C. Civic Engagement, Service, and Action · Civic Engagement, Service, and ActionPlanning Action for Positive Change
C2.2 A1.5 A2.3 A1.4About 75 minutes
Learning goals- I can propose different courses of action to address a civic issue.
- I can assess the merits and likely effectiveness of each option using weighted criteria.
- I can write a SMART goal and a step-by-step action plan.
- I can communicate my findings and plan to a specific audience, citing my sources.
- I can explain how I would measure results and reflect on them.
Words to know
course of action
A possible plan or approach for dealing with an issue.
merit
A strength or advantage of an option.
decision matrix
A table that scores options against criteria to compare them.
weighting
Giving some criteria more importance by multiplying their scores.
feasibility
How realistic an option is with the time, money, skills and permission available.
SMART goal
A goal that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
ally
A person or group who supports your cause and can help.
pilot
A small, short trial of an idea to test whether it works before doing it on a larger scale.
From "someone should" to "we will"
In the last lesson you analysed an issue. Now comes the harder part: deciding what to do. Good intentions are not enough. Civic action works best when people compare options, choose wisely, plan carefully and check results.
In this lesson you will learn a process that community organizers, public servants and nonprofit leaders use every day.
Step 1: Brainstorm different courses of action
List several different kinds of action. Use what you learned in this unit:
- Raise awareness: posts, posters, a video, an assembly presentation.
- Direct service: run a program yourselves (a drive, a club, a clean-up).
- Advocacy to decision makers: a petition, letters, a meeting with a councillor, a deputation.
- Partnership: team up with an organization (library, charity, Indigenous community organization, business).
- Policy proposal: suggest a specific new rule or program, backed by evidence.
The best plans often combine two or three of these.
Step 2: Assess the merits of each option
Use criteria, and decide which matter most:
- Impact: How much would it help, and how many people?
- Feasibility: Can we really do it, with our time, skills, money and permission?
- Cost: What will it cost in money and time? (Score low cost as high.)
- Inclusion: Does it include and respect the people affected?
- Sustainability: Will it last?
- Risk: What could go wrong (safety, backlash, privacy)?
A decision matrix scores each option (for example from 1 to 5) on each criterion. Weighting multiplies the most important criteria so they count more.
Worked exampleLet's compare options with a weighted decision matrix
In Maple Falls, teens say there is nowhere safe and free to go after school. A group of Grade 10 students considers four options: A. awareness posts on social media; B. a petition asking council for a youth drop-in centre; C. survey 200 teens and present results with a proposal at a council deputation, with the public library as a partner; D. run a weekly volunteer games night at the library themselves. Weights: Impact ×3, Feasibility ×2, Cost ×1, Inclusion ×2, Sustainability ×2. Scores (1 to 5): A: 2, 5, 5, 3, 2. B: 3, 4, 5, 3, 3. C: 4, 3, 4, 4, 4. D: 4, 3, 3, 4, 3.
- Maximum possible: 5 × (3 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2) = 5 × 10 = 50.
- A: 2×3 + 5×2 + 5×1 + 3×2 + 2×2 = 6 + 10 + 5 + 6 + 4 = 31.
- B: 3×3 + 4×2 + 5×1 + 3×2 + 3×2 = 9 + 8 + 5 + 6 + 6 = 34.
- C: 4×3 + 3×2 + 4×1 + 4×2 + 4×2 = 12 + 6 + 4 + 8 + 8 = 38.
- D: 4×3 + 3×2 + 3×1 + 4×2 + 3×2 = 12 + 6 + 3 + 8 + 6 = 35.
- Interpret: C is highest. D is close and could serve as a pilot that proves teens will come. A could support C by recruiting survey responses.
- Check the numbers aren't the whole story: ask whether any option has a serious risk the matrix misses.
Totals: A = 31, B = 34, C = 38, D = 35 (out of 50). The students choose C as the main action, run D as a small pilot, and use A to spread the survey.
The decision matrix from the worked example as a bar graph. Option C scores highest, but D is close, so the students combine them: C is the main action, and D becomes a small pilot that shows the idea works.Step 3: Write a SMART goal and an action plan
A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
- Weak: "Get teens a place to hang out."
- SMART: "By the end of May, present survey results from at least 200 Maple Falls teens to town council and ask council to fund a one-year trial of a free Friday drop-in at the community centre."
An action plan lists the steps, who does each one, the timeline, the resources needed, the allies who can help, and how you will measure success.
Step 4: Communicate for your audience
The same findings need different formats for different audiences:
- Council: a short, formal deputation (often only a few minutes) with key numbers, a clear ask and a one-page handout.
- Students: an eye-catching poster or short video.
- The public: a letter to the editor or a community newsletter item.
In every format, use accurate civic vocabulary, show your evidence in a clear way (a simple graph of survey results is powerful), and cite your sources (who, what, when). Be honest about limits, such as how many people your survey reached.
Step 5: Measure results and reflect
Use objectives and results again. Compare what you aimed for with what happened. Did council respond? How many teens came to the pilot? Were there unintended consequences? What would you do differently? Even if the decision does not go your way, you may have changed the conversation, built allies and learned skills for next time. Civic change often takes more than one try.
Political thinking about current events
Watch the news for a group that proposed an action this month: a youth climate group, a neighbourhood association, a parent council or a First Nation's announcement. Which kind of action did they choose? What would your decision matrix say about it? This is the skill of applying political thinking to current events at local, national and global levels.
