The
MiCivics Coalition
because nourishing the roots of democracy requires all of us
Purpose
Like the tree of 40 fruit, each one of us has our unique expressions within our democracy. Our goal as a society and as a coalition, is to ensure the health of the tree. A tree can only flourish when its roots are firmly planted - for us that means rooted in principles of Constitutional democracy with as many opportunities to practice the skills and dispositions. Understanding multiple perspectives come together to nourish the soil of democracy.
Desired Future State
The MiCivics Coalition desires a future where every person has the learning opportunities, skills, and pathways to meaningfully participate in civic life. The Coalition cultivates civic education champions in all communities for a more robust and vibrant civic society.
Evolution
Michigan’s future is a reflection of what we teach and what civic education opportunities exist today. That sentiment brought numerous concerned individuals together to begin dialogue on Michigan’s civic future.
Starting with dialogue, interviews, focus groups, and collaboration, the group began to identify itself as the MiCivics Coalition. The evolving vision of the MiCivics Coalition is to create a Michigan where every person has the opportunities, knowledge, and skills to participate meaningfully in the civic life of their communities. To do so, the group concentrates on three working areas: education, outreach, and policy. The MiCivics Coalition seeks to cultivate civic education champions in the State of Michigan and empower them to act towards the vision of a more robust and meaningful civic experience for our students.
At the same time as Michigan’s intentional collaboration and cooperation was developing steam with additional partners and goals, CivXNow was concurrently creating its own coalition work at the national and state levels to support civic education goals. MiCivics has continued to grow with support of CivicXNow field work. Supporting listening tours and collective cooperation, the Coalition seeks to continuously grow in scope, representation, and reach.
Listening Tour Findings
Understanding the Civic Education Michiganders Want
Throughout 2022, MiCivics Coalition members began a series of 8 listening tours through Upper and Lower Michigan. Future plans are to expand the scope in order to hear from all Michiganders about their preferred civic futures.
Preliminary Data & Outcomes - Pathways for the Future of Civic Education These trends emerged which provide opportunities to operationalize the needs of Michiganders.
The five emerging themes are:
Greater emphasis and resources for teaching state, local, and community civics and provide more local civic engagement opportunities.
Greater investment in K-8, especially K-5 civic knowledge. Reimagine embedding all other disciplines through a strong civics lens.
Greater emphasis on place based and experiential learning to bring civics to life and to demystify political participation.
Greater breadth and depth of teacher, administrator, and community civics knowledge, practices, and engagement.
Significantly greater financial investment in civic education and civic communities with a focus on those areas identified here.
The 2024 Civic Education Summit
Cultivating Civic Champions: Advancing Civic Curiosity & Joy
Tuesday, March 12 | 8am-3pm
Levin Center for Legislative Oversight at Wayne State Law School
Former Michigan Senator,
Adam Hollier
MEET ADAM
Call for Proposals
Senior Counsel at WNJ,
James Liggins, Jr.
MEET JAMES
CONVENING for the Purpose of Civic Education: Sessions & Resources from:
The 2024 Civic Education Summit
Cultivating Civic Champions: Advancing Civic Curiosity & Joy
Tuesday, March 12 | 8am-3pm
Draft Schedule
8:00 am Registration Opens
8:20 am Opening Remarks
8:30 am Opening Session - Transformative Impact of Civic Education
9:25 am Breakout 1
10:20 am Session 2
11:05 am Networking, Resource Development, & Tabling
11:30 am Lunch & Working Groups
12:55 pm Session 3
1:50 pm Session 4
2:45 pm Connecting and Reflecting Session
3:15 pm Launch to Action
The 2024 Civic Education Summit
Cultivating Civic Champions: Advancing Civic Curiosity & Joy
Tuesday, March 12 | 8am-3:15pm
Logistics
The Meeting The Venue The Menu The Seating The Parking The Lodging
Tuesday, March 12
8am - 3:15
Opening session to start at 8:20 am
Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State Law School
471 W Palmer St.,
Detroit, MI 48202
AM
Coffee, Muffins, Danishes, Scones, Yogurt
Lunch
Variety of Wraps, Chips, Cookies, and Brownies, with Fruit and Iced Tea
and snacks for break times
Registration:
Wayne State Law School Lobby
Opening Session:
Partrich Auditorum
Table Organizations & Resources
Lobby
Please park in Structure One
located at
450 W. Palmer Ave. - enter using Gates 3 or 4. (directly across from the Law School). There is a $9 flat fee for parking for the entire day - you will need to swipe a credit card when you enter and then use the same credit card when you leave.
Nearby Options Include:
Meet Adam
Adam was born and raised in Detroit. where generations of his family have lived since the 1940's. His family’s story is what inspires Adam to always step up and run towards any challenge – no matter how big or small.
Adam’s father Carl was a union firefighter - when others ran away, it was his job to run into the fire. Adam’s mother Jacqueline was a social worker –
when others gave up, she never walked away from someone in need. Adam’s grandmother was born and raised on the
Muscogee Creek reservation and moved her young family to Detroit for opportunities she couldn’t find in Oklahoma.
Her grandmother was forcibly moved from Georgia to Oklahoma in the Trail of Tears.
Adam is a lifelong Detroiter and a proud union member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 6075.
A graduate of Detroit Public Schools, he and his wife Krystle are now raising their two children, Lily and A.J.,
right here in the community he grew up in.
Throughout his life, Adam has always answered the call to service whenever it came. His volunteer work took him
all across the country, including serving as a disaster relief coordinator after hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, MS and the
Gulf Coast. In college, he even continued the family tradition, and served as a volunteer firefighter. That same call to
service led Adam to enlist in the U.S. Army. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant at Officer Candidate School
in Fort Benning, Georgia, and currently serves as team chief and paratrooper in the 412th Civil Affairs Battalion,
Army Reserve. While he could have gone after the desk job, Adam instead signed up to jump out of airplanes –
so he would always get to where the danger was first.
