| The Indianapolis public school system was one of the first in the United States to make "civics" a required subject in the public school curriculum. In 1906, under the guidance of Arthur W. Dunn, Indianapolis schools developed a course in community civics that would eventually provide a national model of civic instruction promoted by the National Education Association. This innovation reflected a national trend in which schools developed programs that sought to fill perceived gaps in students' education caused by industrialization and urbanization and proved to be the beginning of a string of curricular reforms aimed at improving civic education. This dissertation examines the complex debate between professional educators and various segments of the public, including patriotic, civic, and business organizations, over the character and content of civic education programs as it took place in Indianapolis during the first half of the twentieth century. Using public school records, manuscript collections, and curricular materials, this dissertation provides a deeper historical understanding of how schools and other organizations attempt to teach citizenship roles to youth in an economically and socially changing democratic society. Contemporary debates over education that emphasize technical skills and basic attainments, often ignore questions concerning the development of students' civic roles. This dissertation seeks to elevate the importance of these questions by discussing how, in one city, these questions were raised and debated and what programs were developed to help youth become active citizens. |
