UMOVEMENT Launches Civic Education Training for 270 Schools

Published: August 30, 2024

Monrovia – UMOVEMENT is set to launch Civic Education Training for 270 public primary schools across six counties in preparation for the upcoming school year. This initiative is part of the USAID/Elections and Democracy Activity.

The training aims to equip school administrators and teachers with a thorough understanding of the 2014 National Curriculum on Citizenship Education and the effective use of civics textbooks to enhance students’ civic knowledge and responsibilities. The program targets students in grades 1-6.

These interactive sessions will cover a wide range of curriculum topics, including the structure of Civic Education, Introduction to Civic Education, Citizenship Competencies, Types of Citizens, Methodologies and Best Practices in Civics Instruction, Planning, Self-Identity, Liberia’s Geography and History, National Symbols and Songs, National Identity, the Importance and Characteristics of Citizenship, Democracy, and Governance.

Upon completing the training, participants will be expected to implement civics lessons in their schools and encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities that promote civic awareness and behavioral change at the community level.

The training is organized into three clusters:

• Cluster 1: Montserrado (64 schools) and Grand Bassa (37 schools) on August 28-29, 2024, across nine venues (Montserrado – 5, Grand Bassa – 4).
• Cluster 2: Margibi (38 schools) and Bong (37 schools) on September 5-6, across five venues (Margibi – 2, Bong – 3).
• Cluster 3: Nimba (65 schools) and Lofa (29 schools) on September 9-10, across seven venues (Nimba – 5, Lofa – 2).

“This training is designed to enhance the knowledge of the civic curriculum and textbooks and improve teaching skills among administrators and teachers, ultimately bettering students’ civic skills, attitudes, and behaviors,” said Sir Urias W. Brooks, Jr., CEO of UMOVEMENT.

A total of 1,350 teachers and school administrators from 47 education districts in Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Margibi, Bong, Nimba, and Lofa will benefit from this training. Additionally, over 38,000 students will receive civics textbooks across various grades, covering topics such as Natural Resources, Population, Democracy, Citizenship Rights, and more.

The program began in the 2021 school year with a pre-pilot in 15 schools and expanded in 2023 to 70 schools. The pilot phase was evaluated by Cloudburst University.

The USAID/EDA Program, in partnership with UMOVEMENT and Democracy International, is collaborating with the Ministry of Education to reintroduce civics education in 10% of public primary schools.