Episode 9: How a Child’s Civic Identity Takes Shape
Exploring the important role parents play in developing a child’s sense of agency, belonging, and responsibility to others
In this episode, Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, speaks with Kelly Siegel-Stechler of Harvard University’s Safra Center for Ethics about civic formation: how children develop a sense of agency, belonging, and responsibility to others, and the important role parents play in that process. They explore how everyday family experiences, from making decisions together to navigating disagreement and disappointment, help children recognize that their voices matter and that they have something meaningful to contribute to their communities.
Follow Civic Parenting, We the People, and Live at the National Constitution Center on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
This episode was produced and mixed by Bill Pollock. With production support from Charles Sahm. Research was provided by Anna Salvatore and Tristan Worsham.
Participants
Kelly Siegel-Stechler is the director of research and strategic initiatives at Harvard University’s Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics, where she studies civic education and political socialization, with a focus on the role of experiential learning, civil dialogue, and institutional climate in shaping young peoples’ long-term civic development and democratic engagement. She was previously associate director for research at Tufts University, where she oversaw work on civics education and youth electoral engagement, and a research fellow with the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, where she conducted research on civics education across school sectors, high-quality instructional materials, and school culture.
Julie Silverbrook is chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, where she leads the strategy, development, and delivery of the Center’s content, public programs, and educational initiatives, advancing its mission of nonpartisan constitutional education and civil dialogue. She oversees the creation of public-facing constitutional content and works to ensure the Center’s programs, scholarly engagement, and educational resources operate as a coordinated national strategy serving students, educators, families, and lifelong learners across the country.
Stay Connected and Learn More
- Stay connected with Civic Parenting—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email [email protected].
- Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media, explore more activities and programs designed for families from the National Constitution Center, or subscribe to receive our family resources email newsletter.
- Support our important work by making a donation today.
