Washington State University Professor Brian Brandt returned to the country of Georgia over the summer to support the expansion of WSU 4-H’s Know Your Government (KYG) curriculum into three new cities.
4-H KYG is an experiential learning curriculum designed to educate youth on democratic governance and separation of powers, important in the current context of Georgia, which is experiencing ongoing democratic development.
“KYG empowers people to engage with their democracy through interactive education,” Brandt said. “This is an important time politically in Georgia, and people there are motived to learn more about their relatively new democratic system of governance.”
Brandt made his first trip to Georgia in summer 2023 to support the inaugural KYG course in Tbilisi. The program was well received by participants, who felt enriched by the active approach to learning. Personnel at the city’s U.S. Embassy then invited Brandt to return and oversee the curriculum’s expansion this year.
“Georgians appreciated KYG’s interactive and practical approach, which contrasts with more traditional, lecture-based learning methods,” said Giorgi Gabunia, a public diplomacy specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi. “The hands-on engagement promotes deeper understanding of democratic principles and encourages participants to apply what they’ve learned in tangible ways within their communities.”
The KYG curriculum was originally developed by WSU 4-H volunteer Melissa Beard in the late 1990s and has since been adapted by 4-H chapters throughout Washington. Beard currently serves as director of legislative affairs on the Council of Presidents.
In Washington state, each yearly offering of the KYG curriculum explores a different branch of government and culminates in a trip to the state’s capitol building. Last year, mock jury trials were part of the interactive portion that teaches about the U.S. judicial system. Mock jury trials were also held in Georgia during Brandt’s inaugural trip.
Brandt and other Washington state KYG educators notice youth participants have a higher engagement in community civics and volunteerism, a result that’s also been evident in Georgian participants.
“Feedback suggests that the curriculum enhances participants’ knowledge of governance and boosts their confidence when participating in civic activities,” Gabunia said. “This enthusiastic reception is indicative of the curriculum’s effectiveness in meeting the educational and social needs of Georgian youth.”
For Brandt, work with KYG in Georgia underscores the curriculum’s importance on the world stage.
“How do you hold a civil discussion with people who have differing viewpoints? Why is it important in politics to have different views? These are questions that KYG is very good at answering and exploring,” he said.