“Make Real the Promises of Democracy”
—Rev. Martin Luther King
The Peace, Literacy & Democracy Project:
A National Approach to Violence Prevention
Three Major Components:
Peace & Democracy Discussions
Discussions with Our Children
About How We Can Create a More Peaceful and Democratic Society
Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games
Transformative Stories and Story-Based Digital Games
That Can Help Us and Our Children Discuss How to Improve Our Country
The Peace & Democracy Major Cities Pilot Project
Beginning Nationwide Discussions in Major Cities Across the Country
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Table of Contents
1. The Peace, Literacy & Democracy Project 3
2. Peace & Democracy Discussions 5
3. Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games 6
4. Peace & Democracy eBook and Digital Game Features 7
5. Peace & Democracy Website and Portals 7
6. The First Peace & Democracy eBook 8
7. The Social Problems 9
8. The Effects of These Social Problems 10
9. Social and Democratic Competencies 11
10. Ten Ways to Prevent Violence 13
11. Language, Literacy, and Critical Thinking Competencies 15
12. Problem Solving, Empowering Pedagogy 16
13. Empowering eBook Design 17
14. Coaching, Questioning Pedagogy 18
15. Blended Learning for Social and Academic Development 19
16. Personalized Learning 20
17. Alignment with Common Core State Standards 21
18. eBook Collections 22
19. Peace & Democracy Discussions: At Home, In the Schools, In the Neighborhoods, & in
the Communities 23
20. Discussions Everywhere 24
21. Peace & Democracy Goals 24
22. Peace & Democracy Theory of Change 25
23. Peace and Democracy Authors 26
24. Related Efficacy Studies 27
25. Education for Democracy Institute 27
26. The Peace & Democracy Major Cities Pilot Project 28
27. Fundraising Plans 28
28. Please Make a Donation 28
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1. The Peace, Literacy & Democracy Project
A National Approach to Violence Prevention
The first initiative of the Education for Democracy Institute will be to launch the
Peace, Literacy & Democracy Project to contribute to the prevention of violence
in our country and around the world. This project consists of three components:
Peace & Democracy Discussions, Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games,
and the Peace & Democracy Major Cities Pilot Project.
Peace & Democracy Discussions
The goal of Peace & Democracy Discussions is to engage all children in
discussions with family members, friends, classmates, teachers, librarians, social
workers, youth workers, police officers, doctors, nurses, clergy, and/or religious
leaders about how to create a more peaceful and democratic society.
Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games
Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games will provide digital versions of
multicultural literature, along with story-based interactive digital games,
activities, and curriculum, that can help children and adults discuss important
social issues and work together to improve our society.
The Peace & Democracy Major Cities Pilot Project
We plan to pilot the first Peace & Democracy eBook, It Doesn't Have To Be This
Way: A Barrio Story (No tiene que ser así: una historia del barrio) written by Luis
J. Rodríguez in a diverse set of cities across the country. In each city, the goal is
to give this eBook and digital game to as many children as possible and to use
this story and related activities to discuss what are the things in their city that
“don’t have to be this way”, such as violence, and brainstorm ways to solve
these problems.
The Education for Democracy
Institute is a non-profit, tax-exempt
educational organization that is
dedicated to preventing violence,
improving academic achievement,
and promoting the growth of
democracy.
The Peace, Literacy & Democracy
Project is the first initiative of the
Education for Democracy Institute.
Education for Democracy Institute
P.O. Box 25
Harvard, MA 01451
www.efd.global
[email protected]
1-844-540-8620 (toll free)
To donate, please make out check
and send to the above, or go online
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at: https://efd.global/peace-democracy-donations/
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2. Peace & Democracy Discussions
The goal of Peace & Democracy Discussions is to engage all children in
discussions with family members, friends, classmates, teachers, librarians,
social workers, youth workers, police officers, doctors, nurses, clergy, and
religious leaders about how to create a more peaceful and democratic society.
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers
brought forth, upon this continent, a new
nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to
the proposition that all men are created
equal.”
—President Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg Address (1863)
Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games will provide digital versions of
multicultural literature, along with story-based digital games, activities, and
curriculum, that can help children and adults discuss these issues and work
together to improve our society.
Through these discussions and related activities, children will be able to
develop the knowledge, skills and values they need:
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to prevent violence in their lives;
to attain important personal and academic goals;
to increase their vocabulary;
to improve their reading comprehension;
to develop their critical thinking skills;
and to use their voices to advocate solutions to important social
problems.
