The Classroom as Civil Society

Editor's Note: Since 2018, The Patterson Foundation has collaborated with Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (LFSOP) through its Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative. Recognizing the value of academic and professional educational experiences offered by LFSOP, the Foundation is providing opportunities for its staff and consultants to enroll in LFSOP graduate and professional development courses through its Tuition/Fees Reimbursement Program. TPFers, including Lyndsey Smith, Carrie Miley, Alicia Exantus, Josephine Eisenberg, and Stacy Sternberg, are pushing beyond their respective professional and personal comfort levels and are successfully completing or have mastered challenging LFSOP courses.

This spring, I once again stepped out of my comfort zone as an educator and back into the shoes of a student. This time to take a course on Civil Society. Going into it, I expected to study abstract concepts: global philanthropy, macro-level systemic challenges, and the mechanics of international community-led progress.

But a funny thing happened during those readings and assignments. As the weeks went on, I had a series of major lightbulb moments about my "day job." As a second-grade teacher, I’ve always focused on building a kind, collaborative classroom environment. But this course made me realize that the exact techniques I’ve been using intuitively with my seven- and eight-year-olds all along are actually micro-level mirrors of global civil society. I was already doing the work; I just didn't realize how deeply it connected to the grand scale of global impact.

In my course, we spent a lot of time discussing how true global philanthropy begins with empathy—the willingness to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and recognize how the lottery of birth geography dictates opportunity. In my classroom, I’ve always taught empathy, simply because seven- and eight-year-olds are at the perfect developmental milestone to start noticing the feelings of others. I’ve always used story time to introduce books about children from diverse cultures, and I’ve always coached my students to scan the playground for a classmate who looks lonely and invite them to join the game.

Before this class, I viewed those moments purely as good manners and classroom management. Now, I see the massive weight behind them. I realize that by fostering this local perspective-taking, I am laying the literal neurological and emotional groundwork for global citizenship. Teaching a child to care about their peers next to them is the exact starting point for teaching them to care about communities across the globe.

Another core pillar of our college discussions was that lasting global change comes from empowering local communities and focusing on long-term development, rather than relying on quick, top-down, temporary fixes. Reflecting on my teaching style, I realized I’ve been applying this exact framework to conflict resolution for years without labeling it as such. When peer disagreements happen, my instinct has never been to just swoop in, hand down a punishment, and walk away. Instead, I’ve always coached my students to use "I-messages" to voice feelings and collaborate on solutions together.

Seeing this through the lens of civil society completely shifted my perspective on its impact. By refusing to just "fix" the problem for them, I am empowering them to lead their own progress. Giving them ownership of classroom jobs and a voice in our daily community isn't just about keeping an orderly room; it's teaching them that a society functions best when everyone contributes to its upkeep.

My Civil Society class didn't necessarily change what I do in my classroom, but it profoundly changed how I view what I do. Every time I encourage a student to include someone new, help a classmate clean up a spilled box of crayons, or ask a curious question about a culture different from their own, I now see the broader ripple effect. I used to think I was just helping a few kids have a successful school year. Now I realize that by fostering empathy and accountability in these small, daily ways, I’ve been quietly helping to build the foundation for a more compassionate, equitable world all along.