Or… How to return CIVICS to the forefront of any and all high schools in the US with a win-win for high-schoolers, their high school admins and, our country within 12 months.
Synopsis:
This concept outline follows the 8 Question Heilmeier format
found at Arpa-h.gov … it requires proposals to be jargon free, capable of being understood by 10th grade high schoolers. “Moon shot” potential is what and why Arpa-h was funded by Congress as a new agency in 2022; it exists with a mandate to solve major problems in medicine asap.
While this white paper is not directed to Arpa-h we think “Towards a Modern CIVX ” has potential to boost our nation by providing high school students nationwide with a model for civics that will return democracy to creative health by action. Here’s what, why and how “a Modern CIVX” might work in the United States and, by helping to mitigate world tension, offer a better understanding of the US to the public citizenry in every democracy.
Our Need
Most high school students in the US experience public life today as partisan, less safe, less cooperative, and being less informed become less interested in being informed. Instead of conversation to resolve a problem, most “discourse” happens as gossip about news on social media slanted toward a predictable partisan outcome that rewards outrage, insult and confusion over reasonable discussion that is argued better or solves a problem.
The critical reason offered by national media for the observation voiced above is because of an “all absorbing” contention that the use of digital media has taught youth to be passively nonengaged high schoolers: At Modern CIVX we suggest a different reason for this.
Current
Traditionally “Classic debate” argues and presents an issue decided by a majority vote of experts: “Hybrid debate” seeks by creative thought the best consensually built solution for the same issue decided by experts or team; both are contests.
Modern CIVX is hypothetically a high school level sporting contest between the Classic and the Hybrid models of debate. This event, initially, would occur within a high school not among high schools.
What if we presented recent Supreme Court Opinions as content for high school level debates between the Classic decision making model versus a Hybrid consensus building for a solution model with debate events framed within a sports communication format that added the roles of student commentator, analysts and influencers for live commentary at the events of live debate being streamed and podcasted to the student body including its home audience?
We predict with our concept model called “Towards a Modern CIVX” that every high school using the debate model at events with student sports communicators would discover extended student interest in gaining the same classic, reason-based presenting skill as their peers during the debate and in acquiring the skills that grow team consensus for the best “solution” to the issue debated: We hope to use the underlying issues previously identified and nationally published in the US SUPREME COURT OPINIONS as the content vehicle for being better informed on the civic implications of the given subject matter.
POD Learning
While “Modern CIVX” offers an important adaptation for civics it is also offering an important educational discussion because debate models described in this paper use problem solving steps, thinking skills, that require similar but unique capacities and skills for mastery. Our desire is to show that a ‘sport’s model communication continuum’ existing between models of our project can reset higher efficiencies for each model because those participating will by necessity learn four sets of real world thinking skills…two as presenting debaters with different instincts honed from the models; another as presenting neutrals trained to think of “communication” for a better to best understanding of the national issues presented and last but not least, all will learn better ways to phrase probative questions in a way that most efficiently informs research using Ai and discussions among peoples involved in both.
In summary, both models of debate provide four learnable skill sets acquired by doing and can be viable as high-school models that will take high-school civics from the classroom to live action where learning is accomplished 100% by doing.
In Modern CIVX… the goal of our interactive high school debate model is to interest and train 100% of the student body in every high school to acquire four sets of old fashioned thinking skills by using the Modern CIVX debate model by and with the same technology that students use and own already.
Further Research and Funding Potential
If these modeled roles provide thinking skills that are growable in all high schools then a student grows the skill by listening, learning, practicing and doing. In our project model each classic debate team member takes a turn learning how to craft ideas and how to present them impromptu at debate thereby learning how to work with reason based arguments that lead to skills in decision making; by rotation each person will discover in conversational debate how a consensus can be grown into a solution to any and all problems even national ones; last but not least every participant learns as a neutral thinker and commentator how to consider, summarize and provide commentary that is balanced, fair to the issue and a better analysis of the issues for students and others outside of the debate; in the homes of the high school student the family watching and listening… learns as well: The expectation of this learning quartet is the essence of civic action in ones’ classroom…the same as in the hopeful real world of any democracy.
Neuroscience and debate models
We have supposed that our models will reveal important distinctions in brain related activity leading to better measurement and mapping with fMRi technology and better analysis of LLM’s (large language models) by using the artificial intelligence tools of the major developers. Each has tools with which to measure, analyze and discover patterns for the models presented by our project. Our project will seek to partner with one or all of the best technologies involved in Ai.
Back to the Basics: why do this …what follows…the US BEE Hive
Modern CIVX will initially prefer the entire project be conducted within high schools interactively accomplished rather than intra-actively dispersed among different schools in the School Districts of the U.S: This project will require creative build time with the high school aged using the same tools and technology their critics deplore: Our reasoning is we as developers are travel adverse and, initially, wish to focus on skill development gotten over time at school practices that educate all equally.
Discussion: Classic Debate v Consensus Debate
The classic team debate structure is well known and tested in most medium to large high schools in the US and abroad. For many high schoolers the reality of debate culture is learned as a “sport” with champion debaters presiding in a social hierarchy at their high school. It is similar to any sport with prestige and prowess awarded to victors of win-lose sport scenarios: teens are interested in or fear this and closely follow these contests because merit in sports and academia is reinforced in their social lives.