We plan to launch these discussions and pilot the first digital prototype in
eight to ten major cities (possibly Boston, NYC, Baltimore, DC, Chicago,
Memphis, SF, and LA) and then, hopefully, to support the spread of these
discussions nationwide.
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3. Peace & Democracy eBooks
and Digital Games
Peace & Democracy eBooks are digital versions of award-winning multicultural
literature that integrate digital games and activities that focus on important
issues and social problems in children’s lives.
These stories and story-based digital games can engage children in thinking
about these issues and provide a way for them to discuss these issues with
their peers and with the adults in their lives.
Through discussing these stories and issues, through engaging in interactive
activities, and through playing the related digital games, children can master
the knowledge, skills, and values they need to understand these issues and
solve the problems in their lives.
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“Five score years ago, a great American, in
whose symbolic shadow we stand today,
signed the Emancipation of Proclamation
decree. This momentous decree came as a
great beacon of light to millions of Negro
slaves . . . We have . . . come to this hallowed
spot . . . to make real the promises of
democracy.”
—Rev. Martin Luther King
March on Washington (1963)
4. Peace & Democracy eBook and
Digital Game Features
5. Peace & Democracy Website
and Portals
Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games will have
the following features:
The Peace & Democracy Website will be accessible from
any type of digital device. Each Peace & Democracy eBook
will be presented like a course which provides the reader
with a seamless experience that progresses through
introductory videos, digital text and illustrations, and
associated exercises, games, and assessments.
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Synchronized audio narration track with word
highlighting
Ability to select words and listen to their pronunciation
and definitions
Intelligent tutoring system to adjust all activities to the
student’s learning level
Interactive character perspective-taking activity where
the reader stands in the shoes of one or more
characters
Social problem-solving games where the reader, as one
of the characters, seeks to work with other characters
to solve a problem in the story
Vocabulary, reading comprehension, and critical
thinking activities and assessment
eBook selection and curriculum fully aligned with
Common Core State Standards
Text, narration, and digital games in English, Spanish,
and Chinese
Text and activities are completely designed according
to Universal Design for Learning principles
Student and Family Portals
Students and families will be able to register directly
online or through a participating school or organization.
Students will be able to watch the videos, read or listen to
the eBooks, play the games and activities, and reflect on
what they have learned in their online journals. Family
members will be able to participate in and support these
activities.
Teacher Portals
In a school or organized educational settings, the teacher
portal will include: ability to plan and customize all lessons
online, present eBooks and related activities using a
projector or whiteboard, send eBook access and related
lessons to students, monitor student progress, manage
data, and communicate directly with families.
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6. The First Peace & Democracy eBook
Prof. Ernest Morrell
and Asst. Prof. Jodene Morrell
(https://youtu.be/pSRLWKeD4Mc)
We have selected It Doesn't Have To Be This Way: A Barrio Story (No tiene que
ser así: una historia del barrio) written by Luis J. Rodríguez and illustrated by
Daniel Galvez and published by Lee & Low to be the first of our Peace &
Democracy eBooks and Digital Games. It is a story about a Latino boy in Los
Angeles who is being pressured to join a local gang and learns to stand up for
himself and say, “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Age range is from 8-10 years,
and in a school setting, it could be used in 3rd through 5th grades.
Standing in the Characters’ Shoes…Standing in Each Other’s Shoes
The social and literacy skill focus for this first eBook, digital game, digital
curriculum, and role playing activity is on social perspective taking: expressing
one’s point of view and taking the points of view of others. Students learn to
stand in the shoes of the characters and express the characters’ points of view
and then stand in their own shoes and express their points of view about what
things in their lives “Don’t have to be this way.”
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“. . . Peace & Democracy eBooks . . . seek to
help children and adolescents develop
several skills . . . developing their voices, all
of the voices that matter to them, trying to
prevent violence in their lives, increasing
their academic vocabulary, improving their
critical thinking skills, and, finally and most
importantly, helping them to improve and to
be meaningful participants in a vibrant
democratic society.”
—Prof. Ernest Morrell,
Director of Urban and Minority Education,
Teachers College, Columbia University
7. The Social Problems
Increasing Violence
“Four of every 10 kids and teens in the U.S. were exposed to violence or abuse
over the previous year.”
–Reuters, June 29, 2015
BOSTON – JANUARY 22, 1993: A grief-stricken
mourner is helped from the Blessed Sacrament
Church in Jamaica Plain yesterday as pallbearers
remove the casket of Axel Reyes, 16, following
his funeral. The English High freshman was
fatally shot last week during a fight on the
MBTA’s Orange Line. (Photo by David L.
Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
This was one of the catalysts for starting Voice of
Love and Freedom, the predecessor to Peace &
Democracy eBooks and Digital Games.
Increasing Income Inequality and Poverty
“CE0s at S&P 500 firms make on average, $12.3 million, as much as 354 rank
and file workers whose average pay is $35,000.”
–“Divided Nation” Boston Globe, March 29, 2015
Increasing Discrimination
“Black children were almost four times as likely as white children to be living in
poverty in 2013 . . .”
–Boston Globe, July 15, 2015
Low Levels of Literacy
“Average reading score for fourth-grade students not significantly different in
comparison 2013, eighth-grade students score lower than 2013.″
–The Nation’s Report Card, NAEP, 2015
Decreasing Social Trust
“(General Social) Survey finds Americans losing trust in each other.”
–Boston Globe, December 1, 2013
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8. The Effects of These Social Problems
The combined effects of violence, income inequality, discrimination, low levels of literacy, and decreasing
social trust have a profound influence on the development of children growing up under these conditions.
The Effects of These Social Problems
Social Problems
Addressed
1. Violence
2. Poverty and income
inequality
3. Discrimination
4. Low levels of literacy
5. Low levels of social trust
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1. Low levels of physical health
2. High levels of attachment problems
3. Low levels of self-esteem
4. High levels of depression and loneliness
5. High levels of anger and aggression
6. Low levels of oral language and vocabulary
7. Low levels of school engagement
8. Low levels of literacy
9. Low levels of academic achievement
10. Low levels of social trust and engagement
11. Low levels of education, training, and earnings later
in life
9. Social and Democratic Competencies
The Peace & Democracy social and democratic competencies have been
selected to help children to prevent, cope with, and/or overcome the
effects of these major social issues in their lives.
P&D
Competencies
P&D Competency Clusters
P&D Core Activities
1. Love relatedvalues and
relationship
skills
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Love related values: love, compassion,
helping, respect, trust
Relationship skills: reciprocating, help
seeking, help giving
Form partnerships for
security and exploration
2. Freedom
related-values
and selfdetermination
skills
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Freedom related values: freedom, hope,
courage, perseverance
Self-determination skills: self-knowledge,
goal attainment, self-efficacy beliefs
Develop and implement
freedom plans for
achieving important
personal and social
goals
3. Social
perspective
taking
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Express your point of view
Take other people’s points of view
Coordinate points of view
Deepen understanding of points of view
Identity exploration
Identity integration
identity commitment (pride)
Stand in the characters’
shoes and stand in
other people’s shoes
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Emotional awareness
Empathy and sympathy
Emotional self-management
Stand in your shoes and
express and manage
your feelings
4. Identity
awareness
5. Emotional
awareness
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Share stories about
important events in
your life
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9. Social and Democratic
Competencies Cont’d
6. Health
awareness
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7. Social problem
solving
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Dietary awareness
Physical and mental health awareness
Understand healthy and harmful
influences
Conflict escalation awareness
Social problem solving methods (ABC
problem solving method)
Social problem strategies
(intrapersonal, interpersonal and
intergroup strategies)
Knowledge of basic democratic
principles and history
Democratic values (liberty, justice,
equality)
Develop and monitor
plan for taking care of
yourself
Role play resolution of
interpersonal and
intergroup conflict
8. Democratic
knowledge and
values
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9. Social
awareness
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Knowledge of social obstacles including: Analyze causes of
violence, poverty, discrimination,
important social
prejudice, global warming
problems
10. Democratic
voice
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Speak out about social problems
Advocate solutions
Negotiate and compromise
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Research and explore
democratic values,
principles, rights, and
history
Advocate ways to solve
important social
problems
10. Ten Ways to Prevent Violence
The ten Peace & Democracy social and democratic competencies have been
selected and designed specifically to help children and adolescents to prevent
and cope with violence in their lives in the following ways:
“Hi, my name is Christopher Santiago and I am
very worried about the increase of children
doing drugs and joining gangs in my
neighborhood and this city….Now if you think
you’re in a gang, you’re cool. Well guess what,
you’re not. Here’s my advice to you. Stay
educated, never follow the crowd. Be a leader,
not a follower…Also remember you have a
voice….lift your head high and have a much
better life.”
–Christopher, 5th Grade, Winner of Voices
Democracy Celebration Speeches, Lebanon, PA
1. Love related values and relationship skills. The first and most important
competency is love: the ability to establish and maintain close and caring
relationships with the important people in your life. We seek to help children
form partnerships which provide for security, support, enjoyment, and
exploration. It is these values and relationship/partnership skills that can
help children overcome attachment problems related to violence (Bowlby,
1988) (Hankin, 2005).
