“Government of the people, by the people, for
the people, shall not perish from the earth”
WELCOME
Welcome to the Democracy Project of Transylvania, Inc. (DPT)! We are a civics education project that began partnering with the middle schools of Transylvania County, NC, in 2017. Brevard Academy, Brevard Middle School, Mountain Sun School and Rosman Middle School have all actively participated, helping us celebrate democracy around a central theme for the year. Our goal is to engage people of all ages and political views to learn more about how our government works. Representatives of the community visit each school to share their stories of civic engagement, (or during a pandemic, present speeches online) after which students develop projects that illustrate the year’s theme. When projects have been submitted, either virtually or physically, a panel of judges will evaluate and score them. There will be recognition and a cash award for one overall student project award winner. In addition, each of the four participating schools will have its top three individual projects selected for cash awards as well as its top three group projects. The teacher teams in each school will also be recognized, and the school receives a cash award to be used for civic education. An Awards Celebration is held where the projects are displayed. In addition, a number of students will be invited to perform or to introduce their project for viewing.
“A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?”
DEMOCRACY PROJECT OF TRANSYLVANIA, Inc.
VISION STATEMENT
The Democracy Project will explore ways of engaging people of all ages and political views to learn more about how our government works at the local, state and national levels. We will create opportunities, beginning with our students and representatives of the community, to explore who we are as individuals and citizens, to hear each other’s stories and to have ongoing conversations about shared visions for our community and country. Our goal is affirmation of teaching, of listening to students, of empowering students making it possible for them to explore their ideas of citizenship . We want to work with them to encourage members of our community of all ages to fall in love with our democracy.
“I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”
DEMOCRACY PROJECT OF TRANSYLVANIA, Inc.
MISSION STATEMENT
Members of the steering committee, who are mostly current and former school teachers and administrators, will work to connect the theme for the projects with the curriculum objectives for the state of North Carolina. Our goal is to enhance and support the classroom teachers.
Democracy Project of Transylvania (DPT) will:
● Collaborate with middle schools in the county to schedule local civic leaders and professionals who will speak, virtually or in person, to 6th , 7th and/or 8th grade classrooms, telling their own stories of civic engagement and how they have experienced “speaking out” in various settings in their lives.
● Emphasize life experiences that made them who they are and the impact of those experiences on how they work within the community.
Focus on NC Essential Standards Eighth Grade Social Studies: analyzing different viewpoints and access to democratic rights and freedoms; understand the ways in which conflict, compromise, and negotiation have shaped North Carolina and the United States; understand the role that citizen participation plays in societal change; understand how different cultures influence North Carolina and the United States; analyze how democratic ideals shaped local, state and national governments.
A broad spectrum of projects will be encouraged. The committee will provide additional support for students as they develop them. In the spring, the projects will be judged by a panel chosen by the committee and celebrated at an awards event.