Curriculum

Program Objectives

Upon completion of the 4-year program, OCRA students will have:

a stronger sense of self-efficacy and group-efficacy and a deeper creative confidence, i.e. your ability to take on problems that don’t have a clear solution

the skill set to identify, research, analyze, build coalitions, and address issues affecting their community

the civic leadership skills and civic capacity to affect change in their future communities at the local, state, federal, and global levels

First Year Objectives

Learning about our local history

Understanding our three local governments, which includes discussions with with local elected leaders and important officials

Collecting and analyzing quantitative data (e.g. census/demographics, crime incidence stats, and survey data both past and present)
Identifying and problem solving around a local issues by collecting and analyzing data (field research), e.g. incorrect recyclable materials and methods and mini civic action project

Completing Summer Assignment - Conduct five community stakeholder conversations with a diverse set of interviewees (e.g. rabbi, village trustee, small business owner, head of food bank, & police officer)

Second Year Objectives

Conducting a content analysis on summer interviews and presenting findings - what issues, problems, etc. were noted/repeated
Conducting local news analysis - which additional issues are repeatedly highlighted
Analyzing a local case study - how residents organize for action
Identifying underlying/connected causes by applying (root cause analysis, systems thinking, and/or design thinking - looking at the various parts of the larger puzzle/what’s below the tip of the iceberg)
Conducting literature review - what insights and data on the issue can be gained from experienced professionals/researchers
Designing, conducting, analyzing a survey focused on a particular local issue (students present data and findings)
Identifying the local stakeholders, e.g. individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, institutions, etc.
Identifying and contacting potential community mentors (groups form around shared interests in local issues/needs)

Contracting among members of new groups - establishing expectations, rules, and norms, taking individual responsibility, and holding others accountable.

Constructing possible action plans (solutions) in consultation with community mentors - defining/redefining the problem, clarifying root causes, reexamining systemic causes/relationships, collecting additional data and analysis, defining/redefining goal(s), developing strategies (approaches to meet goal), establishing objectives (actions taken to execute strategies), create timeline (Gantt chart), and determining which data to collect and metrics to use for evaluation
Completing Summer Assignment - refine and complete rough draft of an action plan in consultation with community mentors and community stakeholders

Third & Fourth Years Objectives

Executing strategies and objectives
Working with community stakeholders
Conducting regularly scheduled meetings driven by pre prepared agendas with community mentors
Reevaluating and adjusting strategies, objectives, and timeline - students as project managers!
Collecting data and utilizing metrics (e.g. participation rates) to assess progress and goal attainment
Publicly presenting civic action project, e.g. CivicChangmakers Conference, Westchester County Civics Fair (NY Civic Seal of Readiness Capstone Projects), etc.
Cataloguing research and projects for future OCRA students to utilize, i.e. building on past failures and successes
Thanking and honoring community mentors at end of program celebration

OCRA

in the School Schedule

Students attend classes before school on Mondays and Thursdays from 7-7:45am.

Sophomores attend class within their regular school day schedule. Depending on scheduling conflicts, sophomores can take OCRA during period 2, lunch period, or a semester-by-semester combination there of.

Juniors and seniors attend class within their regular school day schedule.

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