FL S0188

Commissioner of Education must develop minimum criteria for a civic literacy practicum to help students understand roles, rights, and responsibilities of U.S. citizens; practicum may be incorporated into high school U.S. Government courses beginning in the 2023-2024 school year.

Civic engagement activities in the practicum include unpaid government internships, simulations or observations of governmental entities, and attendance at U.S. citizenship naturalization ceremonies.

Students must complete a research paper reflecting on their civic engagement experience, explaining the governmental entity's significance, and describing how it responds to the public.

Hours spent on unpaid civic engagement activities may count toward Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program community service requirements and other academic awards.

Creates the Citizen Scholar Program at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg in partnership with the YMCA Youth in Government program, providing up to 6 undergraduate credit hours to participating high school students; protest civics may not count toward program credit.