Mission: Citizen was founded by six Lincoln High School Constitution Team members in 2009. It continues today as a student-run nonprofit based in Portland, Oregon. Our passion for teaching manifests itself in a series of free, ten-week classes designed to provide a basis in American history, citizenship, and current events. Classes are open to anyone, but we cater to green card holders trying to pass the citizenship test. However, as we emphasize, it's more than the test: we prepare for citizenship.
History
On June 11, 2009, a group of six motivated Lincoln High School Constitution Team alumni decided to use their knowledge of civics to benefit their community. They established Mission: Citizen, a citizenship education program that emphasizes the importance of being an active and engaged citizen.
The legacy the Founders began has been continued and expanded by new faces from Lincoln High’s Constitution Team. Today, the Executive Committee consists of a condensed four official positions (Executive Director, Director of Education, Director of Finance, and Director of Communications) from the original six. A system of committees and a dedicated body of instructors round out the staff. Combined, the instructors are able to speak Spanish, French, German, Korean, Russian, and Mandarin. They use their foreign language skills to ensure students fully understand concepts while keeping in mind that competence in English is essential to passing the exam.
Our goal is to guide students through the naturalization process and prepare students to pass the citizenship test. Ultimately, we hope to encourage civic engagement in America’s future citizens, including educated voting, participation in community forums and voluntary associations, and understanding the rights and responsibilities that accompany US Citizenship.
Founders
Eugene Chung
Naomi Dann
Max Dickinson
Callie King-Guffey
Emilie Segura
Louis Wheatley