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Kristy Johnson

Posted on by icivics

Can you tell us a little about your work and how you first came across iCivics?

I have a Masters Degree in Education and Coaching, and over a decade of experience teaching K–12 and adult learners. I have taught in turn-around schools, schools where the PTA raised a million dollars a year, in-patient treatment centers, and prisons. I have also tutored a variety of standardized tests: ACT, SAT, ISEE, and PSAT, to name a few.

Currently, I teach adult education. There are two tests our country uses to measure High School Equivalency (HSE) and I teach both: the GED and the HISET. (The TASC was discontinued, but I taught that one as well.)

Civics and government make up 38% of the social studies portion of the HISET and 50% of the social studies portion of the GED. iCivics has some of the best worksheets I have found to teach this subject, and I love the general approach to nonpartisan education for all Americans. I’ve been using the worksheets for years.

What do you think explains civics making up such a significant portion of the high school equivalency tests?

I think the reason for this heavy emphasis on citizenship content is that the GED and HiSET are geared toward adult learners. Topics like the branches of government, voting, and the Bill of Rights are fundamental to a functioning democracy. The exam mirrors a citizenship exam, and I think that’s intentional to the demographic.

What do you see as one of the most important pieces of the kind of civic education you provide?

More than ever, students need to know how to find a reliable resource, and how to sift through fake news and AI-generated content to find what is true. My undergrad degree was in journalism, and we learned how to research: how to verify information, how to find a reliable resource, etc. I appreciate that iCivics resources do just that: teach students how to research and find what is true. This is the most important topic for a functioning society.

The majority of students are like, “Wait. I saw a video on that.” I push back and ask, “Where did the video come from? How do you know if it’s real?” Students often don’t care. “So what if it isn’t?”

To get students to care about the fact that their “news” (TikTok videos and such) might be fake, you have to start with topics that matter to them. I let students choose a topic they care about, and then we discuss how they would feel if they saw AI-generated content or fake news about that topic. What would they do? How would they feel? How would they verify or know what is true?

Some students truly believe we cannot know what is and isn’t true anymore. You have to walk students through the research process multiple times to prove that we can actually know what is true. Explore several articles on one event. Identify bias and leading language. Distill the facts. This helps students see that we CAN know what is true. We just have to be critical and careful consumers.

What challenges do you encounter in your teaching?

Distrust is a big one. Everybody comes into class with some kind of “Whose side are you teaching me?” mindset. Especially students coming from countries where the United States is considered untrustworthy, or students who have had court involvement or incarceration touch their home. I always say I’m not trying to teach you what to think, I’m trying to teach you how to think.

Equipping students with techniques to tell if something is true is essential, and then showing them that these techniques work and they CAN know what is and isn’t true.

About Kristy

Years as Educator: 10+

School/Organization: Adult and Community Learning Services, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

Honoring the Hard Work of Our Civic Educators

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

We are grateful for you, civic educators. That’s the first thing I want to say in this post-election environment. We have no doubt that you have experienced a range of emotions over the last several days, and that’s to be expected.

What binds us together, regardless of how we are processing this moment in time, is the fact that you continue to do your best to show up for your students. As our CEO, Louise Dubé, wrote several weeks ago, you also stand shoulder-to-shoulder with election workers and volunteers, community leaders, and so many others as “civic frontline workers,” safeguarding our best democratic traditions.

Through this election cycle, you did something that I suspect many Americans didn’t have the privilege of seeing—you supported one another as civic educators. I saw members of the iCivics Educator Network join monthly meetings to share their experiences. I saw civics teachers on social media stand up for their peers and offer ideas for engaging students about the election and our constitutional democracy.

On Constitution Day, I visited City High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I witnessed firsthand what it looks like and what it takes to build a strong civic culture and ethos of caring for things beyond oneself. To say that the teachers, administrators, support staff, and students at City High are inspirational would be an understatement.

I’m carrying that inspiration into the days ahead, and I want to issue a call to action for all of us:

This is our moment to step up for civics. To continue to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy, we have to keep teaching it. This election cycle brought us into a modern-day Wild West of misinformation, disinformation, and AI-fueled confusion. Together, we carry the heavy responsibility of preparing the rising generations for this transformed environment, and we must redouble our efforts to put civics front and center for students. iCivics has resources to continue teaching around the election as we look toward Inauguration Day and beyond.

We call for peace and understanding. After one of the most contentious elections in our nation’s history, we acknowledge that nerves are still raw in many cases. We urge people to practice empathy for their fellow Americans who may hold different beliefs or have supported a different candidate.

We look to the future. We need to take advantage of this moment to unite people in sustaining and strengthening our constitutional democracy, while celebrating the incredible experiences, contributions, and perspectives of the many groups that constitute American society.

As we move forward, my appreciation for all of you is exemplified by a quote from the great Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: “Anyone who does anything to help a child in [their] life is a hero to me.”

Thank you for continuing to help. We see you and we appreciate you.

How to Teach Critical Thinking in the Digital Age

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

With information at our fingertips like never before, the sharing of misinformation happens faster than you think. In fact, by the time you see that post or check the credibility of the information, it has been shared hundreds of times, has thousands of likes, and everyone already has an opinion.

As educators, we know to question the credibility of what we see and share online; we’ve learned and honed those skills and put them into practice constantly. But most students don’t have those skills yet, or they haven’t practiced those skills enough for them to become second nature. And because our students have grown up in the digital era, the speed at which they receive and share information is often more important than the credibility of the information itself.

The problem isn’t just misinformation or disinformation. In reality, we are missing something very important: students’ curiosity and desire to know.

