The OAV Program is built on four Core Principles of American democracy. As they learn about these Core Principles through various activities, participants actively apply them in their own projects — and in their own lives.
Citizenship is a way of life, not a singular event.
With our rights and freedoms come responsibilities.
The success of the individual and the community are interdependent: “E Pluribus Unum”.
The informed participation of the people shapes and sustains our democracy.
Knowing that citizenship is more than just voting, participants become empowered to take action in their own communities and can commit to persevering in that action.
By gaining understanding of how the Core Documents of our democracy have provided us with our rights, participants can look to historical examples for inspiration and information on how they can contribute to the quality of life in their communities.
Participants learn that, by exercising their rights and responsibilities as citizens, they can have both positive and negative effects upon their community. They then have the opportunity to critically examine their action project from different perspectives and make informed decisions, rather than simply acting in their own interest. They develop both critical reasoning skills and empathy.
Having learned actively about the relevance of our history and our Core Documents, participants not only understand their role as citizens in a democratic society, but they develop constructive habits as citizens that remain a part of their lives. They learn about collaboration and compromise by working together with their groups and their elected officials. The experiences they glean from their work on their projects demonstrates in a real way what it means to engage in their society.
Participants learn about these Core Principles through games, activities and discussion. At the same time, they relate this understanding to their own schools and communities and choose issues that they want to address. They work with school and community officials to understand their issues and to pursue solutions. In the past, OAV groups have partnered with their schools and municipalities to improve student safety through efforts such as adding sidewalks to well-traveled routes between home and school, working to reduce excessive speed on a busy street in front of a school, and installing safety cameras in school hallways. They have also focused on student health, organizing to improve the quality of school lunches and to provide access to healthcare physicals for students. In response to community violence, one group developed a welcome kit and a series of family activities on campus.
Click here to watch the Our American Voice introduction video!