2. Freedom-related values and self-determination skills. We seek to help children
learn the meaning of freedom and to develop confidence in themselves by
establishing and attaining important personal goals. Children with a strong
sense of self-efficacy (high self-esteem) are less likely to become involved in
anti-social behavior (Deci & Ryan, 1994; Gee GC, 2015).
3. Social perspective taking. Maintaining close relationships and attaining
important personal goals requires the ability to express one’s own point of
view and to coordinate it with the points of view of others. Children who can
express themselves and understand the thoughts and feelings of others are
also less likely to become involved in gangs and dangerous activities (Selman,
2006).
4. Identity awareness. Similarly, close relationships and goal attainment require
self-knowledge and pride in one’s history and identity which can help
children to overcome both internalizing (depression and loneliness) and
externalizing (aggression and violence) behaviors (Cross, 1991) (E. K. Seaton,
Maywalt Scottham, & Sellers, 2006).
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10. Ten Ways to Prevent Violence Cont’d
5. Emotional awareness. The ability to name, express, and manage emotions
can help students to overcome both internalizing (loneliness)(Lane, 2000)
(Finkelhor et al., 2009) and externalizing (aggression) behaviors (Olweus,
1993).
6. Health awareness. Health awareness includes the ability to be aware of
harmful and healthy influences in one’s environment, including potentially
violent situations and conditions (Hawkins, Kosterman, Catalano, Hill, &
Abbott, 2008). It also includes the knowledge and skills needed to live
healthy lives (diet and exercise) (Elbel B, 2016).
7. Social problem solving. The ability to use a variety of non-violent strategies to
solve interpersonal and intergroup problems can directly reduce the
likelihood of violence in one’s life (D’Zurilla & Nezu, 2010) (Weissberg &
Shriver, 1996).
8. Democratic knowledge and values. Understanding and embracing basic
democratic values like liberty, justice, and equality can help children become
more engaged in their communities and our democratic society and
government (Althof & Berkowitz, 2006).
9. Social awareness. The ability to understand the factors which contribute to
violence and the destruction of our social fabric such as poverty,
discrimination, and substance abuse makes it more likely that students will
be able to develop ways to avoid and/or overcome these larger contributing
social factors (Quintana & McKown, 2008).
10.Democratic voice. Finally, the ability to use one’s voice to advocate solutions
to important social problems helps children and adolescents learn that they
can change the conditions they live in and not be victims of their
circumstances (Gutmann, 1999; van Zomeren, Postmes, & Spears, 2008).
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“Hello, my name is Angel Chin and I will be
talking about budget cuts. Would you like to
have old broken down books, year after year?
If we don’t do anything to prevent the
government from cutting money from our
schools, essential programs in our schools
might not exist….One person can’t do this
alone, so right now, I’m telling you about it.
There is power in numbers. If we organize in
our neighborhoods together, then our protest
will be stronger and our voices will be heard.”
–Angel, 5th Grade, Winner of Voices
Democracy Celebration Speeches, San
Francisco, CA
11. Language, Literacy, and Critical Thinking
Competencies
Furthermore, one of the most effective ways to teach these social and
democratic competencies is to integrate the teaching and modeling of these
competencies into language and literacy instruction and classroom
management. See below for the core language, literacy, and critical thinking
competencies that we integrate the teaching of with the Peace & Democracy
social and democratic competencies.
“I would like people in my community to stop
using alcohol….Alcohol is something that ruins
your life and dreams…I don’t want my dreams to
be crushed…I’ll go to the chapter halls and have
them support me to close down bars, so people
will not be out getting drunk and ending up in a
crash…You don’t need to be a follower...I hope
my speech can bring about change in my
community.”
–Nizhoni, 5th Grade, Voices Democracy Day
Speeches Winner, Fort Wingate, NM
Literacy Skills
 Close listening skills
 Narrative genre skills
 Argumentative genre
skills
 Explanatory genre skills
 Persuasive genre skills
 Academic vocabulary
Literacy Skills
 Reading vocabulary
 Background knowledge
 Close reading skills
 Discussion and debate
skills
 Reading comprehension
strategies
 Response to literature
(writing)
Critical Thinking Skills
 Analyze
 Synthesize
 Evaluate
 Apply
 Transfer
The Peace & Democracy social and democratic competencies together with
these language, literacy, and critical thinking competencies directly address
the negative effects of the major social problems presented above.
