Creating a Community of Learners Among Children and Educators!

A collaboration between Washington, DC, educators and Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education 

Project Overview 

written by Mara Krechevsky, Project Zero

What happens in a community when children are seen as current, not just future, citizens? Recognition of the rights of young children to participate in the civic discourse of their city nurtures the relationship with their surroundings and supports the development of key 21st century competencies such as critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and communication. Creating communities of learners who are interested in understanding other minds and are willing to participate in the events around them builds informed, meaningful, and reciprocal relationships between a city and its youngest citizens.

Children Are Citizens is funded by Annie E. Casey Foundation, the PNC Foundation’s “Grow Up Great” Program, Target, and individual donors.

What role does Sacred Heart play in this project?

Sacred Heart was invited to work with Project Zero researchers to develop and enact the Children as Citizens curriculum along with School Within School, Seaton Elementary School, the Smithsonian Early Childhood Center, and Washington International School. Sacred Heart's PreK3, PreK4, and Kindergarten students have been actively investigating their roles as strong, informed, and valuable citizens of Washington, DC. Employing various Making Thinking Visible techniques, our Early Childhood team has been tirelessly guiding some of our youngest citizens as they discover the power of their own ideas, experiences, and voices.

As part of this project, we are working closely with Imagination Stage and the National Gallery of Art.