Quick look: OCDE will host the 2025 OC Civic Learning Institute on Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 in Costa Mesa. The two-day professional learning event is designed to help TK-12 educators expand student voice, civic engagement and readiness.
Teachers and administrators will have an opportunity this fall to explore strategies for expanding student voice and civic engagement through the 2025 OC Civic Learning Institute.
Hosted by the Orange County Department of Education, the two-day professional learning experience will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, and Tuesday, Oct. 14, in the Board Room at OCDE’s main campus, located at 200 Kalmus Drive in Costa Mesa. Registration is $150 per participant and includes breakfast, snacks and lunch.
Led by Dr. Marika Manos, the department’s history and social science manager, the Civic Learning Institute is designed for school teams seeking to deepen their understanding of civic readiness and expand opportunities for student engagement.
“The OC Civic Learning Institute empowers educators to create classrooms where learning is active and connected to real-world change,” Manos said. “By equipping school teams with tools to foster student voice, collaboration and civic action, we try to build a foundation for lifelong engagement in democracy — starting in elementary and continuing through high school.”
Participants will explore ways to build positive relationships, encourage respectful discussions and design civic engagement projects tailored to their students and school communities. They will also learn how to apply for recognition through the California Democracy School and Civic Learning Award programs, as well as how to support students in earning the State Seal of Civic Engagement.
School teams that complete the training and share their project plans will receive OC Civic Learning Institute certificates. Participants will also be invited to return on April 22 for the OC Civic Learning Celebration, a culminating event that will highlight student-led projects and campus efforts to advance civic learning.
To register for the 2025 OC Civic Learning Institute, visit ocde.k12oms.org/1244-263850. For questions about the program, contact Dr. Marika Manos at mmanos@ocde.us. For help with registration, contact Robin Silver at rsilver@ocde.us.