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12. Problem Solving, Empowering Pedagogy
To empower children and adolescents means helping (coaching) them to master
the competencies (values, skills, and knowledge) they need to take greater
control over their lives and to be able to positively influence the world around
them. This includes coaching students to be able:
 To establish a purpose, interest, question, problem, or goal that they
want to learn about, pursue, or solve
 To master the competencies needed to pursue this purpose
 To monitor the process of pursuing this purpose and to continue to revise
the purpose and competencies needed based on experience
The process of attaining important purposes and goals enables the student to
master the “instruments of self-direction” as advocated by John Dewey. Dewey
believed that the best way for students to master the instruments of selfdirection was through coaching them to be able to solve important problems.
″When the school introduces and trains
each child of society into membership
within such a little community, saturating
him with the spirit of service, and
providing him with the instruments of
effective self-direction, we shall have the
deepest and best guaranty of a larger
society which is worthy, lovely, and
harmonious.″
—John Dewey
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13. Empowering eBook Design
The Peace & Democracy eBooks will be organized and designed according to the
following six questions that can help students to determine their purposes for
learning and the competencies required to achieve these purposes.
P&D eBook Pedagogy:
Six Questions
1. What is the Central
Question?
“So let us wage a glorious struggle against
illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism, let us
pick up our books and our pens, they are
the most important weapons.”
—Malala Yousafzai
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Explanation
Video: student is introduced to central question,
book, background information, selected P&D
competency, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills
What are your
Journal: reader writes questions, interests, problems,
Personal Questions? and/or purposes in online journal
What is the meaning eBook: reader listens to or reads the book; responds
of the book?
to online vocabulary, comprehension, and critical
thinking questions during and after reading
What are the points Stand in the Shoes: reader stands in the shoes of the
of view of the
characters and takes and coordinates character
characters?
points of view
How can you
Core Activity: students engage in a digital activity in
improve your
which they practice using selected P&D competency
mastery of the
to solve book-related problems
selected P&D
competency?
What did you learn? Journal: students reflect on central and personal
questions and how the social and academic
competencies they have learned can help them
achieve their purposes and goals
Winner of the Nobel Prize, 2012
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14. Coaching, Questioning Pedagogy
For use in small or large group settings, the Peace & Democracy Teacher Guides
(completely digital and adaptable) provide teaching suggestions for how to
support this empowerment process and integrate the use of the Peace &
Democracy eBooks into the classroom. This includes suggestions for:
 Posing questions, problems, or goals for students to explore, solve, or pursue
(the Central Questions)
 Engaging students in discussions that help them think about their own
reasons for reading the book (Personal Questions)
 Modeling selected competencies before, during, and after reading and
discussing the book
 Facilitating discussions and debate that explore the Central Questions and
Personal Questions
 Coaching students as they learn to master the competencies that will help
them explore these questions and pursue their objectives through the core
activities
 Building on the strengths that students already have
 Utilizing the teacher website and digital tools to provide personalized
attention, instruction, and coaching for all students
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″Ideally, every student would have the
chance every day to encounter
questions so compelling that they are
willing to think deeply about them,
discuss them, search for answers, and
write out responses. Such questions
become the source for learning to read
deeply and thoughtfully.″
—Prof. Catherine Snow, Harvard
Graduate School of Education, Peace &
Democracy Author
15. Blended Learning for Social and Academic
Development
Peace & Democracy eBooks and related digital games, activities, and curriculum
(questions 1–6) provide a completely digital online resource for children and
adolescents to improve their reading comprehension, vocabulary, socialperspective taking, and selected social and democratic competencies in an
integrated fashion.
″ . . . there are two core competencies that
we believe each individual must develop . .
. The first is the capacity to be aware of
one′s own point of view . . . The second is
the capacity to take the point of view of
another person, group, or even society as a
whole.″
—Prof. Robert Selman, Harvard Graduate
School of Education, and Peace &
Democracy Author
P&D for Families: The reader can control the time, place, path, and pace of
reading and the related activities when accessing the eBooks at home
independent of a formal educational setting. The P&D for Families App will
provide access through the family portal to all the online instruction children
(and families) need to read and discuss the book and play the related games and
activities, including a reader dashboard.
P&D for Schools and Community Organizations: The reader can also exercise full
control over the learning process when accessing the eBooks in school or
community educational settings through the student portal. The P&D for
Schools and Communities App will enable teachers through the teacher portal to
fully blend the teaching of the eBooks and activities into instruction, including
completely flipped instruction where traditional instruction takes place at home
and extensive discussion and debate takes place in the classroom.
