A Celebration of Civic Education and Its Impact on the Future of Our Nation
Research Roundup
Civic Holidays
Coalition Member Spotlight
On the Road with CivxNow
Civic Education in the News
New Members
A Celebration of Civic Education and Its Impact on the Future of Our Nation
With a backdrop of intense change directly impacting the field of civic learning, and more likely on its way, the third annual national Civic Learning Week assumes even greater importance. Throughout the week of March 10–14, we will elevate a shared vision and make a resounding affirmative case for the importance of civic learning in preparing our citizenry for informed self-governance. As public trust in institutions and one another wanes, civics stands as the bedrock of our constitutional democracy and the key ingredient to restore the ties that bind us as Americans.
Join the Civic Learning Week celebration by:
Bringing attention to the importance of civic education as a nationwide priority. Use our educator toolkit and/or organization/influencer toolkit to help bring Civic Learning Week to your community.
Thanking educators who embody the best of civic learning. Use this resource template to show support for a “civic learning allstar,” affirming teachers preparing the next generation for their civic roles.
Sharing the importance of civics on social media and/or what civics means to you on the Civic Learning Week platform.
Nearly 250 years ago, the framers of the Declaration of Independence signed their names to an unknown national, much less personal, fate. The sustenance of this experiment in self-governance speaks to their timeless wisdom and to generations of Americans committed to the lofty ideals of “liberty and justice for all.”
Will we answer the call for the rising generation of Americans? Now, more than ever, we must make the case for stronger local, state, and national investments in civics. National Civic Learning Week is our moment to thank frontline educators, emphasize local programs, and highlight positive stories of civic learning’s generational impact. Join us in this urgent cause as we mobilize strong public support for comprehensive K–12 civic education.
The American Revolution and Civic Learning: A Conversation with Filmmaker Ken Burns, PBS LearningMedia, and iCivics
Wednesday, March 12
Join award-winning filmmakers Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein on March 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET for a special conversation on the upcoming documentary series, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Burns and Botstein will discuss with teachers how film and video can bring fresh insight to our founding story and how civic learning can come alive for students in the classroom. Register today!
Featured Conversation with Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States
Friday, March 14
Students will join Justice Sotomayor in a discussion about civic education on March 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Register today!
Research Roundup: Back to the Future for Civics Textbooks
Since the 1880s civics textbooks “...prioritized forms of knowledge and behaviors that largely reflected the values, issues, and challenges of their day.” This is the principal finding of a September 2024 Hoover Institution study titled “A Century-Plus of Civic Education: What the Textbooks Show” that analyzed 87 textbooks across three different eras.
Early civics textbooks focused primarily on institutions and a surprising number were written for an elementary school audience, speaking to the subject’s previous prioritization in the early grades. Authors could therefore assume a certain depth of civic knowledge to build upon in the middle grades and high school where content shifted toward civic virtues.
Of particular interest to CivxNow was the extent to which civics textbooks aligned with state civics requirements. For most students today, civics is a one-semester high school course with a primary focus on national governmental institutions.
We anticipate that as states continue to strengthen civics requirements, including stand-alone middle school courses and designated instructional time in grades K–5, instruction may assume a more holistic approach. In turn, this will build foundational civic knowledge inclusive of national, state, and local government, and equip students with the skills and dispositions necessary for informed and effective engagement in their communities. Modern textbooks and instructional materials will surely support this back-to-the-future evolution.
Civic Holidays
Each month, CivxNow highlights the celebration of different civic holidays and the work of our partners to leverage them to advance our field. During February, we celebrate both President’s Day and Black History Month. We appreciate our two hub leads, the Lincoln Presidential Foundation (President’s Day) and the Gilder Lehrman Institute (Black History Month), for their work connecting partners around these holidays:
“Fortifying Our Democracy: Lincoln’s Lyceum Address” explores the alarming events that motivated Lincoln to deliver his speech, the timeless argument for investing in civic education, and the dangers of taking our political institutions for granted. Learn more about the Lincoln Presidential Foundation’s resources and course materials here.
In celebration of Black History Month, the Gilder Lehrman Institute highlights resources for studying Black history in America through curated groupings of documents and accompanying materials.
Our civic holidays are vital to our field; let’s use them to engage young people in questions about our nation’s past, present, and future.
Member Spotlight: Girl Scouts of the USA
The second week of March is not only national Civic Learning Week but also National Girl Scout Week, and the two could not be more aligned. More than 100 years since its founding in 1912, Girl Scouts has been a staple of teaching girls, helping them develop confidence in themselves, their abilities and, yes, their civic voice.
