Students will launch the Project Citizen inquiry by listening to community testimonies, exploring possible issue areas through evidence-rich stations, and refining an initial compelling question they can investigate through public policy. They will practice active listening, begin distinguishing policy problems from personal concerns, and complete a first self-assessment that sets a concrete next step for research, advocacy, confidence, or listening.

Students will take an initial evidence-based position on a local community policy issue, refine a compelling inquiry question through critique, and build the first section of their Project Citizen Portfolio with a stance statement, evidence plan, and documented next steps.

Students will test their early policy positions by gathering varied sources, checking credibility, and sorting evidence that supports, challenges, or complicates their ideas. They will add annotated research notes and source evaluations to their Project Citizen Portfolio, identify strong counterevidence, and revise their policy direction through peer and teacher feedback.

Students will turn researched evidence into a defensible public policy argument by drafting claims, sub-claims, warrants, and counterarguments; testing those ideas through peer and mentor critique; revising their Project Citizen Portfolio materials; and completing a live defense rehearsal plus progress portfolio checkpoint before the final showcase.

Students will present their completed Project Citizen Portfolio and policy pitch to community members, respond to audience questions with evidence-based reasoning, and complete a brief self-assessment identifying growth in research, advocacy, confidence, or listening and one concrete next step for continued civic action.