The Jane Addams School for Democracy
I've begun reading Voices of Hope: The Story of the Jane Addams School for Democracy, edited by Nan Kari and Nan Skelton (Kettering Foundation Press, 2007, 144 pp., ISBN 978-0-923993-19-1), a fine book that celebrates the 10th anniversary of the founding of this important "school" in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As the jacket copy makes clear, the JAS is different from, and much more than, a traditional school:
The Jane Addams School for Democracy (JAS) was founded in 1996 to create a space for democratic education and practice for new immigrant families, college students, and faculty. It was conceived as a democratic organization—one with minimal, non-hierarchical structures that would allow participants to shape its agenda. Ten years later, more than 1500 participants at JAS—Hmong, East Africans, and Latin Americans—have become U.S. citizens. This book tells the story of the Jane Addams School in many ways through many voices, including those of nonnative English speakers.
The JAS is one of the key exemplars of public engagement at the University of Minnesota (the College of St. Catherine and other colleges have also been involved) and arguably one of the most important and influential experiments in civic education. As Peter Levine wrote in his Civic Renewal blog on March 18, 2004
The Jane Addams School in St. Paul, MN is important to me. In the summer of 2001 (when it was 102 degrees in the Twin Cities), I visited the school. As on most nights, there were scores if not hundreds of people present: mostly college students and neighborhood residents. The majority of people who live in St. Paul's West Side are new immigrants and refugees (Somalis, Hmong, and Latin Americans). I observed a staff meeting and then participated in a project, the "Hmong Circle." We tutored Hmong immigrants to take the Federal citizenship test, and in return they told us about Hmong culture. I was so impressed with the buoyant, democratic, creative spirit of the place that I decided I wanted to start something similar in Maryland. When I found partners with similar motivations, we created the Prince George's Information Commons.
I hope to write more about the Jane Addams School for Democracy as I read further in Kari's and Skelton's book. However, I urge all of you to get hold of a copy. It's an attractive, reasonably priced ($19.95) paperback with lots of charming photos and eloquent text. It's not a textbook, but I can't think of a better place to learn about both the practical realities and the spirit of public engagement.