RU Ready in the Classroom
An initiative for fostering youth civic engagement in their communities, RU Ready in the Classroom provides evidence-based resources and lesson modules to support high school educators in teaching democracy.
Learn MoreRU Ready
A civic education initiative providing high school and middle school students with the motivation and the civic, political, and expressive tools they need to address public problems in their community.
Interested in implementing the RU Ready Civics Fair for middle school or high school learners? Visit RU Ready in the Classroom
About RU Ready
The RU Ready program was created in 2006 with a goal of fostering democratic engagement in area high school students. Over the past twenty years, the program has expanded to provide free RU Ready Civics Fairs and Young Leaders Conferences for area high school and middle school students. Developed and facilitated by a team of trained staff members and Rutgers University–New Brunswick undergraduate students, all programs satisfy New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Social Studies. The program is currently administered in area middle school and high schools throughout the state of New Jersey, with particular emphasis on serving underrepresented students.
For schools interested in curriculum for their classrooms, RU Ready offers free downloadable lesson modules in English and Spanish for educators interested in showcasing young adult led social movements in the classroom.
RU Ready is made possible by the generous support of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.
Partner Schools
For the 2023-2024 school year, the RU Ready Civics Fair was administered in the following schools:
- Piscataway Magnet High School
- East Brunswick Magnet High School
- Perth Amboy Magnet High School
- Carteret High School
- New Brunswick High School
- Rumson-Fair Haven High School
- North Brunswick Township Middle School
- Roosevelt Intermediate School
Young Leaders Conference
As a culminating activity, a conference is held at the Eagleton Institute of Politics for representatives of participating high schools. The day-long conference involves exploring youth political participation and “Generation Z”; revisiting the lessons learned in the classroom regarding avenues of civic engagement; and offering practical suggestions to young people not only interested in community involvement but in assuming leadership positions in their communities.
The 2021 RU Ready Young Leaders Conference featured college and high school students from our RU Ready National Partner Programs at The University of Texas at Austin, Drew University, Rutgers University-Newark and Rutgers-New Brunswick.
Watch the full recording of the 2021 RU Ready Young Leaders Conference here.
RU Ready Civics Fair
Piloted in the spring of 2019 at New Brunswick High School, the RU Ready Civics Fair was created with the purpose to share the lessons and resources in active citizenship, previously provided to only a selection of classes, to the entire student body. Located in the high school’s library, the RU Ready Civic Fair was held for a series of days and was comprised of a number of stations for high school students to visit – each station addressing different types of engagement and offering relevant resources and tips for getting involved. At the RU Informed? station for example, students were provided a guide about who serves in their local government and tips on how to speak at a City Council or School Board meeting. At the RU Speaking Out? station, students could contribute a drawing or quote to a dynamic mural that captured issues they cared about and wanted to improve in their city.
Are you interested in hosting the RU Ready Civics Fair in your high school or middle school? Learn more about the RU Ready Civics Fair Toolkit