Contextualizing Civic Education through the Integration of North Sumatran Local Culture to Foster Citizenship Identity

One of the main challenges in today’s society is the low level of understanding and appreciation among the younger generation toward cultural heritage. In fact, Indonesia's ethnic diversity particularly in North Sumatra, which is home to eight major ethnic groups, holds great potential in shaping citizenship identity. This study aims to integrate elements of North Sumatran local culture into Civic Education as a means to strengthen citizenship identity. The research employs a qualitative approach using a literature review method, with data collected from relevant scientific journals, books, and articles. Data analysis was conducted through the stages of data reduction, data display, and verification. The findings reveal that incorporating local culture of North Sumatra into Civic Education is an effective strategy to foster students’ citizenship identity. Cultures from various ethnic groups such as Malay, Batak Toba, Karo, Mandailing, Simalungun, Pakpak, Angkola, and Nias are embedded into the learning materials, which are grounded in Pancasila values. This approach not only enhances students’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens, but also encourages the internalization of moral values, unity, and democracy. Through this program, the younger generation is shaped into Pancasila-oriented individuals who are ready to act as unifying agents within a multicultural society.