Sparking Civic Engagement
Are young people interested in politics? Do elementary and high school students believe that citizens have the power to bring about change? In general, do young people feel that they can have an impact on the city and its people? These are some of the critical questions that Sparking Civic Engagement tries to answer by looking back at the many social movements that have shaped Montréal. This activity highlights the power students have to become involved at their level in collective action for the common good.
Sparking Civic Engagement takes place at the MEM in three stages:
- A brief introduction presented to the group as a whole. Students learn about the various forms of civic engagement.
- Creation of teams to examine issues that affect students: diversity and living together; job insecurity and inequality; living environment and sustainable development. Each team explores the museum to identify ways in which Montrealers have taken action on these issues. Drawing inspiration from these examples, the students then outline a project that they could implement in their school or neighbourhood.
- Return to the big group. Each team presents its draft project.
Objective
- Identify and learn about the three forms of civic engagement: volunteering, voting, and advocacy
- Discover the ways in which Montréal has been shaped throughout its history by its citizens and their actions.
- Empower young people to understand that they have a place in Montréal’s ecosystem of citizen participation and spark their interest in civic engagement.
Links to the Québec Education Program (QEP)
Elementary Cycle 3
Cross-Curricular Competencies
- Use information
- Exercise critical judgement
- Use creativity
- Construct one’s identity
- Cooperate with others
- Communicate appropriately
Culture and Citizenship in Quebec
Competencies
- Examines a variety of points of view
- Engages in dialogue
- Develops responses
Themes and subthemes
- Collective life
- Democratic experiences
- Social participation
- Ecological transition
- Collective choices for the future
Secondary Cycle 1
Culture and Citizenship in Quebec
Competencies
- Examines a variety of points of view
- Engages in dialogue
- Develops responses
Themes and subthemes
- Citizenship
- Social cohesion
- Civic participation
- Social solidarity
- Democratic institutions of Québec and Canada
- Rights and responsibilities
- Social order
The MEM is listed in the Répertoire Culture-Éducation. The activity Sparking Civic Engagement is eligible for financial support through the Field Trips to Cultural Venues program.
Information and reservation
- Students: $5
- Accompanying adult (1 per 15 students): Free
Location
- Located at 61 boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, Montréal, Québec, H2Z 1A3
- A member of the MEM team will meet you at the drop-off and accompany you on foot to the museum (200 m)
- Metro
- Saint-Laurent station (200 m)
- Champ-de-Mars station (600 m)
- Bus : 55, 125, 129, 150
Educational vision
The MEM's educational offering is the fruit of a collective effort involving a committee of some fifteen teachers and education specialists, as well as community partners working in the fields of civic engagement, living together and accessibility.
Our educational programs aim to equip young people to become citizens interested in their city, its challenges and its history. They aim to foster their awareness of the importance of living together and their commitment to their community.
Our programs talk about Montreal, its history, its territory and its people, through such perspectives as neighborhoods, immigration, citizen power and disability. The varied activities that make up our programs encourage students to share their experiences, develop critical thinking skills and empathy, and foster civic engagement.