SALLY:
I'S CIVICS DAY IN AUSTIN.
THINK SCIENCE FAIR.. BUT FOR
GOVERNMENT.NEARLY 200 STUDENTS
FROM SCHOOLS AROUND CENTRAL
TEXAS ARE TAKING PART..THEY
SPENT THE SEMESTER UP UNTIL
TODAY WORKING ON THEIR
PROJECTS.. AND TODAY JUDGES
TAKE A LOOK.CHRIS DAVIS JOINS
US NOW.. CHRIS, THIS IS
TEACHING STUDENTS TO USE THEIR
VOICE.
CHRIS:THIS IS'T EXAM PREP.
THIS NONPROFIT CALLED
GENERATION CITIZEN HAS BEEN
WORKING WITH CLASSROOMS FOR A
DECADE NOW.SEVEN CENTRAL TEXAS
SCHOOLS.. 37 CLASSES.. MORE
THAN A THOUSAND MIDDLE AND
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE
INVOLVED.. WORKING TO MAKE
CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.ON
ISSUES LIKE HOMELESSNESS,
SCHOOL SAFETY.. AND CLIMATE
CHANGE.
THE TEAM FROM NORTHEAST EARLY
COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL WANTS TO
PLANT MORE
TREES.MARIO MONDRAGON: "THIS
NEEDS TO GO ON."SENIORS MARIO
MONDRAGON AND JACQUI SABINO
ARE REPRESENTING THEIR CLASS
FOR CIVICS
DAY.JACQUI SABINO: "ZACH WROTE
THIS ONE."THEY EMAILED TRAVIS
COUNTY
OFFICIALS.JACQUI SABINO: "WE
WROTE THEM TO TRY TO CONVINCE
THE COMMISSIONERS COURT TO
ALLOCATE MONEY TOWARDS THE
TREEFOLKS PROGRAM AND
REFORESTATION."KYLE OLSON:
"OKAY, SO WHA'S OUR FOCUS
ISSUE?"THE ENTIRE CLASS
BRAINSTORMED IDEAS AT THE
START OF THE SEMESTER.THEN
THEY DETERMINED GOALS AND
TACTICS.KYLE OLSON: "HOW DOES
YOUR GOAL ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC
ROOT CAUSE?"GOVERNMENT TEACHER
KYLE OLSON HAS BEEN INVOLVED
WITH GENERATION CITIZEN FOR A
FEW
YEARS.KYLE OLSON: "ESPECIALLY
A LOT OF MY STUDENTS AND
FAMILIES IN MY COMMUNITY ARE
MARGINALIZED IN THE PROCESS OF
GOVERNMENT. THEY DO'T FEEL
LIKE GOVERNMENT WORKS FOR
THEM."MARIO MONDRAGON: "IT
TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT AND
SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT THINK THAT
NO ONE CARES ABOUT IT."MARIO
DID'T CARE AS MUCH ABOUT
PLANTING TREES WHEN THE CLASS
DECIDED ON IT.HE WANTED TO
TACKLE HOMELESSNESS.BUT THIS
HAS GROWN ON HIM.MARIO
MONDRAGON: "THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT MATTERS TO THE WHOLE
WORLD."WHAT H'S LEARNING
HERE, OLSON SAYS.. SETS HIM UP
TO PARTICIPATE NEXT TIME,
TOO.KYLE OLSON: "YOU GUYS WILL
KNOW HOW TO ENGAGE IN THIS
PROCESS."KYLE OLSON: "I CA'T
THINK OF A MORE IMPORTANT
THING TO TEACH MY KIDS THAN
THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS."
2-CHRIS:CIVICS DAY IS
HAPPENING AT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC
LIBRARY DOWNTOWN STARTING AT
9-30 THIS MORNING.IT INCLUDES
SPEAKERS AND JUDGES FROM THE
PUBLIC SECTOR.. ASKING
QUESTIONS AND GIVING OUT
AWARDS.
2-SALLY:DID THE TRAVIS COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS RESPOND TO THEIR
EMAILS?2-CHRIS:WE SHOULD NOTE,
THOUGH.. TRAVIS COUNTY DOES
PARTNER WITH TREE-FOLKS TO
PLANT TREES.THE STUDENTS WANT
TO INCREASE THAT
PARTICIPATION.. AND ESPECIALLY
GET THE COUNTY TO PUT UP MORE
PUBLIC LAND FOR REFORESTATION.
SALLY:TEXAS IS AMONG SIX
STATES WORKING WITH THE
NONPROFT GENERATION
