Engaging Students in Lived Civics, the Social Contract & Public Life

We have created an innovative design for a civics course, that is interdisciplinary, experiential, and rooted in both political theory and the lived experiences of students. This paper outlines the rationale, pedological approach, theoretical support, and resources involved in developing in implementing our course. Theoretically we root this course in an interrogation of the social contract in the United States. Moving to the personal and practical skill building, the course centers the lives of students through the Lived Civics approach, which embraces the experiences of each student in their various communities as examples of civic knowledge and valuable experience. The design of this course is built on a flexible structure that is designed to teach and explore civics through an interdisciplinary approach. The interdisciplinary nature of the course also contributes to a community of teacher-scholars, dedicated to quality civic education, that can emerge and grow within the college or university.