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Episode 8: How to Raise a Citizen

Exploring how to help children build civic know-how and turn their concerns into action

In this episode, Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, and Civic Parenting co-host Lindsey Cormack, discuss how families can make civic learning part of everyday life, learning together with curiosity and humility, while helping children build civic know-how, ask questions, engage with different perspectives, and participate in their communities. They discuss Cormack’s book, How to Raise a Citizen (And why it’s up to you to do it), and the role parents and caregivers can play in raising the next generation of informed and engaged citizens. 

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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 

Lindsey Cormack is an associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of Technology. She has authored two books, How to Raise a Citizen (And Why it’s Up to You to Do It) and Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. She created and maintains the digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters at dcinbox.com. 

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. 

 

Additional Resources 

 

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