Thinking Critically and Acting Courageously at Waubonsee Community College

At Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois, Associate Professor of Humanities Aaron Lawler inspires students to civic action. As a Project Pericles Civic Engagement Fellow since 2021, Lawler has integrated experiential learning into his recent Spring courses, The Global Village and Leadership Studies Through a Humanities Lens.

This past semester, Lawler challenged his students to not just learn about voting rights and democratic participation, but to live it. “Students were encouraged to register to vote, actually vote, and reflect on the experience,” he shared. The timing for this activity was perfect, with Illinois elections taking place in April. Many students voted for the first time, and later returned to class to present about what it meant to them. A few even admitted they probably would never have voted if it hadn’t been for the voting suppression modules. One student said, “I didn’t think my vote mattered, but now I see it’s actually part of a much bigger picture.” 

Lawler remarked, “This shift from passive observer to active participant embodied the objectives of not only the Project Pericles program but also our push towards a more civically engaged campus.”

Another powerful moment came during a letter-writing assignment, where students drafted messages to local officials. While many received standard responses, one student was invited to be publicly recognized at a village board meeting. Others took it a step further: two students spontaneously attended a school board meeting and advocated against book bans during the public comment section. One student shared how reading I Am Malala changed how she saw herself as a reader and as a person with a voice. “It was powerful,” Lawler said, “and it all came from giving students space to connect classroom learning to their lives.”

Throughout these courses, the students were not the only ones being challenged. One day, during a discussion on sustainability, one student raised their hand and asked: “How are people supposed to care about voting or politics when they’re just trying to survive, like... paying rent or helping their parents?” The question stopped Lawler in his tracks and prompted him to pause his lesson and create space for open dialogue. In break-out groups, a conversation emerged about how civic engagement can look different for everyone, and how even small acts of empathy or showing up for someone in your community can be transformative.
​
This semester reaffirmed to Lawler that meaningful civic education encourages students to think critically, speak courageously, and understand that a thriving democracy depends on them.

---