Each year, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) holds regional Civics Projects Showcases to highlight the accomplishments of 8th-12th grade civics students across the state.

PBS News Hour Classroom spoke with two of last year's participants, Bianca Robinson and Levi Choate, to learn more about how their projects help address issues in their communities.

Robinson's project addresses food insecurity in Massachusetts by holding food drives to help provide access to healthy foods for those with limited transportation.

"It doesn't have to be a very isolated area that struggles to get food," says Robinson. "A lot of really packed urban areas also have the same kind of food desert situation where they have a super big or super small radius without healthy foods."

Choate's project focuses on mental health issues in schools and providing spaces where students can discuss their struggles.

"My project is called CHIME: Children Highly Involved Mental Education," says Choate. "We want to have people who went through the same struggles speak out so they know they're not alone, people like youth teens who have struggled."

Watch the interviews with Bianca Robinson and Levi Choate below. Then, answer the discussion questions.

1. Bianca lives in a "food desert," where access to groceries and healthy foods in particular are limited to those with personal transportation. Do you live in a similar community or is it easier for people where you live to buy healthy foods? Take a moment to reflect on this. Write down your response in your notebook/computer and discuss as a class.
2. Can you think of any other ideas for helping communities that suffer from food insecurity?

1. Levi's project idea came from his own personal struggle in finding help with mental health at school. What is something that you personally struggle with at school or in your community? Brainstorm to identify possible solutions to this issue.
2. Do you have someone at your school that you can talk to about mental health? If not, do you think it would be helpful?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

There are many ways to get involved and bring about positive change in your community. Check your state education department's website to see what programs they offer as well as civics' initiatives by local non-profit organizations. You may want to check out more formal programs, such as National History Day or We the People.

PBS News Hour Classroom has an Invention Education collection full of lessons and video stories featuring student inventors and their teachers. Yes, young people saw problems where they live or on the news and worked to create real inventions to help solve them.

We also have a fun, uplifting Invention Educator Network (no experience necessary!), which brings together teachers from various subjects and grade levels to discuss all things invention & innovation. Sign up here to learn more. We have an Educator Zoom Chat on March 26, 2025, on entrepreneurship and invention. Click here for more information and to RSVP. Our PDs are always free!

Produced by Payton Alfieri, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern, Gianfranco Beran, production assistant, and Classroom's Victoria Pasquantonio.

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