Arizona Civics Podcast | Podcast Guru

Details

Welcome to the Arizona Civics Podcast. This podcast aims to share our journey of sustaining Arizona’s interests in reforms to civic education by working with civic educators in our state. This work is being done by the Center for American Civics at Arizona State University. I am your host, Liz Evans, Civic Education and Outreach Program Director at ASU, and I will interview Arizona teachers, content experts, and leaders in civic education. We hope you enjoy our journey to make Arizona a national civics model!

Recent Episodes

How Religious Literacy Builds Global Competence And Civic Skills

In this episode of the Arizona Civics Podcast, host Liz Evans is joined by Dr. Tim Hall, educator and founder of Religion Matters, for a thoughtful conversation on religious literacy—what it is, why it matters, and how it can be taught responsibly in public schools. Dr. Hall explains how religious literacy helps students better understand history, civic life, global affairs, and one another in a pluralistic democracy. The conversation explores constitutional guardrails, classroom strategies, ...

19 MIN

How Participatory Budgeting Builds Civic Power In Arizona Schools

Hand students a real budget and a ballot, and watch a campus transform. We sit down with Tara Bartlett (ASU), KaRa Lyn Thrasher, and Sabrina Estrada (Center for the Future of Arizona) to unpack how school participatory budgeting turns student voice into visible change—without adding noise or partisanship. From the first Arizona pilot to 80+ schools statewide, the story is clear: when students lead, engagement grows, trust deepens, and communities benefit. We break down the complete school PB...

53 MIN

How Mark Twain’s Stories Shape American Character And Civic Imagination

We explore how Mark Twain’s writing, not his public persona, teaches a demanding civic balance: democratic equality joined to a living culture of excellence. Through Huck Finn and Connecticut Yankee, we trace how humor, empathy, and imagination form judgment without sliding into cynicism. • distinguishing Twain the persona from the unified teaching in the work • equality, liberty and the cultivation of greatness in tension • Connecticut Yankee as a parable of science, soul and trade-offs • H...

56 MIN

How a Teacher Turned Advocate Reimagines Civic Life in Arizona

A crowded kindergarten room, a sudden crack in the ceiling, and a teacher who jumps first to shield her students—Laura Terech’s story starts with instinct and turns into impact. From art history to Title I classrooms, from a six‑year health battle to the Arizona State House, we explore how a winding path can still lead straight to the heart of public service. We dig into the moment Arizona cut full‑day kindergarten funding and why early learning time isn’t “just babysitting” but the bedrock ...

29 MIN

How Retro Report Turns History Into Today’s Lesson

What if a 10-minute story from the past could make today’s headlines finally click? We sit down with David Olson, Director of Education at Retro Report, to unpack how short documentaries and first‑person voices turn history into a powerful lens for understanding civics now—without turning classrooms into battlegrounds. David shares why narrative structure matters, how unintended consequences make the best teachable moments, and why the “40-word” version of a story can distort what students th...

49 MIN