom teaching experience taught her: the gap between civic knowledge and civic participation isn't apathy, it's confidence.
Colleen and I explore:
🔹 Why low engagement in civic life is really a confidence problem, not an apathy problem
🔹 What inclusive teaching and nonpartisan facilitation actually look like in practice
🔹 How student participation in structured discussion prepares kids for real-world advocacy
🔹 The role of instructional leadership and school culture in making civics education consistent and high quality
💫Make sure to watch Part 1 & Some Episode Mentions:
- Civics for Colorado
- Colorado Youth Advisory Council
- Center for Civic Education
- iCivics
- Bill of Rights Institute
- Street Law
- Common Cause
- "This I Believe"
- More Information & Upcoming Events from Colleen
Chapters
0:00 – Welcome Back & Part 2 Overview
1:45 – Civic Knowledge vs. Civic Behavior: What's the Difference?
4:00 – Civics Education Then vs. Now: What's Changed?
6:20 – The Real Reason People Don't Participate (It's Not Apathy)
7:45 – Building the Bridge: From Understanding Democracy to Showing Up
9:00 – Training Facilitators & Reading the Room
10:45 – How to Model Nonpartisanship When Everything Feels Partisan
12:30 – Teaching Values vs. Teaching Partisanship
14:00 – Where Is Civics Education Headed?
15:30 – What This Journey Taught Colleen About Herself
16:00 – National Resources for Educators Everywhere
17:00 – Closing Takeaways
Next week: What happens when a teacher truly believes in a child? Not just says it, but proves it? Muriel Summers, co-creator of Leader in Me and co-author of Teacher Believed in Me, reveals why entrusting kids with real responsibility is the most powerful thing an adult can do and why holding back might be the most dangerous. You don't want to miss it.
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
In this short, civics educator and doctoral researcher Colleen O'Brien, Ed.D., (Co-Director of Civics for Colorado) shares how a recent Georgetown University survey highlights a crucial point: 90% of youth believe understanding the us government is important. This educational video explores how this strong interest in civics debunks the myth of student apathy. It's clear that fostering democracy begins with informed education, not just textbook knowledge.
In the full part 1 episode, we cover:
- Why civic anxiety (not apathy) is the real barrier to student participation
- How real civic experiences build student confidence and engagement
- Programs like We the People and Project Citizen that are transforming classrooms
- What Justice Anthony Kennedy told a room full of teachers about civic discourse
- Why civics education is uneven across Colorado and what it costs communities
Watch, reflect, and share Part 1 & Part 2 of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E33 interview.
📌 Subscribe for more tools for empowered educators, teacher mentors, school counselors, instructional leaders, and anyone committed to thriving students and school change.
📚 Chapters
- 0:00 The myth of student apathy
- 0:12 What Georgetown's 2025 study actually found
- 0:28 90% of students want to know how government works
- 0:42 93% across party lines agree
- 0:55 Why data matters for funding civics education
- 1:05 What 3,000 students taught one educator
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
📧 Connect with me if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #evidencebased #civicseducation #StudentEngagement #ActiveLearning #InspiringStudents #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalStrategies #TeachingTips #InnovativeTeaching #InclusiveTeaching #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #EducationLeadership #SchoolCulture #FamilyPartnerships #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #InclusiveClassrooms #ProKidMindset #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #EmpoweredEducators #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #ClassroomBelonging #StudentMotivation #ScionsPodcast #CivicsForColorado #DemocracyEducation
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
In part one of my S5E34 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, Muriel Summers of Leader in Me offers life advice and highlights the significant impact of entrusting children with real responsibility. This practice is a powerful, yet often underestimated, tool in child development. Summers, with extensive experience, offers valuable teaching and parenting tips, encouraging a positive parenting approach that fosters growth and confidence in children.
Muriel shares the story of how Oprah Winfrey's third-grade teacher changed her trajectory with a single, small act of trust. She breaks down the difference between handing a child a task versus genuinely entrusting them with responsibility and why that distinction is everything when it comes to student motivation, classroom belonging, and school culture.
We also dig into equity in education because when there's no system in place, the same children keep getting chosen. Muriel explains how instructional leadership and intentional classroom structures ensure every child, not just the confident or compliant ones, gets to feel what it's like to be believed in.
🎧 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:
- Why entrusting kids with responsibility is different from assigning tasks — and why students feel the difference
- How low expectations are the most dangerous thing in a classroom (and what to do instead)
- Why equity in the classroom requires a deliberate system, not good intentions
- How school culture shifts when every child gets a meaningful role
- What Leader in Me schools are doing globally to build inclusive classrooms and family partnerships
- Why discomfort is actually the whole point of empowered learning (preview for Part 2!)
Some Episode Mentions:
➡️Leader in Me
➡️A.B. Combs Magnet Elementary
📑 CHAPTERS
0:00 - Introduction: What Changes a Child's Trajectory?
1:00 - Meet Muriel Summers & Leader in Me
2:00 - The Foundation: 7 Habits & 43 Years in Education
3:30 - Task vs. Responsibility: What's the Difference?
5:00 - Oprah's Third-Grade Teacher & the Power of Trust
7:00 - Every Child Deserves to Feel Trusted
8:00 - Equity in the Classroom: Who Gets Chosen?
9:30 - Individual Gifts & the Good of the Whole Community
10:30 - Global Connections in Leader in Me Schools
11:30 - Lightning Round: Most Dangerous Thing a Teacher Can Do
12:30 - Classroom Roles That Sound Meaningful But Aren't
13:30 - "They're Just Not Ready" — Muriel's Response
14:30 - Preview: Part 2 on Empowering Student Ownership
15:00 - Olivia's 3 Key Takeaways & Call to Action
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect with me at https://www.oliviawahl.com/coaching-consulting if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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