Here is your opportunity to earn up to 20 points while improving your community. You must carefully follow the steps below to earn the points:
1. Identify one problem in your local community. It can be a pothole near your home, a streetlight that went out, gang activity, bad school for your kid/s attend, etc. You decide which problem you would like to address.
2. Identify the appropriate local elected official (Mayor, City Council Person, School Board Member, County Supervisor, etc.) responsible for addressing the problem.
3. Write a short – no more than one page – handwritten letter to your elected official describing the problem and requesting a speedy remedy.
4. Do not disclose you are writing the letter as a class project. Identify yourself simply with your name and as a resident of the community. No need to mention if you are a foreign student, citizen or your legal status. They are responsible for helping you regardless.
5. Write a 500 – 600 word post explaining
a. why you picked this problem (1 point),
b. how did you identify the elected official responsible for remedying it (1 point),
c. what is your ideal remedy (1 point), and
d. take a good picture of your handwritten letter (use your phone if you do not have a scanner) and upload it with your post as an attachment (2 points). Make sure your return address is covered before you take the picture.
e. hand-write the name and address of your local elected official on an envelope, place appropriate postage take a picture of the stamped envelope with the official’s name, title, and address. Make sure to cover your return address before taking the picture (2 points).
f. Mail your letter.
6. Thoughtfully respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts – in at least 150 but no more than 200 words – and the respective handwritten letters (2 points). T
7. If you followed all the instructions above carefully, you should receive a written response from your elected official in the mail in two to three weeks.
8. Take a good picture of the letter from your elected official and post it here as an attachment and in at least 200 but no more than 300 words. Then write your thoughts about the outcome of this exercise and how it empowered you (3 points). .
9. Answer the following questions in no more than two sentences each (1 point for each answer).
a. What academic concepts became clear in this exercise?
b. What is your understanding about the differences between academic concepts in the classroom and their practical application in the community?
c. How can you use this course material in the community?
d. Did it differ from your initial expectations?
e. How does your civic experience and academic knowledge inform your understanding of systemic causes of the social, political, or civic issues?
f. What did you learn from your participation and the feedback from your classmates?
g. Why does this experience matter?
h. What might/should be done in light of it?
Remember to hand-write all your correspondence with your elected official.