September, 2014
Project Citizen
1. Purpose: Project Citizen is a program sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Center for Civic Education to promote participation in government for elementary, middle and high school students. This program directly aligns with Washington’s social studies standards (Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRS) and Grade Level Expectations (GLEs)). In addition, the Project Citizen program is used in some districts to meet the state requirement to assess civics at the 7th or 8th grade using Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs). For over a decade, the Legislature directly funded Project Citizen. However, in the 2009 legislative session, the Legislature designated the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as the fiscal agent for Project Citizen funding.
2. Number of staff associated with this program/service : 2
FY15 Funding: State Appropriation: $25,000
# of contractors/other staff associated with this funding: 1 grant awarded to Civic Education, Washington State for Project Citizen
3. Are federal or other funds contingent on state funding? If yes, explain. No.
4. Is continued funding needed in the next biennium? Project Citizen provides a civic education curriculum where Washington’s elementary, middle and high school students apply their knowledge in order to solve a problem in their community. Continued funding is necessary in order to further the program as well as encourage respectful and responsible citizenship in Washington State.
5. What is the current status of this program’s implementation? Civic Education, Washington State currently administers the Project Citizen program for Washington State. This organization was awarded the funding through OSPI’s iGrants system and is currently able to access funds throughout the fiscal year.
6. When will the project be completed? This is an ongoing program and is currently funded through the 2015 fiscal year. The State competition is held in May of each fiscal year and all documentation for the fiscal year is completed by June 30.
7. First year funded? As noted, the Legislature directly funded Project Citizen for over a decade. However, the 2009-10 fiscal year is the first year that OSPI managed the funds.
8. State funding since inception:
Fiscal Year / AmountFY 15 / $25,000
FY 14 / $25,000
FY 13 / $25,000
FY 12 / $25,000
FY 11 / $25,000
FY 10 / $25,000
10. Major challenges faced by the program: The success of Project Citizen is dependent upon government funding, grants and donations. Currently the government contributions from Washington State make up almost half of the budget for the program statewide. Project Citizen also faces challenges regarding advertisement and recruitment. While this is, in part, a budgetary concern, the program’s continued growth and ability to reach various regions throughout the state also depends on the support of teachers and administrators.
11. Future opportunities: The Project Citizen program staff have made every effort to align the Project Citizen curriculum to the State EALRS. Project Citizen is directly linked as a resource for the Social Studies CBAs on the OSPI website. Further, a portion of the funding for Project Citizen will be used to pay for the creation of a literacy correlation guide which will align Project Citizen not only with the Social Studies standards, but also align the program with Washington’s Reading and Writing standards.
12. Statutory and/or Budget language:
Budget Proviso: 3ESSB 5034, Sec. 501 (1)(j) - $25,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2014 and $25,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2015 are provided solely for project citizen, a program sponsored by the national conference of state legislatures and the center for civic education to promote participation in government by middle school students.