If young people are to develop a commitment to civic life, that is, the conviction that they can shape and reshape the future of the community in which they live, then we need to prepare this diverse audience by utilizing a variety of teaching methods for civic learning as well as present role models of citizenship.

Consider, for example, the Neighborhood Ambassadors Program, a project in New York City that helped middle-school students discover their neighborhood of Manhattan Valley. Through field trips, lectures and discussions, the bilingual social studies class learned about some vital community functions from people who are considered community activists.

Students then shared their newly acquired knowledge and insights about Manhattan Valley and New York City with a group of visitors staying at the New York International Youth Hostel. By "teaching others", students take ownership of the information learned, a teaching methodology with an estimated 90% average retention rate.

At the first of five-class sessions, the children located their homes, neighborhood institutions, landmarks, and other important sites on a large neighborhood map.After completing the map, the class identified the positive and negative aspects of living in Manhattan Valley.They discussed where they would like to live and why. A list was made of all the characteristics that contribute to a successful and unsuccessful neighborhood.

The second session focused on housing and community development, and the important role of community activism. The first community speaker outlined the history of the Manhattan Valley Development Corporation, giving a special emphasis to such highly successful programs as the housing rehabilitation conducted by ex-offenders.

The following speaker, representing the block association, encouraged students to take a more active role in their community.To show what can be accomplished through community activism, the block president used an example that the children could easily relate to:He told the story about how the association took action and got rid of the rats on his block. At the end of his talk, he invited the class to participate in the neighborhood clean-up days sponsored by the block association.

A field trip with a New York City Parks Department volunteer to Central Park introduced the class to the history and original purpose for creating the park. At the end of the tour, the park expert urged the children to participate in preserving the park from development proposals that would build parking lots and hotels in Central Park.

Community gardens and crime prevention were the topics of discussion for the fourth class session.Students were introduced to the crime fighting activities, such as the Safe Haven program and the youth-related Conflict Resolution program. In the informal discussion, the children shared their own perceptions of the crime and the police in the neighborhood.They then learned about the community gardens in the neighborhood and how they can get involved in the gardens.

The last class was the field trip to the youth hostel.At the start, the children learned the purpose of a youth hostel and the history of the hostel in Manhattan Valley.In the ensuing informal cultural exchange with the visitors who were from Denmark, Germany and Australia, the kids shared their information about the urban environment in New York and were able to compare New York City with these international cities and cultures. This was the highlight of the program.

Overall, the Neighborhood Ambassadors Program provided the social studies class with an enriching experience of the place they called home and a sense of community ownership. They learned to "see" their neighborhood in new ways by being exposed to different elements of the urban environment through the eyes of a diverse group of people actively committed to improving the community. They were invited to get involved, exercise their citizenship and make a difference.

The cultural exchange served as a culminating event, providing the class with an opportunity to share with others their newly found pride in their neighborhood. At the same time, the interaction with the children gave the international visitors a more positive experience in New York, enabling them, hopefully, to disseminate a more favorable image of Manhattan Valley and New York to others.