Los Angeles, California - Choosing to Participate is a Facing History and Ourselves national initiative aimed at stimulating young people and adults to think deeply about the importance of thoughtful participation in a democracy. Choosing to Participate highlights three compelling stories in our nation's recent history. These stories are intended to deepen our understanding of democracy, challenge our thinking about the consequences of our relationships with both friends and strangers, and spark creative approaches to membership in a democracy.
Approximately 48,000 people visited the Los Angeles Choosing to Participate exhibition at the Los Angeles Public Library in Spring 2003. The exhibit received media attention including a Los Angeles Times Editorialand feature story on LA City View Channel 35.
In addition to the traveling multimedia exhibit, two local companion exhibits were mounted, L.A. Stories: The Power of One a photography exhibit of local people making a difference in their communities, and Young Artists Speak Out a student art exhibit expressing the themes of social justice and civic participation.
An analysis of student evaluations who visited the exhibit demonstrates that Choosing to Participate had a highly positive impact on a diverse group of students, including boys and girls in 6th-12th grade in Facing History and non-Facing History classes, in public and private schools in urban and suburban locations.