The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy published Mighty Mia and Dyna-Bit Save Democracy, in August 2022. The publication shows how work happens around the State Capitol through the eyes of a page, the high school students selected by lawmakers to work in the House of Representatives or Senate for a week.
The comic book is a fun and easy read, tying in with prepared lesson plans which explain how voting Americans select officials and shape policy. This short magazine, just over 30 pages, includes a story to inspire young people and hopefully lead to problem-solving as a group to find solutions.
The book also includes word searches and crossword puzzles using civics terms and age-appropriate definitions. Most importantly, we do not direct any conversation toward a specific policy or political ideology; the solutions should come from the conversations in the class with the students and the local educator.
All this ties into the Kid Governor® program, modeled from the Connecticut Democracy Project’s program being implemented in participating Oklahoma schools this school year. The cost is free for fifth grade classes to participate as this has been privately fundraised by OICA to distribute the materials to each class.
OICA is currently working to acquire private funding to pay for each participating fifth grader to receive this comic book, so no government dollars will subsidize this effort or burden local school districts. We hope every fifth-grade student in the state, in both public and private schools, will be a part of this program, and maybe even aspire to be Governor themselves. If you are interested in learning more about this for your local school, please go to https://www.oica.org and contact your local fifth grade teachers or administrators.
Our special comic books are available for purchase for $4 each and $4 for shipping for up to 10 books. For each comic book you purchase, an Oklahoma 5th Grader will also receive a copy of the comic book.
There’s turmoil in the State Capitol when a stomach flu sweeps through the staff of high school pages. Can a plucky, civic-minded volunteer and a couple superheroes keep the wheels of government moving?
State senator Joseph Dorman and Charles J. Martin (Glamorella’s Daughter, We Promised Utopia) collaborate in this hilarious exploration of citizen engagement and what it really means to be a hero.