School Field Trips
At a Creating Citizens School Field Trip, over the course of about four hours, we connect students with civic leaders and allow them to practice engaging in constructive civil dialogue. Each field trip brings together classrooms from different schools and the field trips take place at our auditorium and offices in San Francisco. Guest speakers talk to students about their own journeys, what they wish they had known when they were younger, and what young people can do to become more civically engaged in their communities. Most importantly, all of our speakers answer the question: Why is it important to talk and work with people we disagree with?
That idea—talking and working with people we disagree with—then gets built upon. Through dialogue and discussion-based activities, we ask students to explore difficult civic questions with one another. Questions like: Do you think police officers should be posted in schools? Do you think people in prison should be able to vote? Should hate speech be protected?
Civil dialogue is a skill and it needs to be practiced and encouraged at a young age. We create a comfortable space for students to share their opinions about serious issues, while also listening to, learning from, and questioning one another. Lunch is provided lunch for all attendees and we can help teachers cover transportation costs for their students.
"This is one of the best things my students will do all year.”
Teacher, San Francisco Unified School District
Are you a teacher interested in bringing your classroom to a School Field Trip during the 2024–2025 school year?
