What We Do
The Institute for Civic Education offers a variety of professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers in many aspects of American and comparative government, civics and history. The following seminars, presentations and activities are a sample of our work. If you are interested in learning more about the services we offer, please contact us at: christiane.olivo@unco.edu or stan.luger@unco.edu
Christiane Olivo
Judge for We the People: Citizens and the Constitution high school competition at district, state and national levels, 2002-present
“Bringing Women In: Gender and American Government Textbooks,” Journal of Political Science Education, forthcoming, 2012
“The Exclusion and Inclusion of Women in American Government Textbooks,” forthcoming, Heather Hickman and Brad J. Porfilio, eds., The New Politics of the Textbook: A Project of Critical Examination and Resistance (Sense Publishers, 2011)
Taught “Western Civilizations” at the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research, Almaty, Kazakhstan, 11-29 July 2011
“How Do Political Scientists Think?” One-day presentation for elementary teachers for Reading in the Social Studies Grant funded by the Colorado Department of Education, Denver, 6 June 2011
“European Identity: The Challenge of Immigration,” Comparing Democracies: Colorado, Get to Know Europe Teacher Professional Development Program funded by the European Commission, Denver, 16 April 2011
“Where Are the Women? Gender and American Government Textbooks,” presented at the American Political Science Association’s Teaching and Learning Conference, Albuquerque, NM, 11-13 February 2011
“Where Are the Women in American Government and Politics Textbooks?” Presented at International Civic Education Conference, Orlando, FL, 11-13 November 2010
“Analyzing Political Identity in Eastern and Western Europe,” Update—Europe Post-1989: Lessons and Materials for the Classroom sponsored by Colorado European Union Center for Excellence and Center for Education in Law and Democracy Civitas Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, 8 June 2010
“Teaching the Peaceful Revolutions of 1989 for Today’s Students,” presented at Colorado Council for the Social Studies Annual Meeting, Denver, 11 April 2010
“Looking Back to 1989: Why Did Communism Fail?” Educating for Citizenship Conference, Lakewood, CO, 4 December 2009
Organized and presented at the Political Science Forum on “The Twentieth Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall,” UNC, 9 November 2009
Director of four-week National Endowment for the Humanities summer seminar on “The History and Philosophy of the Peaceful Revolution in East-Central Europe” for fifteen K-12 teachers in Berlin and Leipzig, Germany, 28 June-25 July 2009
“John Locke and American Politics,” presented at the Colorado Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference, Denver, 10 April 2009
Conducted two-day workshop for elementary teachers on civics and the Colorado Model Content Standards as part of the Reading in the Social Studies grant funded by the Colorado Department of Education, 3-4 June 2008
“Women and Politics,” presented at the Colorado Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference, Denver, 12 April 2008
Panel Moderator and Planning Committee, “Safeguarding U.S. Democracy: Promoting an Independent Judiciary by Defending the Constitution,” Constitution Day, University of Northern Colorado, 17 September 2007
“Comparing Democracies in Britain, Czech Republic, Germany and Russia,” presented at the Advanced Placement Annual Conference, Las Vegas, 13 July 2007
“Comparing Democracies,” presented at the International Civic Education Research Conference, Orlando, FL, 17-19 January 2006
Conducted seminar in teaching civics for secondary teachers from the Navajo Nation for The Middle Ground Project in American History and Civics Education, Presidential Academy funded by the U.S. Department of Education, July 2006
Planning Committee member and Program and Site Coordinator for Strengthening Civic Education Conference funded by the Colorado Department of Education, University of Northern Colorado, 10-11 February 2006
Steering Committee Member, Colorado Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, 2004-2006
“Comparing Democracies,” presented at the Annual Educating for Citizenship Conference, Lakewood, CO, 3 December 2004
Discussant and Panel Chair, “Civic Education in Africa,” International Conference on Civic Education Research, New Orleans, LA, 16-18 November 2003
Conducted seminars on the philosophical foundations of the Constitution for high school teachers in the We the People: Citizens and the Constitution program, Greeley, CO, 2 October 2003 and 20 October 2004
Member of U.S. Civitas delegation for civic education to Prague, Czech Republic, sponsored by the Center for Education in Law and Democracy, 18-22 November 2003
Conducted in-service workshop for elementary and middle school teachers on the state civics content standards, Jefferson County School District, Lakewood, CO, 29 October 2003
Stan Luger
Director of Advanced Placement Program Summer Institute on U.S. Government and Politics, University of Northern Colorado, 21-24 June 2011. Dr. Luger has directed this institute every summer since 2003. (www.unco.edu/advplacement)
Conducted seminar on “Understanding Lobbying” for secondary teachers from the Navajo Nation for The Middle Ground Project in American History and Civics Education funded by the U.S. Department of Education, July 2006
Member of Board of Directors for The Middle Ground Project in American History and Civics Education, a Presidential Academy funded by the U.S. Department of Education
“Money and Politics” presented at the Strengthening Civic Education Conference funded by the Colorado Department of Education, University of Northern Colorado, 10-11 February 2006
Manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Political Science Education, 2004
Panel discussant, “Teaching and Learning” at the Northeastern Political Science Association Conference, Boston, November 1996
Participated in the 1995 Colorado Department of Education Project on State Standards and University Curriculum Development. Wrote report on the reorganization of PSCI 100: U.S. National Government and co-chaired panel discussion on state standards for state-wide conference held at the University of Northern Colorado.
Co-Author of “Teaching American Government,” published in PS: Political Science and Politics, Vol. 26, No. 4 (December 1993), pp. 749-753
Panel Participant, “Teaching American Government” at the New York State Political Science Association Annual Meeting, New York City, April 1993
Panel participant, “Teaching the Liberal Arts,” The Coming Revolution in Higher Education: A Dialogue on Curriculum and Pedagogy for the Twenty-First Century, United University Professions Conference, Albany, NY, April 1990