No matter where he went, Adam always knew that Detroit was his home and where he would dedicate
his time and energy to making a positive change. He returned to pursue a graduate degree in
Urban Planning from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. He worked in the Michigan Legislature
and for Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, helping to bring positive change and much needed resources to
families across the Detroit area. In 2018, he stepped up once again, and ran for the Michigan State
Senate. There, he helped to deliver over $40 Million to the district, including much needed
investments for job training, career mentorship, and business development.
He also tackled critical issues like lead pipe replacement, fair election maps, criminal justice
reform, and LGBTQ+ rights. And, when on his first week in office one of the largest employers
in his district wanted to shutter an auto plant, Adam rolled up his sleeves, stood with UAW
leaders and helped to turn that plant once slated for closure into Factory Zero. This
state-of-the-art electric vehicle manufacturing plant is creating the cars of tomorrow,
while providing new jobs for today.
In 2023, Governor Whitmer asked Adam to join her cabinet, appointing him Director of the Michigan
Veterans Affairs Agency. Together, they’ve more than doubled the state’s veteran’s database and expanded
jobs programs - ensuring more veterans have access to services and the meaningful employment they are seeking.
They also worked together to tackle the high rates of suicide and homelessness among veterans, creating new
initiatives and investments to directly help service men and women get the assistance they need. Throughout his life,
Adam has always answered the call to serve and delivered real results for the communities he represents.
Photo and Bio Courtesy of Adam Hollier
Meet James
Noted litigator and community ambassador James Liggins Jr. runs a multifaceted practice encompassing construction litigation,
property disputes and real estate concerns, as well as business contractual disputes, criminal defense, health care issues and emergency
manager matters. With an in-depth understanding of the toll that litigation can take on clients,
James makes every effort to proactively position them to avoid courtroom disputes. If a judge
or jury trial ultimately proves to be the best course or action, clients know he will put everything
he has into procuring the best outcomes possible.
James’ reputation for being an “honest broker of information” means that no one needs to guess
his intentions. Clients, colleagues and adverse counsel alike know they can trust what he says
and that he will always follow through after giving his word. James acts as an access-point person
for the firm and continuously brings in people who can benefit from the Warner team’s expertise.
Many clients who originally come to James for help with a dispute wind up staying on and relying
on him as a trusted advisor. He excels at spotting specific areas of concern, devising shrewd
strategies and solving problems with efficiency and creativity.
Passionate about helping his community in meaningful ways, James tirelessly lends his time and
knowledge to several Kalamazoo charitable organizations. He serves on the board of the Harold
and Grace Upjohn Foundation and of the Bronson Healthcare Group. Additionally, he provided
leadership as past chair of the board of directors for the United Way of Southcentral Michigan.
He also served as chair for the Douglas Community Association in 2013 and is the past chair
of Kalamazoo’s indigent defense organization Kalamazoo Defender which he helped to found.
James is extremely gratified to act as a resource for community groups and says that his
efforts come full circle because he gets just as much as he gives to good causes. His passionate
participation in social awareness programs, community services and extracurricular activities
that benefit the people and places about which he cares deeply helps James fulfill his aspiration —
to converge his professional and community contributions into one.
Photo and Bio Courtesy of Warner Norcross + Judd
The MiCivics Coalition Partners
Coalition partners pledge to ensure that every person acquires the civic knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for informed, authentic, and engaged civic participation. Organizational or individual participation in the coalition at large should not be construed as participation in all of these functions. Rather, organizational or individual membership denotes support for these overall goals and are willing to lend their affiliation to visibly demonstrate their support for the mission and vision of the MiCivics Coalition. Below are the current members to the MiCivics Coalition!
Organizational Partners
- Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State University
- Michigan Center for Civic Education
- Michigan Council for the Social Studies
- Michigan Council on Economic Education
- Michigan Department of Civil Rights
- Upshur Institute for Civic Education – Eastern Michigan University
Learn more about the organizations supporting the coalition nationwide here.
Individual Partners
- Hillary Baker, Director of Instruction, Board Member MCCE
- Fatima Bolyea, Attorney, Washington Twp.
- Kevin Boyd, Teacher, Calumet
- Fawn Cameron, Durand
- Aarong Grenier, Teacher, Fowlerville
- Shannon Headley, Teacher
- LaNiece Jackson, Teacher, Flint
- David Johnson, Instructional Consultant, Northern Michigan Learning Consortium
- Kimberly Jones, Director of Innovative Inclusion, Board Member MCCE
- Marsha Lewis, Administrator, Detroit
- Rita Lockridge, Retired Teacher, Oak Park
- Kevin Lorentz, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Freeland
- Eric Roberts, Law Student, MCCE Board Member
- Tina Tait, Teacher, Detroit
- Jeanne VanLann, Teacher, Washington Twp.
- Ryan Werenka, Teacher, Troy
- Kymberli Wregglesworth, Teacher, Onaway
- Ellen Zwarensteyn, Grand Rapids
The MiCivics Coalition has formed to fuel Michigan where every person has the opportunities, knowledge, and skills to participate meaningfully in the civic life of their community.
Recognizing that preparing our youth to assume the responsibilities and understand their rights as active participants in the civic life of this great nation is essential to the health of our democratic republic, the MiCivics Coalition pledges to help every K-12 school in Michigan to fulfill their historic and vital civic mission.
Coalition members pledge to ensure that every person acquires the civic knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary for informed, authentic, and engaged civic participation.
Agree with the mission?
