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Our Purpose

One of our greatest responsibilities is to prepare the next generation to meet the challenges they will face in the 21st Century, with a deep commitment to the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship. We have a unique opportunity for a community dialogue about the civic values, knowledge, and skills that K-12 students should learn and practice in our public school system. We will create strong community support for our schools to provide effective civic education for students to be successful in college, career and citizenship.

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Civic Education Center is to restore civility in America by creating opportunities for youth to learn and practice civic values and democratic skills.

About Us – Civic Ed Center

Civic Education Center | Fresno CA | Facebook

Goals

• Teach the vision of the Founders and the triumphs and tragedies of our history.
• Teach civil dialogue on controversial issues and democratic deliberation.
• Integrate science, technology, literature, media, arts and math with civic projects.
• To promote teacher understanding of connections with the State Seal of Civic Engagement, Social Emotional Learning, and Ethnic Studies.

Summer Institute – Civic Ed Center

1. What are the organization's future goals, and how does it plan to achieve them?

2. How does the organization conceptualize and prioritize community engagement and leadership in its work?

3. What are some of the most pressing environmental justice issues in Orange County, and how is the organization working to address them?

 The work by the Orange County Environmental Justice (OCEJ) organization can potentially advance justice and good governance by addressing environmental injustices in Orange County. By educating and empowering communities, OCEJ can increase awareness of the impacts of environmental issues such as air pollution, water contamination, and climate change, leading to more informed and engaged citizens. OCEJ's advocacy efforts can also help hold local government and industry accountable for addressing environmental injustices and promoting more sustainable practices

Their website has a history of past press releases and publications featuring the organization and its work. This includes local news including Telemundo and Daily Pilot detailing their work and collaboration with UC Irvine, among other organizations, as they conduct their research and present their findings.

1.  The OCEJ works closely with community members in the region; this includes the University of California, Irvine, and other community-based organizations and advocacy groups working on environmental issues in Orange County.

This organization was conceptualized in 2016 and officially notated as a non-profit in 2019, garnering it as reasonably new; with that comes challenges to bring about awareness and build communal support for OCEJ. As with other environmental justice organizations, the nature of the work and the mission to center marginalized communities present challenges and overcome historical and systemic oppressions that have contributed to disproportionate exposure to environmental harm.

OCEJ does not explicitly state they have a unique approach to organizing in their non-profit. Still, within their mission and considering the individuals who comprise their staff and advisory board, I would argue they have a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic approach to environmental justice. There are members from the Acjachemen and Tongva Nations, Asian American-Pacific Islander, and Latinx communities who are working collaboratively to achieve environmental justice.

OCEJ has conducted several studies to highlight the environmental disparities within Orange County. Notably, this includes campaigns like Communities Organizing For Better Water !Plo-No! Santa Ana and Environmental Justice Organizing Academy

As a new organization, OCEJ is focused on building awareness and advocating for environmental justice issues in Orange County. The main initiatives illustrative of the organization’s work include; advocating for clean air, addressing water contamination, climate change action, and community engagement. They seek to advocate for marginalized communities disproportionately exposed to and impacted by environmental harms.