Author: icivics

By Louise Dubé, iCivics, and Danielle Allen, Democratic Knowledge Project

Civic Learning Week (CLW) lit up the nation with a powerful message: civic renewal has taken root in classrooms and local communities. Against a backdrop of continued challenges related to polarization and falling faith in institutions, civic educators, civic leaders, and students all over the country shared messages of recommitment to our founding ideals, our responsibilities as citizens, and the importance of pluralism. They reached millions of Americans. It was another inspiring, momentum-building spotlight for civics. 

The week began in Philadelphia, where more than 500 educators, students, policymakers, scholars, and civic leaders gathered for the CLW National Forum, with more than 1,000 others joining by livestream. Co-hosted by iCivics and the Democratic Knowledge Project under the theme “Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250,” the Forum brought the civic learning movement into sharp focus.

For the first time, hundreds of students and educators participated alongside national thought leaders, a shift that brought unmistakable energy and transformed the gathering. The pre-Forum session for teachers on the Educating for American Democracy (EAD) framework saw an incredible turnout. The framework provides a foundation for efforts to strengthen pluralistic civic education across the nation. 

Relatedly, an iCivics survey of more than 2,000 civics teachers that was unveiled during the Forum showed that 89% of respondents agree that their teaching should ground students in core civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions; prepare students to be engaged citizens in a democracy; foster respect for a pluralistic society with diverse viewpoints; and connect constitutional principles to current events.

In Forum appearances and conversations—from historians Jill Lepore and bipartisan state education policymakers, civic leaders, young people themselves, and others—one idea rang clear: civic learning and civic skills are not abstract. They are lived, practiced, and urgently needed by young people and people of all ages in a democracy and economy undergoing significant transformation.

That shared belief, energy, and activity extended far beyond Philadelphia. CLW was celebrated by more than 200 organizational partners, with activities registered in more than 30 states and 25 official proclamations issued at last count. From student conversations with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, to national programming tied to Ken Burns’ The American Revolution, to classroom debates, museum exhibits, and community forums, the week demonstrated the breadth of civic life in action. The media reach was equally striking: more than 1,100 placements alongside more than 140 social media mentions generated a reach of more than one billion. 

The deeper CLW story, however, is about substance. As CLW showed, democracy is sustained by an accumulation of everyday acts, not grand gestures alone. Small is mighty: this is the essence of the American experiment. When small acts multiplied across thousands of classrooms and communities, they become a force capable of repairing our frayed civic fabric.

We wanted to share a compelling short video that speaks to the collective commitment, energy, and passion that pulsed through all of the activities during CLW. During an event in Philadelphia at the Please Touch Museum, two teachers—Kimiyo Cain of Holy Cross Catholic School and Trey Smith of Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy (School District of Philadelphia)—delivered a 13-part toast to civic educators of all stripes that resonated deeply. 

To support Civic Learning Week, this high-level summary of the 2026 iCivics Teacher Survey of 2,197 teachers to deliver timely, educator-centered findings that translate into clear insights on the state of civics education. It highlights three forces shaping classroom instruction:

• evolving state legislation;
• schools’ approaches to responsible artificial intelligence (AI) use; and 
• the essential role of human connection grounded in educator testimonials.

Overall, teachers report:

• strong preparedness to teach civics (76.1%);
• meaningful support from school or district administration (65.2%)
• mixed support from the parent community is more mixed (49.2% agree, 39.0% neutral).

At the same time, many describe an increasingly challenging climate, with a majority:

• saying teaching basic civics concepts now feels difficult (52.7%) and
  concerned about potential backlash for teaching something the “wrong way” (58.7%).

Of those surveyed:

• 35.3% report changing or removing lessons and
• 21.4% have considered leaving their position due to the divisive political climate

Impact of State Legislation on Educators and Classroom Environments

Notably, every state where more than half of teachers report being impacted by legislation has also experienced attempts to impose statewide limits on topics that can be taught. States with efforts to regulate K–12 classroom discussion of what the legislation deems “divisive concepts” see far higher numbers of teachers reporting impacts to their classrooms with 48% of teachers reporting being impacted. Notably, even in states that have not seen major pushes for these legislative reforms, 32% of teachers still report impacts.

• Legislative/administrative impact strongly correlates with backlash: Teachers who reported being impacted are much more likely to worry about backlash (~72–74% vs ~50%) and to report experiencing backlash (~30–41% vs ~12%).
• Self-censorship is a common coping strategy: ~35% say they’ve changed/ removed lessons because of the environment.
• Classroom Effects of Legislative Impacts: Among classrooms impacted by
  legislative/administrative changes, top effects are: more lesson-planning time needed (19.77%); greater focus on parental concerns (19.14%); and discontinued use of previously helpful resources (11.76%). Some also cited impacts including less time spent overall on social studies (11.13%) and more prescriptive curriculum (7.58%).
• Fear outpaces fallout: ~59% of teachers are concerned about backlash, but only ~20% say they’ve faced backlash.
• Broad consensus on importance on civic education: 74% agree/strongly agree it’s important to have a national week highlighting civic education (44.09% agree; 30.04% strongly agree), with only ~5.8% disagree/strongly disagree.

