Independent voices, social insight, and action: An analysis of a social action project

Social action projects provide opportunities for students to practice civic skills by learning about pressing social issues and taking action to address them. So to explore the texture of such projects, this paper illustrates how the pedagogy guiding them can support students to experience their agency as individuals, develop their knowledge of their broader social contexts, and provide opportunities for action. While the value of a relationship between individual agency, social knowledge, and action are richly described in theoretical texts, this paper shows how such principles are extended in one social action project that unfolded in an eighth grade class. Through the use of qualitative methods, I documented and analyzed the project. I share my analysis so to bring teachers and students' lived experiences with social action projects to light. The paper concludes with recommendations for educators when envisioning and enacting social action projects.