ABSTRACT
Despite widespread agreement across the educational community that technology can make classroom learning more engaging, relevant, and equitable for young people by fostering collaboration and connection, many educators are still wary about the value of social media in schools-particularly as a tool for talking about and taking action on civic issues. At a time when political engagement is increasingly taking place online, continued avoidance of these platforms risks perpetuating new civic digital divides. We suggest in this chapter that these platforms can instead be leveraged in ways that honour and amplify youth voices, support students as they dialogue about issues that matter to them, and help them imagine new social futures. Drawing upon a participatory politics framework, this chapter explores how young people in six demographically and politically distinct communities across the country utilize digital tools to understand and participate in local, national, and global communities and how their teachers are working together in a collaborative learning network to design educational opportunities that foster digital democratic dialogue.
