PH International

Applied Civic Education and Teacher Training (ACETT) program for Georgia

Country: Georgia
Category: Educational Development Programs

About

Web Site: http://www.civics.ge

USAID-funded Applied Civic Education and Teacher Training Program (ACETT) was implemented by PH International in partnership with the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC) and 11 regional partner NGOs from 2010 - 2014. The program was also supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.

ACETT worked to improve the quality and scope of school-based civic education as a means to positively influence the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of youth (and, through their example, those of the broader community) as active participants in Georgia’s democratic society. ACETT involved a number of program areas, including curriculum development, teacher training, encouraging and promoting student civic involvement, and strengthening recognition of the importance of civics education. The program reached out to 740 schools, 30% of all schools in Georgia. Successes achieved by the program include the following:

-        development of 50-hour accredited training course for civics teachers titled “Teaching Democratic Citizenship”;

-        passing 813 civics teachers from partner schools through this accredited course and conducting workshops for 736 school principals about the importance of school-based civic education;

-        creating and supporting a National Forum of Civics Teachers, which now brings together more than 500 teachers from all regions of Georgia. Organization aims to advance civics teachers’ professional development, promote experience-sharing among teachers through different activities, which include: trainings and master-classes by American and Georgian experts, civics teacher roundtables to discuss critical professional issues, regional conferences and meetings of civics teachers to share experiences, open lessons in civics and organization of the National Annual Fair-Conference of Civics Teachers.

-       presenting a Best Civics Teachers of the Year Award annually starting from 2012;

-        development of the four sets of supplemental civics textbooks, which were introduced to 740 schools in Georgia. Translation of these materials into Azeri and Armenian for use in schools teaching in these languages;

-        organizing summer civics camps for 1,115 students and teachers; conducting civics integration camps for 200 Georgian and ethnic minority youth to facilitate implementation of joint initiatives;

-        developing a manual for school civics clubs and helping to establish over 500 school-based civics clubs in which students work with partners to resolve the critical issues of their schools and communities;

-        awarding the most successful school-based civics clubs with audio-visual equipment that can be  used to enhance their activities;

-        funding and supporting 555 mini-grant projects that promote civic participation by students and teachers; involving local state and private organizations as contributors in these projects;

-        training 711 young leaders and 53 teachers in the use of social media for civic engagement;

-        training 170 students (and teachers) in debates and public speaking, who then have trained the peers in their respective schools and regions;

-        organizing youth forums with participation of more than 3000 students nationwide to promote involvement of youth in local decision-making processes;

-        and creating a civics and citizenship web portal www.civics.ge which brings together resources and news for about civic education and civic engagement for youth, their teachers and parents; 

Final external evaluation of the program, through which 1,300 respondents were surveyed nationwide, showed that ACETT program achieved its goals successfully. This survey confirmed students have gained important knowledge and practices, through their participation in ACETT program, which are essential for democratic citizenship.