American Dream Professors cultivating civic education and engagement in rural Oklahoma Drs. Eve Ringsmuth and Josh Jansa — two professors in Oklahoma State University’s Department of Political Science — have been awarded a Women for OSU grant to engage rural communities across Oklahoma in civic education through American government classes. The faculty members are cultivating engaged citizenship through teaching and research, empowering students with the confidence and skills needed for active participation in politics and government. This approach deepens students’ appreciation for democracy by studying their experiences and tailoring classes to best teach them government and politics. “We were excited to receive the grant funding,” Jansa said. “We intend to utilize it for providing textbooks and addressing internet access barriers for rural students across Oklahoma. This will enable them to take this impactful course online during their high school years.” Ringsmuth said, regardless of major, all OSU students are required to take Introduction to American Government, which “allows us to study how a wide range of individuals encounter civic education and how it prepares them to engage in democracy.” “Our study employs a two-way survey administered at the beginning and end of the class to measure students’ growth in knowledge and confidence,” she said. Past research published by Ringsmuth and Jansa indicates that male and female students acquire knowledge from these classes, yet women exhibit lower confidence levels in their political skills. “As they took the course, female students experienced significant growth,” Jansa said. “We found that the course helped narrow the gender gap, motivating our project to identify and support other potentially marginalized groups — such as rural students — in becoming active citizens.” The partnership with Women for OSU advances OSU’s landgrant mission, extending access to civic education to communities where physical attendance may be challenging. Additionally, the course utilizes engaging techniques to make learning materials relatable and increase student engagement. “We’ve adopted active and interactive teaching methods such as weekly activities and engaging voting exercises to acquaint students with various voting systems,” Ringsmuth said. “The students have responded positively, expressing appreciation for the interactive approach. Additionally, they find value in reflecting on their learning during the weekly activities.” By this fall, the team aims to recruit students from rural districts to enroll in the course offered through Cowboy Concurrent, an online dual credit program housed within the College of Arts and Sciences that gives high school students the opportunity to earn college credit from OSU. This will allow students to take the course with the assistance of high school counselors. “Introduction to American Government is a remarkable opportunity for us as instructors to serve both Oklahoma and the global community,” Ringsmuth said. “It enables us to equip students from diverse backgrounds with the essential skills to engage and participate in American democracy.” STORY ADEOLA FAVOUR | PHOTOS PROVIDED Dr. Josh Jansa Dr. Eve Ringsmuth OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 11
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