The Indiana Civic Health Index is the result of a partnership among the following entities: Indiana Supreme Court, Indiana Bar Foundation, Indiana University Northwest, IU Center for Civic Literacy, The Center on Congress, and the National Conference on Citizenship. The foreword is by former Chief Justice, Randall T. Shepard, and former U.S. Representative and current Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University, Lee H. Hamilton.
According to the Civic Health Index, “A look at our civic health is a look at our public life – how we interact with one another, with our communities, and with our government. The Indiana Civic Health index was published in 2011. Four years later, the publication of this second edition signals an important commitment to continuing the conversation regarding our attitudes and actions in the civic arena. This edition of the civic health index also explores more deeply the impediments to civic participation and the resources that can be harnessed to further strengthen our civic commitments.
In this latest “report card” we are able to analyze some of the trends that begin to take shape over a period of analysis. Some of these trends are positive and things on which Hoosiers can continue to build, while others are cause for concern and areas we need to improve.”
The release of Indiana’s Civic Health Index showcased how important civic knowledge is to the development of active citizens, and how few civic education opportunities are available to most teachers and students.
The Indiana Supreme Court is committed to helping educators identify curriculum materials that will help fill this gap.
In April 2012, the Court hosted its first civic education teacher workshop. That workshop focused on the free materials developed by retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s iCivics project. In 2013, the Court held a second workshop, which focused on civic education materials. Collectively these materials were called the “Justice Case Files,” and they were developed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). On Thursday, April 10, 2014, the Court held its third workshop.