Research Roundup: How States Can Strengthen Media Literacy Instruction
Civic Holidays: Resources & Events to Celebrate
Member Spotlight: The Civics Center
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In the News
New Members
Dear CivxNow Members and Friends of Civic Learning,
We are experiencing a national civics moment unparalleled in our lifetimes. Americans are witnessing the importance of our political institutions and the role they play in bringing the country together.
This is the new civics andI am excited to share an update about iCivics’ vision, work, and plans to meet this moment and seize its possibilities.
At iCivics, we know the best way to strengthen our democracy is to teach it. But advancing civic education in the classroom is not enough. That is why ourmovement to make civic education a national priority matters more than ever.
We are making the full scope of our work more explicit through our refreshed brand, including our newly redesigned website. iCivics’ new look and feel is an invitation to a broad audience to join in the movement for high-quality civic education for each and every student in the United States. As our longtime partners in this work, you know that achieving this vision will take all of us.
How Does the Change Affect CivxNow?
We encourage you to explore the website, noting the centrality of policy, movement-building, and engagement for different communities. Users will continue to the CivxNow site for more in-depth information and to take action on these fronts.
The rollout of related branding for CivxNow will be gradual, starting with the updated logo across the website and new collateral, to be followed with a refresh of the CivxNow site to reflect the more human and modern elements of the refreshed brand.
We invite you to help shape the future CivxNow site by providing stories and quotes from your constituents that exemplify the national movement for civics, and offering feedback as the website is developed. Express your interest in either action by filling out this form.
Our Moment of Consequence
As our nation prepares to mark its 250th anniversary in 2026, our most urgent charge is to ensure the next generation has the confidence and capacity to engage in our democracy throughout their lives.
Now is a moment of great consequence, and we are grateful for your committed partnership. By joining together, investing in our youth, and transforming civic education, we will continue to meet this generational challenge.
Yours in civics,
Shawn Healy
Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, iCivics
Research Roundup: How States Can Strengthen Media Literacy Instruction
States are pursuing a myriad of approaches to incorporate media literacy into K–12 instruction, according to a report published by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) titled Six Questions to Advance Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship. Media literacy is a critical component of youth civic development and NASBE offers a series of questions to help states further integrate it across the curriculum:
What are the benefits of media literacy? There are multiple, but building students’ skills in determining the accuracy and sourcing of information they encounter online is paramount.
How does media literacy facilitate civic engagement? Media literacy emphasizes both responsible consumption and production as modern political and social debates take place in digital domains.
How is media literacy instruction supported through state policies? The 2023 CivxNow State Policy Scan showed 37 states incorporate media literacy into academic standards, but the NASBE report reveals a scattered approach, with instructional mandates in only Delaware and New Jersey.
What are teachers’ media literacy capacity? The vast majority of teachers are self-taught and would benefit from greater access to ongoing professional development opportunities and high-quality instructional materials as specified in the CivxNow State Policy Menu.
Are there best practices on media literacy instruction for states to consult? Yes, but the U.S. lacks a comprehensive media literacy education framework, so states draw upon several, including the American Association of School Librarians, the National Media Literacy Alliance, and UNESCO’s Global Standards for Media and Information Literacy Curricula Development Guidelines.
How can students and parents influence media literacy policies? Twenty-four states have student state board of education members, and 39 states have family or parent engagement policies. Media literacy should be among the points of engagement as most adults (64%) say they did not receive media literacy instruction in high school, yet the vast majority (84%) support its incorporation in schools today.
Civic Holidays: Resources & Events to Celebrate
At CivxNow, we and our leading partners find opportunities to celebrate civic learning throughout the year. While back-to-school isn't an official "holiday," it is to us! We want to thank our partner, the Center for Civic Education, our civic learning hub lead for back-to-school time, for organizing a meeting of a number of our partners to coordinate what they are offering educators and students during this exciting "holiday."
Check out these resources as a gift to you from our CivxNow partners. Next month, the key holiday of focus will be Constitution Day. Check out these events and resources from our organizational civic learning hub lead, the National Constitution Center, to help you celebrate Constitution Day.
Member Spotlight: The Civics Center
The Civics Center is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to making voter registration part of every high school in America.
Voter registration in some states can be as early as October 7. So, The Civics Center celebrates High School Voter Registration Week September 23–27 and works to support students and educators that want to run drives in their schools with free training and resources.
The iCivics Policy team recently returned from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Summit in Louisville, Kentucky. This annual gathering of state legislators, government officials, and policy experts provided a dynamic platform to discuss critical issues facing our nation.
A highlight of the Summit was a panel discussion, “Next-Gen Civics: Engaging Young Citizens in the Legislative Process,” featuring iCivics Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, Shawn Healy. Moderated by Megan McClure of NCSL, the panel explored strategies to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to become informed and engaged citizens. Alongside Melvette Hill from the Connecticut General Assembly and Myra Hernandez from the Washington Legislature, Shawn shared insights on fostering critical thinking, digital literacy, and civic participation among young people.
While at the Summit, our State Policy team, led by Director of State Policy, Lisa Boudreau, had the opportunity to connect with state legislators and education leaders in the exhibit hall. She and State Policy Lead, Diana Leo, engaged in meaningful conversations about the role of iCivics in supporting state-level civic education initiatives. It was inspiring to hear directly from legislators about the positive impact our coalition’s policy efforts are having on students across states. Moreover, the team is energized and ready to continue our work with new champions in the next legislative session.
iCivics Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy Shawn Healy on the panel, “Next-Gen Civics: Engaging Young Citizens in the Legislative Process.” Moderated by Megan McClure of NCSL.
iCivics Director of State Policy Lisa Boudreau and State Policy Lead Diana Leo with Maryland State Senator Cheryl Kagan.
In the News
As fall approaches, here are some last minute summer reading and viewing recommendations:
Rick Hess explores why voter registration should not be the sole purpose of civic education and the determining factor of whether it is effective in this piece in Education Week.
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 atCivxNow@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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