More than 89% of teachers agree that their teaching should ground students in a set of civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions; prepare students to be engaged citizens in our democracy; foster a pluralistic view that promotes interest in and respect for the variety of opinions and political identities present in American society, including those different from one’s own; and connect constitutional principles to events happening today.

Responsible AI in the Classroom

Educators (~70-75%) broadly view artificial intelligence as a core part of civic literacy, with agreement high and consistent across school contexts. At the same time, classroom materials are largely holding steady between print and digital resources, while approaches to AI use remain uneven. Despite strong recognition of AI’s importance, adoption in practice remains limited: 50% of educators report using AI less than 1–3 times per month, and usage is primarily focused on planning and content preparation behind the scenes rather than direct classroom instruction. As for AI policy, schools across the board showcase uncertainty, restricted-allowance models, and, in many places, significant teacher-by-teacher discretion rather
than clear districtwide guidance, with 29% of instructors reporting that their school or district has no formal policy governing AI use.

Human Connection: The Foundation of Effective Learning

The following teacher testimonials underscore that strong relationships among students, educators, families, and the community remain foundational to effective civics education:

• “Civics is quite literally the most important course in high school, as not all students will become mechanics, nurses, etc. All of them, however, will be citizens, which requires active participation.”
• “Civics is the backbone of our democracy. Without it, we are nothing.”
• “The study of our rights and responsibilities in a democracy and as a human being on planet Earth.”
• “I became a social studies teacher because I believe the American Constitutional Republic is one of the greatest experiments in human history.”
• “Civics is one of the most important topics as it directly impacts everyday life. Civics impacts education, laws, science, medicine, personal liberty and human rights, etc.”

Civic education is essential for all students and emphasizes that understanding rights and responsibilities is strengthened through active practice in classrooms that supports respectful dialogue and intellectual safety, with benefits extending to families and communities.

In just a couple weeks, classrooms, libraries, museums, statehouses, and community centers across the country will light up with learning and engagement for Civic Learning Week (March 9–13). We are optimistic that this year’s Civic Learning Week will be another important “fluorescent moment for civics,” in which thousands of local activities across all 50 states paint a national picture of support for civic learning and engagement.

Educators and communities, by their everyday actions in and out of classrooms, have knit together our civic fabric since the inception of our country. Today—when trust in institutions is fragile, misinformation often travels faster than facts, and polarization continues to tear at that very civic fabric—education could not matter more. This is a powerful representation of the “small is mighty” ideal at the core of the American experiment. 

Co-hosted by iCivics and the Democratic Knowledge Project, this year’s Civic Learning Week will kick off with the National Forum on March 9 and 10 in Philadelphia. Gathering in the city where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed is a deliberate choice—Philadelphia is where the American experiment was fully articulated and, 250 years later, we ask and answer what it now requires of us. 

Under the theme Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250, the Forum will bring together educators, students, policymakers, researchers, and civic leaders from across sectors to confront the real questions facing constitutional democracy in the United States today:

• How do we cultivate pluralism in polarized times?

   

• How do we maintain the importance of human connection in civic learning and equip students to navigate the democracy and economy of the AI age?

   

• How can states and districts move beyond minimum civics requirements to meaningful civic outcomes?

   

• What would it look like to make civic learning as central to education as literacy and numeracy?

We will showcase state-level progress—33 states strengthening K–12 civic education over the past 5 years; 37 states now requiring civics course time for graduation; and 44 states offering civics-related professional development. And we will press forward on what remains unfinished.

We will highlight the growing body of evidence that civic learning strengthens not only a meaningful understanding of our history and civic infrastructure, but also the “four Cs” employers consistently demand: critical thinking; communication; collaboration; and creativity. Across the country, community partners are creating service-learning opportunities that connect young people to real-world problem-solving. Governors are spotlighting new legislation. Museums are hosting public readings of founding texts. District leaders are integrating the Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy into curriculum planning. 

This is not only activity, it is palpable momentum for a growing movement. Our nation recognizes the need to educate for citizenship. This is new and important. Local, community-oriented actions are mighty when it comes to civic engagement: A classroom discussion. A local forum. A new exhibit at a museum. A social media campaign to highlight the values of the Declaration. These moments build our civic strength and our commitment to democracy.

The semiquincentennial is not just a commemoration. It is a generational opportunity. 

Civic Learning Week is our chance to move from reflection to resolve. The kindergartners entering school today will graduate in 2038, the 250th anniversary of the Constitution’s ratification. What civic foundation will they stand on?

Democracy does not renew itself. It is taught. Practiced. Protected.

And it begins—again—in classrooms and communities across the United States.