September 19, 2005
“Citizen Brain” Joins State Legislators in Classrooms for 2005 Back to School Program
 More than 1,000 state lawmakers will tell students, “Your ideas count!”
DENVER - Citizen Brain feeds on American democracy. Behind his slick shades, he cares how his government works. This jiggly little fellow might be alive and well within students across the nation. Or he might be starving in a way that only a visit from a state legislator can cure.
This week, more than 1,000 state lawmakers from all corners of the country will do their part to nourish the minds of elementary, middle and secondary schoolchildren, as the National Conference of State Legislatures’ America’s Legislators Back to School Program begins its 2005 season.
Participating legislators will have a new tool to teach elementary students about the United States’ government this year. Citizen Brain: Feeding on American Democracy is a 16-minute video that features a cartoon brain character who blushes red, white and blue when his belly is full of civics knowledge. Viewers first meet him when he squeezes through a young video game player’s ear in a desperate search for his daily bread.
“Kids will love Citizen Brain,” said Karl Kurtz, director of NCSL's Trust for Representative Democracy. “The video makes civic education fun, and it will pair well with other “Your Ideas Count” materials we offer legislators to use in the Back to School Program, which we consider the nation’s largest civics lesson.”
Boulder companies Fascinating Learning Factory, with Pixel Kitchen developing the animation, produced the video for NCSL.
The 7-year-old Back to School Program has been a week-long event in past years. But beginning now, it will go year round. If legislators can’t make it into a classroom during its kick-off week, they can schedule visits at another time.
In 2004, more than 1,400 legislators in 48 states participated. They met with a record 320,000 students to deliver the message: “Your Ideas Count.” The goal of the program is to inspire young people to become engaged citizens.
“I feel it's important to educate our children about the legislative process and make sure they know that their voices and opinions matter,” said Hawaii Representative Scott Y. Nishimoto, who has participated in the program.
Recent polls and voter turnout statistics show that cynicism and distrust in government is growing in American youth. Nearly 50 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in 1972, but in the 2000 election, only 33 percent went to the polls.
A 2003 survey by the Representative Democracy in America Project found that today’s teen’s and young adults don't understand the ideals of citizenship; they are disengaged from the political process; they lack the knowledge necessary for effective self-government; and they don't appreciate or support American democracy.
This same survey found that students who have taken a course in American government or civics are two to three times more likely to vote, follow government news and contact public official about issues that concern them.
America’s Legislators Back to School Program is a national effort to change this. Many notable education and public service organizations endorse the program. They include:
American Association of School Administrators
American Federation of Teachers
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Center for Civic Education
Center on Congress at Indiana University
Close Up Foundation
Freedom's Answer
Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
National Catholic Educational Association
National Constitution Center
National Council for the Social Studies
National Education Association
National Middle School Association
National School Boards Association
Reading Recovery Council of North America
The Dirksen Congressional Center
"This program could not continue without the help of these organizations, and the efforts of legislative coordinators in the states who work tirelessly to promote the event and provide essential logistical support to state legislators,” Kurtz added.
NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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