Bill > S249

This bill mandates that the department of elementary and secondary education, working with a newly established youth advisory committee, create model curriculum units for schools. These units will cover topics like how local, state, and federal governments function, the history of social movements, current events, and community action projects, all designed to align with existing history and social science education standards. The youth advisory committee, composed of representatives from various youth councils and organizations such as the Governor's Youth Council, State Student Advisory Council, Special Commission on Civic Engagement and Learning, and Teens Leading The Way, will be consulted throughout the development and evaluation process. Furthermore, every public school district will be required to offer a civic education program, which could take various forms like a course or a model United Nations simulation, and each of these programs must conclude with a voter registration drive to give all students the chance to register to vote.