‘Developing the Next Generation’ of Civic-Minded Citizens

June 1, 2026
• The NHS Civics Showcase invited juniors to present their research on local, state and national issues in an effort to make change.

“Civics is alive and well.”

That was Stephen Plasko’s takeaway Saturday, when about 100 Needham High School juniors gathered at Town Hall to share their research and advocate for a range of civic causes. Plasko, the chair of NHS’s history and social sciences department, called the fifth annual event “an unbelievable partnership” between the school and town.

Co-sponsored by the Needham League of Women Voters, the NHS Civics Showcase offers a platform to local juniors to present their state-mandated civic education project outside the classroom. Popular topics this year included affordable housing, tree preservation and curriculum changes in schools.

One improvement junior Ari Brown hopes to see is more inclusive history lessons for Massachusetts students. She, along with other students of color, often seek out Black history at home because school courses don’t always offer diverse perspectives, she said.

NHS offers an African American studies class, but Brown contends that “we shouldn’t have to make a class” to provide a fuller, more complete history. That curriculum should also be open to all students, not just those interested in a specific course, she added.

“One very, very, very important benefit is that students might feel more empowered, or they might feel more obligated to learn, because they’re not talking about slavery… they’re learning about good things, like innovations, inventions, jazz or music,” Brown said. “It might make them feel more empowered or more represented in the school culture, and it can reflect their identity as well.”

As part of their presentations, students contacted local legislators and officials to inspire potential action. Brown emailed Needham Public Schools Superintendent Dan Gutekanst.

Two groups presented on the bell-to-bell phone ban in schools making its way through the state legislature — both groups opposed the measure. Needham officially adopted a phone-free policy in classrooms this school year.

Another set of students voiced support for H.3594: An Act regarding free expression. The bill would work to prevent book bans in public libraries and school libraries while protecting librarians from potential threats and offering them resources to support their work.

While perhaps not as apparent an issue in New England, the student advocates pointed to one incident in Wakefield, whose school district banned the Harry Potter series. The bill could increase awareness around the issue, junior Izzy Person said.

Similar to Brown’s argument, the student advocates said such legislation could also support minority groups.

“Book banning takes away students’ opportunities to see themselves in the main character of a book, because book bannings are usually targeted more at marginalized communities, like LGBTQ or people of color,” junior Audrey Sprott said. “If you’re in one of those communities, it takes away resources to relate to yourself, and it also takes away educational and critical thought opportunities that come from a book, where you can learn from others’ experiences, learn how to make good decisions and enjoyment from these specific books as well.”

Tree preservation concerns sprouted up at this year’s showcase as the issue of clearcutting and teardowns launched a committee and now a draft tree bylaw.

Juniors Gemma Nauyokas, Izzy Adler and Z Mullen attended a few of the Tree Preservation Planning Committee’s meetings in preparing their proposed biodiversity restoration plan for the state’s parks. They heard residents’ worries about losing native trees and the loss of trees in favor of new home builds.

Faced with an alarming statistic that the state has lost 69% of wildlife in the last 40 years, the juniors suggested targeting four struggling state parks and closing off 10% of their land for a sixth-month period to plant millions of seeds and increase growth.

For Jack Baron and Harry Liu, a lack of multi-family housing in the state poses risks for young families and older adults. They advocated for less-restrictive zoning to enable developers to repurpose older, vacant buildings and “make the most use of the land we have,” Baron said.

Having both moved to Needham just a few years ago, the lack of diverse housing options was apparent to them, they said. The demolition and current build at 100-110 West Street — with the promise of nearly 200 units — partially inspired the project, Baron said.

“It’s not making a huge impact on how the town operates,” Baron said, “but it’s just making it more accessible for a lot more people.”

Each year, high schools float big ideas and make efforts to get engaged in local, state and national issues, which LWV member Karen Price said instills hope. The students in the showcase this year seem particularly impassioned and informed, she said.

“Youth is very important to the League and developing the next generation, getting people aware,” Price said.

Prior to the presentations, members of Safer Quieter Needham — an advocacy group promoting a reduction in train horns — shared messages of gratitude and advice to the students.

“Find an issue that’s important to you, be compassionate about it, find others, bring them in and then work to get other people in, and the way that I’ve found works the best is through civility and a cooperative effort,” Keith LaFace said. “I can tell, in the interactions I’ve had with high school students, you all have that in you, so please foster it, because we need you.”