The communications enhancement of ‘student sport moderators &commentators’ …as presented in this paper are already fully developed as roles that adults recognize and have learned; and we predict, will improve the importance of civics nationwide if merged with other intellectual discussion + technological trends in high schools.
Audio Video HS Tech Teams can and would run the live stream of the school event for the audience of high school parents at home and at the event. A dedicated YOUTUBE Channel would store it for further distribution of the PODCAST. All is technology currently in existence. No new expensive tech is in this proposal.
Two teams of three students each, skilled in audio-video technology and social media, will act as influencers who curate and post content in each event. Digital video tech on each team will direct camera work and review spontaneous footage submitted from student cell phones. A dedicated audio-visual setup provided at each event will support live interviews and commentary. These roles are reserved for seniors or other highly qualified “Junior”or students who can model professional skills and help train the rest of the student teams for future participants.
Student commentators, analysts and influencers at high school events summarize points awarded as in a sports venue offering docu-drama performances …that rely on humor, occasional irreverence with spontaneity and comradery mixed in…all shown in the cellphone live capture mode.
NEXT STEP: This whitepaper envisions producing a follow up creation of a 24 page full color spread with cartoon characters of a graphic novel or animation that proposes the concepts of this White Paper illustrated and or a 20 minute AV model created by montage of cellphone footage of an invented high school debate class” to provide all that is necessary to sell itself for future funding of the concept idea Modern CIVX for a national telecom as a Pilot and a Series of 12 episodes to follow. The time frames for each of three stages, cost to produce at stage and delivery opportunities are outlined in The ROAD MAP below.
ROADMAP to FRONT DESK
How to succeed in one year in 10 succinct steps…is to create a character based one 15 minute AV Model then a Pilot… finally a 12 Episode Series… presented on a national venue. ASAP
Advertising that sells a product could fund this project early on because it is a public service initially of low cost. Those involved in the creation of the introductory 15-20 minute model are not paid nor actors nor media professionals.
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- Reduce the big idea to an essential model: Write several student oriented story board scripts as script models of the idea. By starting small with little cost we avoid the common killer of good ideas …the negative of pitching a big idea to any “risk adverse make no decision high school board members” because “it is too big, too complicated, and too political.” Our initial model is 2 teams engaged in a hybrid discussion of debate while problem solving a recent Supreme Court Opinion at a small school rally. Filmed by cell phone with a student host, 2 commentators at black boards with chalk, extra students in a hallway for interviews… throw in humor, excitement and voila…an editable 2-3 minute short from 200 minutes of collective filming. Step 1= 3,000.00 – Step 2 to 4 = 2,000 more= 5,000.00
- Spend time editing well a 2-4 minute short as a trailer; understand what we have… a moment to shine…
- Launch with clips already made of “Debate Culture” that are succinct, funny smart …relatable on social media..YOU TUBE SHORTS, INSTAGRAM REELS… TIK-TOC
- In quick succession build a series of short stories around THE Students who Can and ARE fixing Debate Culture.
- As momentum grows, measure it neutrally while reaching out to innovators with the findings; offer the project to a College Debate Coach and the Coach’s school for a Season 1 $50,000-budget that defines the Pilot…if they will be host we can raise money to cover it to produce..
- RUN Season One from the one school that offers to be host.
- Let the school do its job of promoting the project and its success at the school.
- Help the school that has helped find further bigger sponsors like Amazon, Comcast etc.to pay for the 12 episode season.
- Turn the model into a kit and partner with the US Dept of Education to assist with US distribution to high schools and worldwide distribution.
- Smile…you have just defeated most enemies of great ideas ..but if not… learn, adapt and do it until you succeed.
WHO are the Authors: “Modern CIVX” is an updated concept recently reworked from our previous attempt titled “FRONT DESK” … North Bay Christian Academy, Novato, Ca: Our first attempt at that school did not succeed. This is version 2.13
Xander Brabbée 415-910-1880: North Bay Christian Academy 2025 now at USFca Neuroscience Program. Tristain Glenuir, Influencer: Graduated San Marin High School 2025
Peter Brabbée; www.Area13.us …415-336-9817 adult advisor; contracting federal mediator for agencies with workplace problems… USPS, EEOC Los Angeles District etc
Mail to: [email protected], [email protected].
Introducing
“Country Mouse Wallace”… a Dutch relative offering service as a spokemouse or
spokes “muis” in “Towards a Modern CIVX”….to the current team….the stylization and font for the 24 page graphic novel storyline is to be for distribution only not sale to selected high schools and interested funders.
The rights to the character “Country Mouse Wallace”, stylization of font, and storyline belong to Peter Brabbée. Country Mouse Wallace appears in Dutch in “Papoofnik’s Belevignen”, and is available in English as a 10 Chapter storyline in “Papoofnik’s Travels” by Peter Brabbée (The Well Worn Edition) available at Amazon KDP. A.R.R.
“Country Mouse Wallace” is a crooner, quite small, a bit eccentric on occasion will jump around and get excited. It is an it and our lead.
