14 AUG 2014 64° Clear

Maine South honored as “IllinoisDemocracy School”By Maine Township High School District 207 (User)

Updated September 18, 2012 at 6:28 pm 0

Maine South High School High School was recognized today by the Illinois CivicMission Coalition as an Illinois Democracy School. This honor appropriatelycoincides with the 225 anniversary of the signing of the United States

th

Niles-Morton Grove

coincides with the 225 anniversary of the signing of the United StatesConstitution. Illinois Democracy Schools are recognized for providing students withauthentic experiences in the rights, responsibilities, and tensions inherent in livingin a constitutional democracy. Through these experiences, they strive to equipstudents with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for informed,effective engagement in our democracy.

Since 2006, seventeen Illinois high schools have successfully completed a school-wide civic assessment and have been subsequently recognized as DemocracySchools by the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition, currently convened by the Robert R.McCormick Foundation’s Civics Program. Maine South High School is one of sixhigh schools that earned this distinction in 2012 and joins Maine West, which haspreviously earned this designation.

As a recognized Democracy School, Maine South will receive a stipend from theMcCormick Foundation to invest in high quality civic learning initiatives, alongwith a banner for public display. Maine South will also receive a certificate signedby the Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, Gery Chico, the ChiefJustice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Thomas L. Kilbride, and the schools’ statelegislators, Senator Dan Kotowski and Representative Rosemary Mulligan.

“The availability of high-quality, school-based civic learning opportunities for allIllinois students is vital to sustaining democracy in our state and beyond,” saidShawn Healy, chair, Illinois Civic Mission Coalition and civic learning andengagement scholar, Robert R. McCormick Foundation. “The committed students,teachers, administrators, and school board members of these six schools should becommended for living their civic mission and joining the growing ranks of IllinoisDemocracy Schools.”

Illinois Democracy Schools embrace their mission to provide high quality civiclearning opportunities for all students. Their leadership emphasizes civic learningthrough development of professional faculty and staff capacity, and proven civiclearning practices are woven throughout the formal curriculum. DemocracySchools foster a school climate that nurtures and models civic dispositions andbuild reciprocal relationships within the surrounding community.

Democracy Schools provide numerous opportunities for students to participate inthe democratic process through a range of classes and clubs. From class discussionon current issues and democratic simulations to extracurricular and servicelearning opportunities, students are able to experience first-hand the critical rolethey can play in shaping their government and society.

Maine South Social Science Department Chair Brendan Gaughan said: "Inbecoming a Democracy School, the foundation of the process is based upon ‘SixProven Practices’ that are integral in high school level civic education: Classroominstruction, Current Events, Service Learning, Activities, Student Voice, andSimulations. An audit of these Six Proven Practices took place throughout each andevery department of Maine South. In sum, this recognition is a true evaluation ofthe many great contributions that all faculty members at Maine South contributeeach year."

Principal Shawn Messmer said, “Maine South is incredibly proud of the work of theteachers in our Social Science Department who helped us gain this designation. The Democracy School designation recognizes our commitment to helping ourstudents become active and informed participants of our democracy and theworld.”

Maine South serves approximately 2,600 students, primarily from Park Ridge andNiles along with portions of Harwood Heights, Norridge and Norwood ParkTownship. Maine South offers a comprehensive and rigorous education program,along with a host of extracurricular opportunities. Additional information aboutthe school may be found at http://south.maine207.org/.

The Illinois Civic Mission Coalition is a broad non-partisan consortium includingeducators, administrators, students, universities, funders, elected officials,policymakers and representatives from the private and non-profit sectors. Formedin 2004 by the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago, the Illinois Coalition ispart of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, a national initiative torestore a core purpose of education to prepare America’s youngest citizens to beinformed and active participants in our democracy. The Robert R. McCormickFoundation has convened the Coalition since 2010. For more information, please

ACROSS AMERICA

STATE NEWS

Share This Article

Back to Top

visit www.McCormickFoundation.org/DemocracySchools.

1 Record-Breaking Rainfall at MacArthur as LI Gets Pummeled Overnight

2 Is the New Sketch Factor App Racist?

3 Random Act of Kindness Goes Viral

4 Watch Robin Williams Laugh It Up with Talking Gorilla Koko

5 Ellicott City Blogger's Daughter to Be Tried as Adult in His Murder

Former Oak Park Woman Killed at Posh Bali Resort and Stuffed into aSuitcase

Updated August 14, 2014 at 10:15 amSheila von Weise-Mack, well-known in local arts circles, was 62. Her teendaughter and a young man are suspected of beating her to death.

Who is Your Every Day Hero?Updated August 7, 2014 at 1:36 pm

Nominate the coach or mentor who made a difference in your life to win aprize package from Patch.

NATIONAL NEWS

Are Your Kids Playing As Much As They Should Be?Updated August 8, 2014 at 11:40 am

Studies show insufficient playtime is linked to depression, anxiety andobesity.

A Note to Our Readers about Changes on PatchUpdated July 28, 2014 at 12:10 pm

What's new at Patch, and what's coming.

Flesh-Eating Crocodile Woman Back in Jail—But Just on Ordinary HeroinCharge

Updated July 17, 2014 at 5:55 pmA woman who told Patch how the flesh-eating crocodile drug ravaged herbody is back in jail but she looks a lot better than the last time we saw her.

Watch Robin Williams Laugh It Up with Talking Gorilla KokoUpdated August 13, 2014 at 11:38 am

Koko, who understands spoken English and expresses human emotions,hadn’t smiled for seven months. Then she met Robin Williams.

Appeals Court Refuses Stay on Marriage DecisionUpdated August 13, 2014 at 10:52 am

Gay and lesbian couples may be able to marry Aug. 20, unless the U.S.Supreme Court intervenes.

Former Oak Park Woman Killed at Posh Bali Resort and Stuffed into aSuitcase

Around Town

Arts & Entertainment

Back To School

Bulletin Board

Business

Classifieds

Going Green

Good News

Lifestyle

Obituaries

Updated August 14, 2014 at 10:15 amSheila von Weise-Mack, well-known in local arts circles, was 62. Her teendaughter and a young man are suspected of beating her to death.

God on the Go: Drive-Through Prayer Service Offered in IvylandUpdated August 13, 2014 at 7:20 am

St. John’s United Methodist Church, located on Almshouse Road in Ivyland, isthe newest church to introduce drive-through prayer.

Welcome To Boxtrolls Patch!Updated August 5, 2014 at 10:35 am

Excited for the new movie "Boxtrolls"? Take your kids on a virtual trip to theworld where the Boxtrolls live with Boxtrolls Patch!

Topics

Opinion

Police & Fire

Politics

Real Estate

Schools

Small Business Voices

Sports

About PatchPatch is a community-specific news, information and engagement network driven by passionate andexperienced media professionals. Patch is run by professional editors and salespeople. We hopethat our sites will strengthen communities and improve the lives of their residents, but we can't do itwithout you. We've built Patch so that you have plenty of opportunities to comment on stories, shareyour opinions and add events to the community calendar. So get to it!

Corporate Info

About Patch

Careers & Volunteering

Partnerships

Advertise

Patch for Businesses

What People Are Saying

Support

FAQs

Contact Us

About our Ads

Social

Copyright

© 2014 Patch Media. All Rights Reserved.

Patch Network

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy