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Thank you to everyone who attended our 2025 Showcases! Highlights and commendations from the events are forthcoming.
Video highlights from our 2024 Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase in Worcester, one of three regional events! See highlights from our 2023 event .
Each spring, DESE celebrates the work of 8th-12th grade civics students across the state! Through "science fair-style" showcases, students have the opportunity to share their civics projects with local community advisors and each other, receive feedback on their work, and be recognized for their civic engagement. In 2025, DESE hosted four regional Civics Project Showcases in Springfield, Worcester, Dartmouth, and Boston. Students from 117 schools participated across the three events, showcasing projects on topics from the environment to educational equity to mental health.
For questions about the Civics Project Showcases, please email Rebekah Judson .
DESE recently hosted four regional Civics Project Showcases in partnership with Generation Citizen . Dates and locations for the events are listed below:
Civics Project Showcases FAQ
Civics Project Showcases Project Presentation Rubric
Local Civics Project Showcase Planning Worksheet
At each Showcase, volunteer community advisors have short conversations with students about their projects, asking questions and offering feedback based on their own expertise. Given the wide range in project topics, advisors come from a diversity of backgrounds: community organizers, legislators, business and non-profit leaders, educators, healthcare workers, and more. To be notified when we are looking for advisors for next year's showcases, please fill out this interest form .
Commendations represent exemplary student-led civics projects that were presented at our regional Civics Project Showcases. The following project groups received commendations following our four 2025 events based on nominations from participating community advisors.
These project groups conducted deep research into the root causes of their issue, gathered compelling evidence, and made clear and persuasive arguments about why action is needed.
Albert Ford Middle School, Acushnet Public Schools — "Stop Charges Against Human Trafficking Victims"
Amherst Regional Middle School, Amherst-Pelham Regional School District — "Extending Math for All"
Breed Middle School, Lynn Public Schools — "Immigration Rights"
Cohasset High School, Cohasset Public Schools — "Marine Science"
Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District — "Establishing a Recreation Center"
Forest Grove Middle School, Worcester Public Schools — "Bullying: It's Time to Change the Story"
Gates Middle School, Scituate Public Schools — "The Normalize, Educate and Support Project: Mental Health"
Great Falls Middle School, Gill-Montague Regional School District — "Old Erving Paper Mill"
Lawrence High School, Lawrence Public Schools — "No ID = No Safety"
Leominster High School, Leominster Public Schools — "Understanding Municipal Politics"
Norton High School, Norton Public Schools — "Reducing the Environmental Impact of Refuse Vehicles"
South End Middle School, Springfield Public Schools — "Animal Testing"
Taunton High School, Taunton Public Schools — "Mental Health Supports in School"
Vassal Lane Upper School, Cambridge Public Schools — "Read Banned Books"
Veritas Preparatory Charter School, Springfield — "Police Corruption"
Wamsutta Middle School, Attleboro Public Schools — "Banning Rodenticides"
These project groups developed detailed action plans with clear goals that related to the root causes of their issue, logical decision-makers/influencers to target, and a range of tactics.
Argosy Collegiate Charter School, Fall River — "Everyone Should Know How to Save a Life"
Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School, Adams — "Basketball Courts in Pittsfield"
Chicopee High School, Chicopee Public Schools — "School Mural Project"
City Lab High School, Revere Public Schools — "Brightening the Coastline"
Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District — "Healthy Habits Start Early"
Duxbury High School, Duxbury Public Schools — "The Daily Dragon"
Freetown-Lakeville Middle School, Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District — "Street Safety and Sidewalks"
Haverhill High School, Haverhill Public Schools — "Improvement in Education and Experience of ELL Students"
Lawrence High School, Lawrence Public Schools — "Mandatory Vape/Drug Education"
Littleton Middle School, Littleton Public Schools — "Walk, Ride, Arrive Alive: Local Safety Matters"
Lynnfield High School, Lynnfield Public Schools — "Women's Health Education"
Marsh Grammar School, Methuen Public Schools — "Access to Feminine Hygiene Products"
Medway Middle School, Medway Public Schools — "Gender Neutral Bathrooms"
Nipmuc Regional High School, Mendon-Upton Regional School District — "Preemie Cuddle Crew"
Randolph Community Middle School, Randolph Public Schools — "MCAS for MLL Students"
Springfield High School of Science and Technology, Springfield Public Schools — "How to Keep Yourself Safe"
These project groups reached the action stage and put their plans into practice, using a range of tactics to advocate for change and persuade decision-makers to support their goals.
Attleboro High School, Attleboro Public Schools — "Affordable Housing for Attleboro"
Christa McAuliffe Charter School, Framingham — "Animal Welfare in Metrowest"
Dartmouth Middle School, Dartmouth Public Schools — "Dartmouth Period Products"
Marblehead Community Charter Public School — "Food Insecurity"
Mohawk Trail Regional Middle School, Mohawk Trail Regional School District — "School Bus Safety"
North Andover Middle School, North Andover Public Schools — "Reducing Budget Cuts in the North Andover Public Schools"
Public Day Middle School, Springfield Public Schools — "SPOT (Safe Programs Offered to Teens)"
Putnam Avenue Upper School, Cambridge Public Schools — "Rooftop to Reality"
Somerset Berkley Regional High School, Somerset Berkley Regional School District — "Musical Theatre Summer Camp"
Walsh Middle School, Framingham Public Schools — "Land of the "Free"?"
Zanetti Montessori, Springfield Public Schools — "Little Free Library"
These project groups did an excellent job across at least four out of five categories on the project rubric.
Comprehensive Grammar School, Methuen Public Schools — "Sustainable Cafeteria Practices"
Curtis Middle School, Sudbury Public Schools — "Antisemitism Education"
Lynn Public Schools — "Extending the MBTA Blue Line to Lynn"
Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, Lynn Public Schools — "Public School Funding: School Materials and Laptops"
McCall Middle School, Winchester Public Schools — "Academic Stress"
Neighborhood House Charter School, Boston — "Climate Change"
New Heights Charter School of Brockton — "Education Equity"
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, Peabody Public Schools — "Bus Fees"
Putnam Vocational-Technical Academy, Springfield Public Schools — "Home Grown"
Rogers STEM Academy, Lowell Public Schools — "Road Safety/Bike Lanes"
Stony Brook School, Westford Public Schools — "B.A.T.M.A.N."
Sullivan Middle School, Worcester Public Schools — "Why Sullivan Middle Needs a Late Bus"
Last Updated: June 30, 2025