Members of our Civitas Partnership attended the 12th Annual World Conference on Civic Education held in Ifrane, Morocco, May 24 – 30. 2008. The conference was hosted by the Center for Civic Education and the Moroccan Center for Civic Education. Educators representing more than 65 countries and 30 US states met in Casablanca and Ifrane to share ideas and discuss ways to gain the commitment of educators, policymakers, and civil society to civic education programs around the world.

Our partnership was represented in Morocco by Linda Start, Michigan Center for Civic Education, Marcela Maslova, Orava Association for Democratic Education (Slovakia), Jane McConnell, LRE Department of the Oklahoma Bar Association, Barbara Miller and Jackie Johnson, Center for Education in Law and Democracy(Colorado)

New Partnership Lesson/Concurrent Session: The Amazing Race

In this lesson, adapted from the popular TV show, participants examined a variety of events depicting significant steps (forward and backward) toward fulfillment of democratic principles in nations represented in this session.

Looking back at selected “snapshots” in each nation provided opportunities to discuss the underlying principles of democracy. Participants also shared personal reflections and common experiences, enabling deeper understanding about the gains and setbacks of democracy in their respective nations.