On August 15^th a federal election was officially announced. The election will take place on September 20^th, 2021. Many people, such as new citizens or first time voters, could use some help understanding the election process. Spend some time with your learners discussing the importance of civic literacy.

“When you have strong civic literacy skills, you know how to make your voice heard by all levels of government—before, during and after an election.” – ABC Life Literacy Canada

ABC Life Literacy Canada defines civic literacy as, “having the knowledge and skills you need to participate in making change in your community.” This includes knowing how to vote and how your vote is counted, how all levels of government work, what responsibilities we have as citizens and what responsibilities our elected officials have. Civic literacy is important for both adults and children alike. Include kids in the political conversation and encourage them to participate in a student vote. By practicing voting at a young age, children are more likely to vote as adults. The website CIVIX offers some wonderful materials to help youth learn about our political system.

Below are some excellent resources to encourage civic literacy in your learners.

Elections

• ABC Life Literacy’s A Guide to Voting – Download the latest edition of the guide by filling out the short form. Also included is a webinar on keeping learners engaged after an election.
• Apathy is Boring – A website aimed at youth to encourage them to be active and engaged citizens.
• CIVIX YouTube channel – This charity organizes events like student votes to help encourage engaged citizens from an early age.
• Deciding who to vote for: 2021 resource guide
• Election toolkit* – This kit contains some material dating from 2008, however there are many excellent activities that remain relevant.
• Elections Canada’s website Elections and Democracy – Many resources designed for all ages.
• I can vote! a user-friendly guide to voting in Canada*

Civic Literacy

• Canadian government*
• Civic participation and community action sourcebook : a resource for adult educators*
• Instructor manual : Canadian made : six inventors who made a difference, mapping and geography : BC and beyond, citizenship and government, four Canadian lives in history* – See also Citizenship and government. Part of the Canadian eh? Social studies for adult learners series.
• Investing in Canadians’ civic literacy: An answer to fake news and disinformation
• Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship – A CLB 4/5 module with online assessment tasks.
• What is Civic Literacy?
• What is civic literacy and why do our kids need it?

*Available to borrow from the Decoda Literacy Library.