Clinton Library Education Resources

Education Resources at the Clinton Presidential Library

Students should review the Economic Inclusion exhibit before completing any of the following assignments. Students may work individually or in groups.

Cover art from "Building Communities Together" report, circa 1995

Education Activity Suggestions

Option One:

Using the videos and photographs in the exhibit, each student or group of students will select an example that represents one of the challenges to economic inclusion as defined by the Clinton Administration. Students should identify programs or legislation that was created to address the challenge before considering if the challenge was mitigated by the Clinton Administration’s efforts, or if it persists today. Students should share their results with the class through written reports, multimedia presentations (such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or iMovie), websites, posters, or exhibit boards.

Extension Activity/Informed Action Component:
Students will note challenges to economic inclusion in their community and consider solutions to them. Students should write a speech that addresses the challenges and their proposed solutions. The presenters should take note of their target audience and consider the best language and methodology for delivering the message to them. 

Option Two:

One of the tools employed by President Clinton to bring down barriers to economic inclusion was Community Development Financial Institutions. Students should consider this document and create a summary of how CDFI’s promoted economic inclusion in the United States and how access to financial institutions leads to economic empowerment for communities. 

Extension Activity/Informed Action Component:
Students should conduct research to identify one or more CDFI’s in their community and make a multimedia presentation (such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or iMovie), website, poster, or exhibit board that illustrates the ways in which it has financially empowered the community. 

Option Three:

Each student or team reviews the first six pages of Clinton Administration “Building Communities: Together” report on the “Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities” initiative. Students will create a rubric incorporating the four key evaluation principles found on page 3 and select an Empowerment Zone application to evaluate. The Urban Empowerment Zone finalist list is on page 13, the applications are on pages 14 – 66. The Rural Empowerment Zone finalist list is on page 68, the applications are on pages 69 – 92. Students give an oral report or complete a writing assignment with an assessment of the application including strengths and weaknesses.

Extension Activity/Informed Action Component:
Students or teams are assigned one of the key principles and conduct research how it might be applied to their own community. Students work together as a class to compile their ideas into a proposal on how to improve “economic inclusion” locally and present it to city or county government officials.