October 25, 2011
Media Advisory -- Civics Education Conference
Gery J. Chico, chair of the Illinois State Board Education, will head a conference Wednesday, Oct. 26, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale that will offer local educators and school officials a chance to share ideas for increasing student interest in social studies and civics education.
Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to attend “Putting Action in Civics Education: We Can Do Better.” The conference is from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballrooms. Chico will deliver the keynote address, at 9:05 a.m., and discuss the need for civics education along with his experiences as an education leader, which includes serving as board president of the Chicago Public Schools. Gov. Pat Quinn named Chico to chair the Illinois State Board of Education in June.
The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is sponsoring the conference, which will focus on successful approaches for teaching civics in rural school districts, curriculum and teacher development and using information technology in the classroom. Chico’s address will be available via live stream for free on the Institute’s website, paulsimoninstitute.org/, and a full conference schedule is also on the website.
For more information, contact Matt Baughman, Institute associate director, at 618/453-4009 or 618/201-0082.