Civic education is rapidly changing in Indonesia thanks to the partnership between the U.S.-based Center for Civic Education and the Center for Civic Education Indonesia. CCEI trains university lecturers who then train teachers in how to instruct civics courses by having students apply solutions to community problems. This more interactive method differs from the old standard, which stressed memorizing laws and regulations.

The new methods were highlighted over the weekend at the World Congress on Civic Education, an annual event produced by the Center for Civic Education and held this year in Jakarta. Students, including a twenty-four–member delegation from an Indonesian middle school, gave presentations to civic educators and government representatives from around the world.

A California-born surfer with a penchant for public service and education has wound up a top civics educator.

Incline High School teacher Milton Hyams brings his passion for civic education to the classroom, motivating his students to become engaged citizens. His work earned him a 2010 American Civic Education Teacher Award.

Hyams is one of three ACETA recipients this year. He is joined by Tamara Johnson, of Kettle Moraine High School in Wisconsin, and Jackie Viana, of Hialeah Gardens Middle School in Florida.

American Airlines Flight 191 crashed near O’Hare Airport 31 years ago, killing 273 people. No memorial exists for the victims and families affected by the deadliest plane crash in American history.

That will change if a class of sixth graders from Decatur Classical Elementary gets its way. Using the Project Citizen program, the students constructed a website and a documentary wherein they interviewed affected families from the crash.

An eighth-grade humanities class in Chatham, Massachusetts, has developed a set of policies to reduce the use of consumables on school campuses. The initiatives were developed through the Project Citizen program and involved not only edging closer to the paperless office movement, but also reducing the use of plastic water bottles and disposable utensils.

Cutting the use of colored paper–which is often not recyclable–can save $100 a year at one middle school alone, the students found.

Illinois teens took to the University Center of Lake County to address issues such as secondhand smoke and texting while driving at the Lake County Middle School Project Citizen Showcase.

Edgewood Middle School students looked at texting while driving in their project, Disable the Texter in You.

"It has become a greater problem in recent years," student Emily Nielson noted during the class presentation. "You look around and most people have cell phones with them at all times."

Tamara Johnson is constantly looking to practical life to engage her Kettle Moraine High School students. The Wisconsin educator also brings her passion for government and politics to the classroom.

Johnson's enthusiasm has inspired her students to go on to West Point, to serve as political aides, and to work in government service. Her commitment to educating and motivating informed citizens led to her selection as a 2010 American Civic Education Teacher Awards recipient.

It’s not everyday that middle schoolers get to vote on the floor of their state legislative building. That opportunity went to students from Cleveland Middle School in Cleveland, Tennessee, as part of their visit to Nashville, where they also competed in the state’s Project Citizen showcase event.

“It is always a great thrill to welcome the next generation of Tennessee leaders to the Chamber,” said state representative Kevin Brooks, who represents Cleveland. “We discussed, debated and voted on a number of interesting topics chosen by the CMS students.”

The class representing Oregon at this year’s We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals got to turn the tables and ask questions of a judge—Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Will Emmons, a Lincoln High School sophomore, penned a column for The Oregonian, recounting the meeting with Sotomayor and other highlights of the trip to the nation's capital.

In 2008, only 56.8 percent of eligible people voted in the November election. Evansville Bar Association member Dirck H. Stahl believes that education, like the We the People and Project Citizen programs, can increase our involvement in public affairs.

”I have seen these programs in action and I have witnessed the eagerness with which students learn about their government and about their roles in civic life,” he said.

”With our help and encouragement, we will see not only more voters but better voters as well.”

Preventing animal cruelty and neglect isn’t typical curriculum for a government class. But one group of students at Bluffton High School in Bluffton, South Carolina, has turned that cause into a public policy proposal calling for mandatory background checks to adopt a pet.

The students were participating for the first time in the We the People: Project Citizen program, taking the top spot at the state showcase event. Their teacher, Laura Gottardo, said the program was more challenging but more rewarding than teaching straight out of a book.

Ashtin Bellamy, a student in the class, agreed. “This was about our opinions, not just finding something in the book,” she said.

The students at Incline High School in the border town of Incline Village, Nev., fought hard at the 2010 We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals. Though they did not make the final round, they were busy taking in the nation’s capital and rubbing elbows with senior government officials—all valuable experiences in becoming inspired, involved citizens.

“The competition is the perfect vehicle for developing proactive citizens,” said team coach Milton Hyams. “It prepares them for life and helps them realize that intelligent and reasonable involvement in our democracy is essential.”

The South Carolina Bar Association honored eighth graders from York One Academy as the school took first place at the state’s We the People: Project Citizen showcase event. The alternative school’s policy report focused on the problems of sending text messages from a mobile phone while driving.

Math and science teacher Teresa LaValle was one of eight teachers who worked on this year’s Project Citizen curriculum at York One Academy. “We think our school’s success is due to our teamwork,” she said.

Students from Reno, Nevada, learned just how effective they can be at securing a public voice. As its first endeavor into public life, the team from O’Brien Middle School presented research on four-day school weeks at the Project Citizen Nevada showcase.

Team members also said they’ve learned valuable lessons about teamwork. “When we work together, we’re able to get more information,” said student Justin Adkison.