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16. Personalized Learning
Using blended learning and digital technologies to teach both social and
academic competencies make it possible to provide more personalized learning
opportunities for students. According to a recent report by Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), personalized learning includes
the following essential elements:
 Flexible, anytime, everywhere learning. Peace & Democracy eBooks can be
used in classroom instruction, independently in school, and at home, at any
time, and in any order.
 Expanded teacher role. Peace & Democracy eBooks and related curriculum
and professional development support teachers in becoming coaches who
can support student mastery of social and academic competencies.
 Project-based, authentic learning. Peace & Democracy eBooks engage
students with authentic, multicultural literature that provides models for
project-based core activities for learning competencies (See question 5 in the
six-step pedagogy above and page 15 below).
 Student-driven learning path. With Peace & Democracy eBooks, students
establish the purposes and questions for learning (See question 2 in the sixstep pedagogy above).
Competency-based progression. Students can self-pace through the mastery of
all of the social and academic competencies for which there is a developmental
sequence of mastery criteria.
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“My name is Candy Medea. My speech is
about racism . . . This is important to me
because I don’t like it when people make
fun of me when I speak Spanish. Also I
don’t like it when they call me Spanish girl
or Mexican. My name is Candy and I am
from Honduras. Please help me make this
place kind and respectful. Thank you.”
—Candy, 2nd Grade, Voices Democracy
Speech Winner, San Francisco
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“The innovation of the Common
Core is to explicitly connect
knowledge of the principal and
rules on which American democracy
is based with the development of
the practical skills in reading,
writing, speaking and listening, as
well as in math, that students need
to be discerning, empowered
citizens.”
--From “The Common Core’s
Unsung Benefit” by Ross Weiner
17. Alignment with Common Core State
Standards
Educators have identified eight major shifts in ELA instruction required by the
Common Core State Standards. Peace & Democracy embraces these shifts in
the following ways:
 Reading Text Closely. Peace & Democracy eBooks provide for close listening
and close reading of texts. Students can listen to, read along, or read the
texts, including with synchronized narration.
 Text-Based Evidence. Peace & Democracy eBooks close listening, reading
comprehension, and critical thinking questions require students to cite textbased evidence to support their positions.
 Writing from Sources. Students write explanatory and argumentative short
responses to the books and texts, including citing of sources.
 Academic Vocabulary. Peace & Democracy eBooks provide intensive
instruction in oral, academic, and reading vocabulary.
 Increasing Text Complexity. Peace & Democracy eBooks provide for listening
to and reading of challenging grade-level texts.
 Building Disciplinary Knowledge. Students study the same social and
academic competencies with more sophisticated Central Questions each
year, building bodies of knowledge related to each competency.
 Balance of Texts. Peace & Democracy eBooks provide more than 40% of
nonfiction texts for all grade levels.
 Balance of Writing. Peace & Democracy eBooks provide for extensive writing
in response to literature in online journals.
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18. eBook Collections
Peace & Democracy eBooks will be organized into collections based on the
primary social and democratic competency focused on in the curriculum for
each of the eBooks. For each competency, there is also a related core activity
that promotes the development of that competency. The Peace & Democracy
Website will hold all the online eBooks and related resources.
eBook Collections by
Social and Democratic
Competencies
1. Love values and
relationship skills
2. Freedom values and
self-determination
skills
3. Perspective taking
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Identity awareness
Emotional awareness
Health awareness
Social problem solving
Democratic values
9. Social awareness
10. Democratic voice
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Peace & Democracy Core Social and Democratic
Activities
Form partnerships for security and exploration
Develop freedom plans for achieving important
personal and social goals
Stand in other people’s shoes (stand in the
character’s shoes)
Share stories about important events in your life
Manage your feelings
Take care of yourself
Resolve interpersonal and intergroup conflicts
Explore democratic values (e.g., liberty, justice,
and equality)
Analyze important social issues (e.g.,
discrimination and income inequality)
Deliver democracy speech about important social
problems and proposed solutions
“Love is the strongest force the world
possesses and yet it is the humblest
imaginable.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
19. Peace & Democracy Discussions:
At Home, In the Schools, In the Neighborhoods, & in the Communities
Discussions at Home
 Children and family members will
be able to read, listen to, and
discuss eBooks together and then
play the related digital games and
activities.
 Discussion questions focus on the
Central Question for that eBook
and the Personal Questions that
family members have about the
issues touched upon in the
eBook.
