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
Ethics and Religious Culture
Competencies
- Reflect on ethical questions
- Engage in dialogue
Progression of learning
- Individuals as members of society
- Demands of life in society
Secondary Cycle 2
Ethics and Religious Culture
Competencies
- Reflect on ethical questions
- Engage in dialogue
Progression of learning
- Tolerance
- The future of humanity
- Justice
The activity was developed in collaboration with the Institut du Nouveau Monde et le Groupe de recherche sur l’éducation et les musées.
Information and reservation
For updates about program availability, subscribe to the MEM newsletter.
Please contact us with any questions.
- Effective January 2024
- 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: Station Saint-Laurent
- STM bus: 55
The MEM is offering you free school programs from March 2024 to June 2024, so that you can discover its spaces and familiarize yourself with this new cultural venue and its contents.
The educational programs will take place in our public spaces and workshops, as well as in our permanent exhibition under construction. You'll have exclusive and privileged access, as it's not yet open to the public!
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.