When Hempstead High School senior Saul Martel was just 8 years old, he helped his father become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Martel downloaded applications, helped his father study and guided him through the proceedings, he said. A few years later, he did the same for his mother.

“I was there with them throughout the process,” Martel, now 17, said. “I learned so much about our history and how our government works.”

His parents, both natives of El Salvador, now do their part to support democracy, he said.

WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND

Experts say civics education has taken a backseat in the nation's classrooms with the emphasis on standardized testing in the past two decades.

There has been a renewed interest in civics education in recent years, however.

Experts argue that learning about the c

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