 Children will be able to keep
track of the eBooks they’ve read
and the activities they’ve played
on their dashboard.
 Family members will be able to
directly purchase ($5 each) or
subscribe ($25/yr) to eBooks
online or through participating
schools or organizations.
Discussions at School
 Children will also be able to
discuss and debate these eBook
questions in class and participate
in interactive activities that help
them learn and master core
social skills.
 P&D eBooks can be flexibly
integrated into morning meeting,
English Language Arts, Social
Studies, and after-school
programs.
 School districts, schools, and
teachers can subscribe at a cost
of $4 per student per year or they
can gain free access if they serve
children who live in high poverty
neighborhoods, e.g., Title 1
schools.
Discussions in the Neighborhood
or the Community
 Children can also gain access to
these eBooks and digital games in
after-school and extended
programs.
 P&D eBooks and Digital Games
will also have adaptable
curriculum specifically designed
for use in community settings.
 The cost is $4 per student per
year or free if part of a program
that serves children in high
poverty neighborhoods.
Peace & Democracy eBooks Will Be Free to
Schools and Organizations Serving Children Living in High Poverty Neighborhoods
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20. Discussions Everywhere
21. Peace & Democracy Goals
Our goal is for every child to have access to Peace &
Democracy eBooks and Digital Games and to have
someone they can discuss these stories and issues with.
We have to help each generation to learn and
embrace social, literacy, and democratic skills and
values that will help them create a more peaceful,
literate, and democratic society. We have
established the following goals and outcomes for
children who are engaged in ongoing discussions of
important issues at home, in the school, and in the
broader community.
Through Organizations Connected to Families
 First, families anywhere can go online and access these
eBooks directly.
 Organizations connected to families such as housing
developments (public and private), tenant
organizations, community health centers, hospital
pediatric programs, libraries, parent education
programs, employers, and unions can register as an
organization and provide access to members and their
children.
Through Schools
 All types of schools can provide these eBooks to their
students: public, charter, private, religious, and home
schools.
Through Community Organizations
 Community organizations that directly serve children
such as community centers, after-school programs,
tutoring programs, street worker programs, religious
programs, police supported programs, and summer
programs can all register as organizations and provide
access to the children in their programs.
1. Peace
a. To improve physical and mental health
b. To decrease conduct problems
c. To increase pro-social behavior
d. To decrease bullying
2. Literacy
a. To increase academic motivation
b. To increase school engagement
c. To increase vocabulary
d. To improve reading comprehension
3. Democracy
a. To increase community engagement
b. To increase community service
c. To increase democratic voice (advocacy)
22. Peace & Democracy Theory of Change
The Peace & Democracy theory of change holds that if families, schools, and communities work together to discuss
important issues with their children and to help them master core language, social, literacy, critical thinking, and
democratic competencies, then these children will be able to prevent violence in their lives, to read, write, and speak
critically, and to use their voices to advocate ways to improve our democratic society.
Inputs
Activities
1. Reading, Discussing, and
Playing P&D eBooks at
Home and in the
Community
1. P&D eBooks
for Families
2. P&D eBooks
for Schools
3. P&D eBooks
for Communities
4. P&D
Professional
Development
2. Explicit Teaching of P&D
Social and Democratic
Competencies in the
School
3. Integration of P&D Social
and Democratic
Competencies into
Language and Literacy
Instruction
4. Integration into
Classroom Management
and Schoolwide Culture
Outputs
1. Oral
Language Skills
2. Social Skills
and Values
3. Literacy Skills
4. Critical
Thinking Skills
5. Democratic
Skills and
Values
Outcomes
1. To reduce violence
• Improved physical and
mental health
• Increased positive
social behavior
• Fewer conduct
problems
2. To increase literacy
• Increased academic
motivation
• Increased vocabulary
• Increased reading
comprehension
3. To foster democratic
voice
• Increased social
engagement
• Increased community
service
• Increased democratic
voice (advocacy)
Impact
1. Growth of
Peace
2. Growth of
Opportunity
3. Growth of
Democracy
23. Peace and Democracy Authors
The Peace & Democracy authors have deep and varied experience in the theory, research, and practice related to teaching
and learning language, social development, literacy, critical thinking, and democratic competencies.
Maria Carlo, PhD, is an Associate
David Cavallo, PhD, is Visiting
William Cross, PhD, is a Professor in
Ernest Morrell, PhD, is the Macy
Professor of Pediatrics in the
Professor and Director of
the Morgridge College of Education
Professor of English Education and
Children’s Learning Institute at the
Multimedia Learning Environments
at the University of Denver.
