America’s 250th Anniversary: More Than a Celebration; A Call to Action
Coalition Member Spotlight: Monticello
On the Road with CivxNow
Civic Learning in the News
New Members
America’s 250th Anniversary: More Than a Celebration; A Call to Action
Welcome to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the celebration of a relatively young nation, but still the world’s oldest democracy. As we look into our crystal ball to predict the future, we know one thing for certain: July 4, 2026 will bring massive fireworks and the presentation of tall ships. Everything else is a bit hazy, but we, the members of the civic learning field, have a central role to play in preparing young people, and all of us, to write a positive script for the next 250 years of the American experiment.
Consider this reality: A student entering kindergarten this year will graduate high school when this nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. In a nation where large portions of the public support the Constitution, but can’t name all three branches of government, what will we have done as a field to educate and empower that kindergartener in the ensuing years to ensure that when he or she is a graduating senior they are informed and empowered in order to keep our constitutional democracy vibrant, strong, and secure? In kicking off this year, what can you do to build that brighter future?
Join and promote a campaign: There are many possibilities, but two you might consider are America’s 100 Docs, led by the National Archives Foundation, and the Civic Star Challenge for teachers, led by iCivics and the Bill of Rights Institute. Fun contests with prizes can help bring this moment to life in a classroom near you.
Encourage your state America 250 Commission to center civic learning: Beyond the national commission, each state commission will have its own program and priorities for the coming year. Ensure that they center young people and civic learning in those plans.
Advocate to your elected officials: During the August recess, meet with your elected officials and ask them to use this moment to make a generational investment in America’s youth and their civic learning. (Contact Abbie Kaplan at abbie.kaplan@icivics.org for more information.)
Democracy requires active participation. Let’s ensure that civic learning is America’s learning, this year and beyond.
Coalition Member Spotlight: Monticello
Perhaps no coalition partner better embodies the 250th more than CivxNow member, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. For our partner spotlight this month, we highlight Monticello’s outstanding work more broadly, but also shine a light on their collaboration with More Perfect in launching Declaration Book Club to engage Americans in a better understanding of the Declaration of Independence in this upcoming anniversary year.
The short readings, lively videos, and engaging questions can be easily integrated into existing book clubs, informal discussions among family and friends, classroom settings, workplaces, civic associations, or other venues to learn more about our founding ideals and their relevance over time. To see the overview of the three-part series, including introductory videos by Ken Burns and Jane Kamensky, visit the Declaration Book Club web page. To get the toolkit, click on the Download the Reader button.
You can help our coalition partner and collective work by sharing the Declaration Book Club on your website and social media, or featuring it in a newsletter or other communications. Feel free to use this sample language to get started: [Your institution’s name] is proud to join Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and More Perfect in promoting Declaration Book Club to encourage more Americans to connect to our country's origin story and to spark lively discussions about the Declaration’s relevance across history and in our time.
On the Road with CivxNow
On July 15, CivxNow partners Youth Power Project and the Stanford Center for Deliberative Democracy held a Hill briefing in partnership with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and panelists from Software Information Industry Association (SIIA), National Student Legal Defense Network, and Design It For Us, on how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping civic education across the United States. The briefing, led primarily by students, served as an inspiring and informative example of how youth voices are leading discussions on complex topics, including the promises and pitfalls of technology-enhanced civic learning.
Civic Learning in the News
With the country’s 249th birthday in the rearview mirror, the media is starting to turn its attention to the 250th:
Inside Higher Eddetails how the federal government is shifting allocations to seminars about the 250th, specifically centers for civic thought on college campuses.
Colleen J. Shogan and John Bridgeland call for the 250th to be a civic education moonshot in this piece in The Hill.
The Jack Miller Center’s Hans Zeiger reflected on why July 4th should be more than just barbecues and fireworks — and why America 250 is a unique opportunity — in Real Clear Education.
Andrew Wilkes and Rashid Duroseau write about how the true story of civic engagement among Black youth does not show up on test scores in this piece in The Hechinger Report.
Lisa R. Halverson and Nicole Handy talk about efforts underway in Utah to engage 500 teachers in civic education during America 250 in this piece in The Deseret News.
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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