Today, Girl Scouts highlight this work through theircivic badges, building girls’ skills to engage actively with their neighbors, celebrate their communities, and use their voices to affect positive change. These badges reflect the full range and breadth of civic learning at its best, and we applaud and celebrate our coalition member, Girl Scouts of the USA, for the important contributions they make to the civic health of our constitutional democracy.
So, do yourself a sweet favor and buy some Girl Scout cookies and thank a Girl Scout or Troop leader for how they make our communities better during Civic Learning Week and National Girl Scout Week in the coming month.
On the Road with CivxNow
National Association of Secretaries of State Winter Meeting
Members of the iCivics policy team attended the 2025 National Association of Secretaries of State winter meeting, held in Washington, D.C., on January 31. Lisa Boudreau, Director of State Policy, and the team’s newest member, Tanisha Pruitt, Ph.D., hosted an informational exhibit table. They showcased a range of iCivics Education and CivxNow state policy resources, connecting with both policymakers and staff and sharing how iCivics can support policy efforts in their respective states
NSBA’s Advocacy and Equity Institute
This month, iCivics Director of Coalition Engagement Ace Parsi attended coalition member National School Board Association’s (NSBA)Advocacy and Equity Institute. Parsi’s session on “Civic Learning as a Catalyst for Broader Change” directly followed the presentation of another CivxNow member, theNational Student Board Member Association(NSBMA), which included NSBMA Executive Director George Constantinos Charonis and two student board members. It was a great one-two punch of sessions. School board members of all political persuasions responded positively in affirming the importance of student voice and agency and the fundamental role schools play in strengthening the future of our communities and democracy.
We applaud coalition partners NSBA and NSBMA for their leadership in raising these essential issues. From what we learned and experienced, civic learning and student voice have many receptive ears in school boardrooms across the country, and we, as a field, have a unique opportunity to lean in.
Democracy Notes
iCivics Senior Policy and Advocacy Director Shawn Healy served on a virtual Democracy Notes panel, “Where Sh*t (Still) Gets Done: State Democracy Policy,” on February 6. Healy focused on recent policy progress on K–12 civic education at the state level and continued interest in the subject with a flurry of bill filings in the Spring 2025 session. Fellow panelists addressed national service, election administration, technology policies, and freedom to read in the context of public libraries.
AI and the Future of Citizenship: Preparing for a Digital Democracy
On February 24, the Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California hosted, “AI and the Future of Citizenship: Preparing for a Digital Democracy.” The event brought together experts in artificial intelligence, democracy building, and civic education to explore how AI intersects with the ways people learn about democracy, government, and civic responsibility. Panelists, including iCivics Director of Coalition Engagement Ace Parsi, examined the potential benefits and risks of AI in shaping how citizens understand and interact with democratic processes in the digital age. They also discussed the shared responsibilities of all stakeholders—including AI developers, educators, and subject matter experts—in the vital work of cultivating informed and active citizens. The speakers explored these critical issues and offered insights and practical strategies for preparing future citizens in a rapidly evolving, AI-dominated world.
Civic Education in the News
As the news swirls around education, some are still focusing on civics:
Author James Traub, who is writing a forthcoming book on civic education, wrote in the New Republic that he saw only neutrality in dozens of interviews and classroom visits across the country.
We remain deeply appreciative of member efforts and all that we accomplish together. Our goal is to aggregate and activate large networks of support to expand and re-imagine civic education as a force for civic strength. To our members, thank you for your partnership.
If your organization is interested in joining CivxNow or in learning more, please contact us at CivxNow@icivics.org.
Our Mission
CivxNow is a coalition of partners from diverse viewpoints working to create a culture shift that elevates civic education and engagement as a national priority in order to protect and strengthen America’s constitutional democracy. This includes building a shared commitment to ensure that all young people are prepared to assume their rights and responsibilities to participate in civic life and address the issues facing students, their families, and communities in our increasingly dynamic, polarized, and digital society.
To achieve this goal, CivxNow advocates for bipartisan federal and state legislation that supports implementation of state and local policies that reimagine and deliver relevant, inclusive, and engaging K–12 civic learning, both in- and out-of-school.
A Team Effort
The CivxNow team produces this newsletter each month.
We are grateful for the energy, time, and guidance of the CivxNow Advisory Council and to many, many others who support individual projects.
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