Director of the Institute for Urban
University of Texas.
at the Federal University of
and Minority Education at Teachers
Southern Bahia (UFSB).
College, Columbia University..
Cynthia Tyson, PhD, is a Professor in
Robert L. Selman, PhD, is the Roy
Catherine Snow, PhD, is the Patricia
Patrick C. Walker, PhD, is the
the School of Teaching and Learning
Edward Larsen Professor of
Albjerg Professor of Education at the
founder of Voices and the Executive
at The Ohio State University.
Education and Human Development
Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Director of the Voices Institute.
at the Harvard Graduate School of
Education.
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24. Related Efficacy Studies
For a complete explanation of the Peace & Democracy
research base, see Introduction to Peace and Democracy
by Patrick Walker (forthcoming). Also see ”Summary of
Voices Related Selected Efficacy Studies”
(https://efd.global/wpcontent/uploads/2016/07/Summary-of-Voices-RelatedSelected-Efficacy-Studies-Nov-2015.pdf) which includes:
 Evaluation of the Comprehensive School Reform Models
in Memphis: A longitudinal evaluation of Voices
Reading in Memphis demonstrated that it had the
biggest impact on reading achievement scores
compared to all other reading programs in the district
over a three-year period.
 Evidence-Based Research Report on Voices Reading. A
comparative analysis of Voices Reading in Grades K–2
demonstrated that it had a significant effect on reading
comprehension and social development.
 Voices Literature and Writing Learner-Verification
Study. A recent evaluation of Voices Literature and
Writing found that the program had a significant
impact on perspective taking, oral language, and
listening comprehension.
25. Education for Democracy
Institute
The Education for Democracy Institute (EFD) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization that builds on
the following history:
 1992. Voices of Love and Freedom was developed as a
comprehensive, community-based violence prevention
program in Jamaica Plain.
 1995. Voices of Love and Freedom was adopted by the
Boston School Committee as the literature-based
character education and violence prevention program
for the district, K–12.
 1998–2001. Voices Reading and Voices School Design, a
comprehensive school reform model, were designed
for the Memphis City Schools.
 2004–present. Voices Reading, Voices Literature and
Character Education, Voices Pre-K, Voices Literature
and Writing, Voices Leveled Library, and Voices 3C
eLessons were published by Zaner-Bloser and
purchased by over 1,000 schools.
 2014–present. The Education for Democracy Institute
was established to develop a new generation of digital
books, activities, and curriculum that foster integrated
social and academic development.
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26. The Peace & Democracy
Major Cities Pilot Project
We are planning to launch Peace & Democracy Discussions
and Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games
nationally in several phases:





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Phase 1: Develop and test digital prototype of It
Doesn’t Have To Be This Way with focus on social
perspective taking. Potential pilot cities include:
Boston, New York City, Baltimore, Washington DC,
Chicago, Memphis, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Release first title in spring 2017 nationwide.
Phase 2: Develop complete collection of Social
Perspective Taking eBooks (pre-K to 12th grade) for
2017-2018 school year. Release summer 2017.
Phase 3: Develop and test complete set of 4th grade
Peace & Democracy eBook titles (30) in a randomized
control trial in a similar set of major cities during the
2017–2018 school year. Release titles as they are
completed during the year. Establish Peace &
Democracy Discussions National Advisory Board.
Phase 4: Develop and release complete set of pre-K to
fifth-grade titles (210).
Phase 5: Develop and release complete set of Grades
6–12 titles (140).
27. Fundraising Plans
We are currently soliciting donors and submitting grant
proposals to fund Phase 1 which will cost $160,000 to
develop the digital prototype.
With the prototype and initial test results in hand, we then
plan to raise funds to finance the implementation of
phases 2–5. In addition to donations and grants, we are
seeking social impact investments to support the overall
project.
28. Please Make a Donation
Please make a contribution to support the development of
this P&D eBook prototype. Please make out a check to the
Education for Democracy Institute and mail to:
The Education for Democracy Institute
P.O. Box 25
Harvard, MA 01451
Or click here to make a donation online.
(www.efd.global/donation)
Engage in Peace & Democracy Discussions!
Give Peace & Democracy eBooks and Digital Games to a Child
Discuss with Him or Her How We Can Improve Our Society
“Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare
our children for what they have to meet, and,
hopefully overcome.”
—Rosa Parks
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the
lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a
tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million
different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a
current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression
and resistance.”
—Senator Robert F. Kennedy
A National Approach to Violence Prevention
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