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The Massachusetts Civics Project
The Six Stages
- Reflect. Think about the issues that matter to you and the community you live in. What problems do you see? What do you wish were different?
- Choose an issue. Pick something specific and local enough that you can actually research it and take action. Broad topics like “climate change” are hard to act on; “the lack of recycling bins in my school” is workable.
- Research. Understand the issue deeply. Who is affected? What are the causes? What has already been tried? What does the evidence say? Use primary sources, including government data and official records, not just news articles.
- Develop a plan. Decide what action you will take. This could be writing to an official, organizing a community event, presenting to a board, creating a petition, or something else. The action must connect to your research.
- Take action. Do it. Document what you did, who you contacted, what responses you received, and what happened.
- Reflect and present. What did you learn? What worked and what didn’t? What would you do differently? Strong projects show growth and honest reflection, not just success.
What the Law Requires
Chapter 296 of the Acts of 2018 (M.G.L. c.71, Section 2) requires Massachusetts students to complete a civics project at both the 8th grade and high school level. The project is not a graduation requirement, but it is a required part of the curriculum in public schools.
The law defines the project as student-led civic action: identifying a public issue, researching it, developing a position or proposal, and taking some form of meaningful action. Schools have flexibility in how they implement this, which means your project’s scope and format may vary depending on your school and teacher.
What Makes a Strong Project
- Student-led: You choose the issue and drive the process. Teachers guide, but the project is yours.
- Research-based: Strong projects ground every claim in evidence. Opinions need to be backed by facts.
- Nonpartisan: The project is about civic engagement, not political advocacy for a party or candidate. Focus on issues and evidence, not ideology.
- Actionable: Something real happens as a result of the project, even if it is small. Sending a well-researched letter to a school committee member counts.
- Reflective: The best projects honestly examine what worked, what didn’t, and what the student learned about how civic life actually operates.
Tools and Resources
These resources can help you at every stage of your civics project.
Civic change starts with one person deciding to pay attention.