Democracy Now

Political polarization. Election result rejections. Limits to voter access. The January 6th attack on the Capitol.

The fragility of our democracy has become a key talking point for politicians, academics, and the media. But for us, as educators, that fragility is a call to action. We need to equip our students with the skills to not only engage with but also shape our democracy confidently and responsibly. 

• What does active citizenship in a democracy look like?
• How do we prepare ourselves for the challenges that our democracy will face?
• How do we reform our democracy so that it serves all of its constituents?

These essential questions are designed to engage our students as citizens and future leaders of the democracy we want to serve.

Democracy Now: A Panel Discussion

In February 2025, we co-hosted a discussion about Democracy with Revolutionary Spaces. Moderated by WBUR’s Simón Rios, the panel included Dayna Cunningham, the Pierre and Pamela Omidyar Dean of Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Chawky Frenn, visual artist and professor at George Mason University, Noorya Hayat, researcher at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro, former CEO and co-founder of the National Trust for Local News, and Sophia Hall, Deputy Litigation Director at Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR). 

Watch the panel here.

Democracy Now: Final Exhibition

In May 2025, we brought all of our schools together to share their work on the theme of Democracy. Our keynote speaker was Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, the Executive Director of Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR), and there were presentations by the Mayor’s Youth Council, BosNOMA, and Chawky Frenn.