Citizenship & Service Curriculum

As a reflection of Spectrum’s mission and vision, students graduate from Spectrum equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attributes to positively impact the world around them. As students prepare for their college and career experiences it is crucial that they have an understanding of their role as a responsible, engaged citizen within the communities to which they belong. 

The Spectrum Citizenship Curriculum is designed to facilitate this understanding. It provides opportunities for students to establish an awareness that choosing to live philanthropically by giving of their time, talent, and treasure, through active service and critical thinking, they help to meet the needs of others and find solutions to society's biggest challenges. Ultimately, their efforts support the common good of the community as a whole. 

The alignment of the Citizenship Curriculum begins in grades 6-8 with an understanding of Community and the roles members play within it. In grade six the Citizenship unit is implemented in the Life Skills course, in grade seven, in Health, and in grade eight it lands in the Digital Tech course. Within these courses, students will be introduced to a community need and have the opportunity to help meet that  need through service activities. This foundational understanding and actions prepare students to continue their journey as a citizen from a more individual perspective as they move into high school.

At the high school level, Citizenship units begin to center more on the students’ personal response to their role as a citizen. Students’ are led to consider community needs, their personal passions, and how the combination of these could lead to college and career choices. In College and Career Readiness I, II, and III, students explore philanthropy and the impact it has on the community as a whole. In collaboration with their peers, students begin to see themselves as philanthropists while planning their own service activities based on personal interests. The development of this perspective and the practice of facilitating a service activity prepares students for the Senior Capstone course taken their senior year.

The Senior Capstone Legacy experience is a graduation requirement for all Spectrum students. It serves as the culminating experience of the Citizenship Curriculum. This experience allows students to realize themselves as philanthropists.  By establishing a partnership with a community organization within an area of interest and potential career choice, students explore possible service activities that might help meet the needs of the community members that the organization serves. Taking the lead in planning, implementing, and reflecting on the service activity, students are able to gain an understanding of their own capacity for service leadership. 

Citizenship and service at Spectrum go hand in hand. With a commitment to service, community partnership is part of Spectrum’s identity. Providing opportunities for Spectrum students to understand their personal capacity as citizens and leaders in the community is highly valued and is asserted as part of the Spectrum belief statement. Through the completion of the aligned Citizenship Curriculum, students graduate from Spectrum with the competency to become responsible, engaged global citizens, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attributes to positively impact the world around them.