David Hall of North Penn High School and a teacher in LEAP-Kids network was recently featured on Morning Edition, a program by National Public Radio. The "semester-long project" mentioned is Project Citizen. You can find out more at the Center for Civic Education's website. Also involved in the hearings were LEAP-Kids' Executive Director, David Keller Trevaskis, Esq., and Leon Stimpson also of LEAP-Kids.

Below is an excerpt from the program. Full text and audio are available on NPR's website.

Civics Lessons Beyond the Classroom
Volunteering May Not Teach Students About Problems' Roots

Jan. 7, 2003 -- Today's teenagers have grown up with two strong messages about government: that politics is messy and politicians can be corrupt, and that every citizen can make a difference in his or her community.

Research shows that the average 20-year-old is more likely to sign up as a volunteer than show up at the voting booth. In its "Citizen Student" series, Morning Edition is reporting on how young people learn about citizenship. Many of them volunteer because their schools require it. NPR's Nancy Solomon reports that many programs encourage students to reach out beyond their classrooms. But some experts worry the programs are sending an incomplete message about citizenship.

At Princeton High School in New Jersey, senior Miranda Robertson occasionally skips her daily ballet class to volunteer in the community. NPR caught up with her as she worked in the Crisis Ministry in Trenton. She began volunteering her sophomore year, when all Princeton students are required to do 50 hours of community service. She and many of her peers continue to volunteer throughout high school, they say, because it gives them a sense of accomplishment.

But when Robertson and other students talk about community service, something is curiously absent, Solomon reports. They never suggest the experiences have made them want to get involved in creating government solutions to the problems they see.