National Rural Education Podcast Episode – S03E01 – Civics Engagement and Experiential Learning, An Interview with Ms. Jessica Culver, a teacher at Ozark High School in Ozark, Arkansas

The episode is in Honor of Civic Education Week, March 6 through 10

During our interview with Jessica Culver, we discuss Civics Week and the types of programming around Civic Engagement in Rural Education. Jessica works with grades 10 through 12. The cohosts discuss how civics education has been neglected in many programs. Dr. Bigham discussed how some states have a Civics Education requirement in many states. Jessica discussed some of the programs currently going on in her school. This includes voting registration with students, volunteering by students to help with early voting initiatives in the community, and the role of student engagement in the community. Jessica has also encouraged students to volunteer in their community, including teaching assistantships for elementary students, planting flowers in community spaces, and painting buildings in disrepair. Jessica discusses how her students have gone on to visit Washington D.C. funded by sponsors. This included meeting congressmen and senators for their state and district. Some students expressed interest in working in government, including summer volunteering to assist with local government. Others former students worked in the U.S. Congress, developing further interest in going into government. Jessica discusses finding funding to give rural students trips to Washington DC as an experiential learning opportunity. Jessica shares that learning can be fun, and plenty of ways to engage students in experiential learning.

Jessica Culver’s Bio
Jessica Culver teaches Civics/Economics and concurrent college credit history courses at Ozark High School in Ozark, Arkansas, and is in her twentieth year of teaching. She is a Bill of Rights Institute Teacher, a Fulbright Teacher for Global Classrooms, a U.S. Institute of Peace Teacher, a National Constitution Center Constitutional Fellow, an ARTeacher Fellow, a member of the Educating for American Democracy Educator Task Force, a National History Day Teacher, a Sacrifice for Freedom NHD program participant for 2023 with a student partner, an iCivics teacher, an Economics Arkansas Master Economics Teacher, a member of NCSS, a member of the ACSS (Arkansas Council for the Social Studies) Board, and a National Geographic Educator. Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, podcasts, and doing yoga.
https://www.facebook.com/jessica.culver.39