An Experiential Approach to the Delivery of the Grade 10 Civics Curriculum in Ontario: The Case of DILA

Abstract

This study examines an educational intervention, which attempts to create experiential learning opportunities, to gain an understanding of the effects of teachers’ and students’ development as active democratic citizens. The educational intervention comes in the form of a youth program entitled ‘Day of Information for a Lifetime of Action’ (DILA). The research answers the following question: does an experiential approach to the delivery of the Grade 10 Civics Curriculum such as DILA affect the development of active democratic citizens - as characterized by civic identity, civic engagement, and civic competence? And if so, how does it influence the students' understanding of their role in a democratic society, their self-reported likelihood of future civic engagement and their self-reported ability to be civically effective?