State courts' civics coordinator Zenith Taylor battles to make citizenship engaging again | amNewYork

"As the state's first ever court civic engagement coordinator, Zenith Taylor has the job of teaching the importance of civics that goes beyond memories of high school social studies class. Challenges are daunting. Trial judges say there's an increase in the number of people ignoring summonses to serve on jury duty. Young people's attention is not as grounded in in-person spaces. Almost half of teens say they are constantly online, up from 24% a decade ago, taking them away from personal interactions."

"I think my biggest challenge for reaching people was that many didn't know what I do, so even if I go somewhere Oh yeah, you're the civic engagement coordinator. What is that?' Taylor said. Her mandate, she explained, is to go out and teach civics and to equip you with the understanding and the knowledge so that you can become active citizens."

"We are failing at civics education, Wilson wrote several months before appointing Taylor. Federal government investment in STEM for K-12 students amounts to $54 per student each year; for social studies, the federal investment is 5 cents. Wilson defined the position as a bridge to schools, religious organizations and community-based organizations to create a deeper understanding of courts, legal issues and historical events."

Zenith Taylor serves as the state's inaugural court civic engagement coordinator with a mandate to teach civics beyond high school memories. Public awareness of the role is low, complicating outreach efforts. Trial judges report rising numbers of people ignoring jury duty summonses. Teen attention has shifted online, with nearly half reporting constant online presence, reducing in-person civic interactions. Federal funding heavily favors STEM over social studies, leaving civics education under-resourced. The coordinator role aims to connect courts with schools, religious groups, and community organizations to deepen understanding of courts, legal issues, historical events, and civic obligations.

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