Just for funA plan without a deadline is just a wish wearing a nice outfit. Give your goal a date, and it suddenly has to get dressed and go to work.
Hands-on activityYour action proposal
You need: your issue and stakeholder map from the last lesson, paper or a device, a calculator.
- Brainstorm four different courses of action (use at least three of the five kinds).
- Choose five criteria and decide on weights. Explain in one sentence why your highest-weighted criterion matters most.
- Build a decision matrix, score each option from 1 to 5, and calculate weighted totals. Double-check your math.
- Pick your main action (and any supporting actions). Write a SMART goal.
- Make an action plan with at least five steps, a timeline, allies, and how you will measure results.
- Create one communication piece for a decision maker: a one-page letter or a two-minute deputation script with a clear ask and cited sources.
- Share it with a grown-up and ask for one piece of feedback.
What to look for: genuinely different options, correct arithmetic, a SMART goal, a realistic plan, respectful wording, and sources cited. Safety: check with a parent or guardian before contacting officials or organizations or posting publicly.
Your turn
1Name five kinds of courses of action.
Raise awareness, direct service, advocacy to decision makers, partnership, policy proposal.
2What does SMART stand for?
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.
3Make this goal SMART: "Reduce litter at our school."
Sample: "By March 31, cut the number of pieces of litter counted in the school courtyard each Friday by half, by adding four labelled bins and running a two-week awareness campaign."
4An option scores Impact 3, Feasibility 4, Cost 2, Inclusion 5, Sustainability 3 with weights 3, 2, 1, 2, 2. Find the weighted total.
3×3 + 4×2 + 2×1 + 5×2 + 3×2 = 9 + 8 + 2 + 10 + 6 = 35.
How realistic an option is with the time, money, skills and permission available.
6Why should you cite sources when presenting to council?
It makes your evidence credible and lets decision makers check it.
7What is a pilot, and why might it help a proposal?
A small, short trial. It shows whether the idea works and gives evidence to convince decision makers to expand it.
More practice: warm-up
1What is a decision matrix?
A table that scores options against criteria to compare them.
It makes more important criteria count more, by multiplying their scores.
3Name one ally a student group could partner with for a youth program.
Sample: the public library, a community centre, a youth organization, a local business, a school club.
4Which format suits a council audience: a meme or a short formal deputation?
A short formal deputation.
5After an action, which concept do you use to compare goals and outcomes?
More practice: on your own
1Explain why the highest-scoring option in a matrix is not automatically the right choice.
Scores depend on the criteria, weights and judgement used; a matrix can miss serious risks or values. It is a tool to support a decision, not to replace thinking.
2A group's survey reached 40 students out of 900. How should they describe this when presenting?
Honestly: "We surveyed 40 of about 900 students (about 4%), so results may not represent everyone." They could also gather more responses.
3Recalculate option C from the worked example if the students change the weights to Impact ×2 and Feasibility ×3 (others the same).
4×2 + 3×3 + 4×1 + 4×2 + 4×2 = 8 + 9 + 4 + 8 + 8 = 37 (out of 50).
4Why might combining two actions be more effective than choosing one?
Each covers the other's weaknesses: for example, social media builds support and survey responses, while a deputation reaches the decision makers.
5Council votes not to fund the drop-in centre. Describe two things the students could still count as results and one next step.
Results: they raised awareness, gathered evidence, built allies (the library), gained skills. Next step: run the library pilot for a term, collect attendance data, and return to council at budget time.
Challenge
1Two students weight the same criteria differently: one values impact most, the other feasibility. Explain how this reflects different perspectives and how the group could decide on weights fairly.
Weighting reflects values: one prioritizes making the biggest difference, the other making sure something actually happens. The group could discuss reasons, consult the people affected, vote, or test both weightings to see whether the choice changes.
2Build a decision matrix (3 options, 4 criteria with weights) for an issue you choose, calculate totals, and justify your final choice in two sentences.
Answers vary. Look for: genuinely different options, sensible weights, correct multiplication and addition, and a justification that goes beyond the totals (for example, mentioning risk or inclusion).
3Design a way to measure the results of a campaign to increase youth voting registration in your community, including a baseline and a target.
Sample: Baseline: number of 16 to 17-year-olds at our school who report being registered with the Register of Future Electors or the provincial equivalent (survey before). Target: increase by 25% by June. Measure: anonymous survey after the campaign, plus counts at a registration table. Compare before and after, and note limits (self-reported data).
Quiz
2. Weights: Impact ×3, Feasibility ×2. Scores: Impact 4, Feasibility 5. What is the weighted subtotal?
3. Which criterion asks whether you have the time, skills, money and permission to do an option?
4. Why might a group run a pilot?
5. Which is the best format for presenting findings to a town council?
6. After the action is finished, the group should:
Big idea: Expectation C2.2 asks students to propose different courses of action to address a specific civic issue in order to create positive change, and to assess the merits and effectiveness of each. The lesson uses a weighted decision matrix (with arithmetic), SMART goals, action plans and communication for an audience (A1.5).
How to help: Review your teen's decision-matrix arithmetic and their SMART goal. Act as the "council" and listen to a two-minute deputation, then ask one polite but tough question. If they want to carry out the plan for real (for example, for community involvement hours), help them contact organizations safely and check what counts with the school.
Common difficulties: Choosing options that are all the same kind; arithmetic slips with weights; vague goals; forgetting to plan how to measure results. Remind them that a "no" from decision makers is not failure: civic change often takes several tries.