S-1914               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6021

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Rinehart, Bailey, Bauer, Gaspard, Benitz, Bender, Fleming and Metcalf

Read first time 2/23/89 and referred to Committee on  Education.

AN ACT Relating to the development of citizen involvement in providing solutions to societal problems; adding new sections to Title 28A RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     (1) The legislature finds that:  (a) Structured education for social interaction begins in the primary grades and many of the skills with which individuals approach life are learned early in the educational process; (b) individuals in general, and adults in particular, often feel powerless to affect change in their communities and in the world; and (c) a sense of alienation and powerlessness to influence actions and events contributes to low levels of community involvement.

          (2) The legislature intends to promote the development in Washington schools, both K-12 and higher education, of programs to encourage citizen involvement and community action based on education.  It is the intent of the "education for empowerment" program to help young people realize that individual action affects the quality of their lives personally and the quality of life in their communities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The board of directors of each school district shall adopt a written policy by September 1, 1990, to include "education for empowerment" in the curriculum of the district including, but not limited to, instruction and involvement in each of the following:

          (1) Societal education, including instruction about contemporary social injustice, localized neighborhood problems, issues of global concern, consumer and economic education, and international or multicultural/multi-ethnic education;

          (2) The potential power of citizen involvement to affect decisions regarding local and national issues, including community service activities, such as recycling projects and graffiti paint-outs;

          (3) Encouragement of student initiative by awarding credit, subject to the state board of education rules, to students who participate in community involvement activities or who organize and facilitate social action programs with the intent to research, encourage, and provide assistance to fellow students who wish to get involved with their communities or in some other aspect of social service.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) In adopting the policy according to section 2 of this act, districts are encouraged to review and assess the extent to which the district's instructional materials and curriculum program include empowerment education.

          (2) In developing empowerment curriculum, school districts may request assistance and resources from the office of the superintendent of public instruction and from the state center for voluntary action.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop guidelines and a model curriculum for empowerment education under RCW 28A.03.425.  The guidelines and model curriculum shall be made available to all school districts no later than January 1, 1991.

          (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall collect information on empowerment programs, curriculum, and materials through the state clearinghouse for educational information and disseminate such information, upon request, to school districts and other interested parties.

          (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state center for voluntary action, and the departments of social and health services and community development shall share information about empowerment education.

          (4) Upon request, the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state center for voluntary action shall provide to school districts technical assistance and in-service training relating to empowerment education from funds made available for such purposes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 1 through 4 of this act are added to Title 28A RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     The sum of forty-nine thousand five hundred dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.