Educators have a unique opportunity to foster that curiosity and critical thinking in ways that help students develop a positive and ethical relationship with media and information. Imagine a future where the desire to have credible information sparks a change in the information that is shared. Imagine a future where misinformation isn’t leading the narrative, dividing society, and preventing people from receiving the help that they need. Now don’t just imagine it; join us in making that future a possibility.

How, might you ask? It starts with teaching students media literacy and information literacy. This includes teaching the critical thinking skills students need to:

  • verify the information they encounter,
  • assess the credibility of sources,
  • identify biases in the media,
  • understand how they influence what is shared and how it is shared, and
  • evaluate the use of advertising techniques to grab their attention.

This is an opportunity for educators to foster a culture where students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and are respectful of others’ opinions. By developing students’ media and digital literacy skills, they learn what is happening in the world around them. And being able to acknowledge, trust, and share that information is how they feel able to participate. The classroom gives students a safe place that encourages their exploration and provides them with opportunities to engage with information, digital tools, and online resources.

We recognized the need for resources that foster learning opportunities and environments. We partnered with the digital literacy experts at Digital Inquiry Group to create Civic Digital Literacy, a collection of nonpartisan, evidence-based, classroom-ready resources that prepares students to skillfully verify the various pieces of information they encounter online. From understanding the value of conserving their attention to investigating the purpose of interest groups, these lessons and videos encourage students to apply digital literacy skills to real-world situations. Use these lesson plans and videos to give students regular opportunities to practice these important critical thinking skills. We even have professional development videos to help teachers understand and teach the key pillars of digital literacy.

My personal favorites are the resources focused on artificial intelligence. Before teaching the topic, familiarize yourself with some of the impacts that AI can have on civic life by watching our professional development video, What Students Need to Know About AI, featuring Sam Wineburg, co-founder of the Digital Inquiry Group.

From there, introduce students to the topic of AI and elections with the video, How Artificial Intelligence Could Influence Elections. It explores how AI could influence elections and comes with a teacher’s guide that includes discussion questions, lots of ideas, links to other lessons, and resources for teachers. It also includes worksheets for guided and independent practice that encourage students to think deeply about the benefits and concerns that the use of AI could pose.

With the foundation set, venture into the lesson, Artificially Speaking: AI Chatbot Claims. Here, students practice lateral reading to investigate claims produced by AI chatbots. We all know that chatbots are pretty impressive, but are they really as smart as they seem? Have students investigate how and where they use chatbots.

Or, use each resource independently or with other amazing iCivics lessons. Each resource is designed to support and complement your needs. Society will give us inquisitive students curious about the world. By equipping them with digital literacy skills, they’re empowered to become informed and engaged citizens, ready to navigate the complex landscape of the digital age and contribute to a thriving democracy.

Written by Emeka Barclay

Emeka Barclay is a Curriculum Associate at iCivics where she helps create and cultivate curricular materials for educators and students. Prior to joining the iCivics team, Emeka taught secondary language arts and social sciences and worked as a technology and learning coach in Alabama. She then relocated to Florida where she was a dean of students. When not helping save the world, Emeka enjoys exploring the sites with her family and friends, searching for the perfect sip of coffee and nibble of cheese, and supporting public libraries.

Thanking Educators and Other Civic Frontline Workers for Their Service to Our Democracy

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

We have reached the final weeks of a very closely contested and tumultuous election campaign, and I want to acknowledge the nerves that many of you in our community may be feeling right now amidst the cascading challenges around us and the nature of our work together. I am feeling the weight of the moment, too.

In times like these, sometimes the best we can do is channel our energy into something simple and positive, which for me is often gratitude. In that spirit, I want to ask you to join me in thanking America’s civic frontline workers—educators of all kinds, election officials and volunteers, local leaders and advocates, public servants, and others—who are upholding the essential ideals and traditions of our constitutional democracy. Let’s reserve special appreciation for the civic frontline workers who have been impacted by the recent hurricanes across the southern U.S. Our thoughts are with you.

Our nation’s educators are particularly underappreciated champions of our democracy. They bring civics and history to life in classrooms and communities. Especially during election cycles, they do indispensable work helping young people make better sense of the world around them, including the increasingly fraught digital landscape. And yet, they have too often been targets for criticism and worse as our country has become so deeply polarized.

The path to bringing our country back together and strengthening our democracy will be lined with educators and other civic frontline workers. Why? Because they are the ones best situated to do the urgent work of helping students learn civics and develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to navigate our increasingly diverse society and digital democracy, including artificial intelligence and whatever lies beyond it.

In a world where rapid change feels like one of the only constants, it makes no sense that we aren’t paying more attention to the teaching of civics, history, and related topics. Today, the spending in these areas in K–12 education is only about 50 cents per student, making it one of the most under-resourced subjects in the entire education system, according to our research.

This shocks my conscience every time I hear it, but it also clarifies my belief that civics represents an incredibly high-value and cross-cutting investment opportunity for anyone looking to strengthen our education system and our democracy.

Right now, our focus should be on:

  • Making sure educators feel supported with resources to help them bring the election into the classroom (check out our Election Headquarters for more on that) and looking ahead to what support will be needed to make the 250th anniversary of our democracy in 2026 as powerful a teaching and learning experience as possible;
  • Dramatically expanding our movement’s engagement in policy, with a goal of increasing federal support to $1 billion annually for civics and driving commensurate policy changes at the state level; and
  • Elevating civic education at the cultural level and driving greater conversation about the importance of teaching and learning of our democracy.

We hardly need more evidence that the time has come for civics. In addition to answering the urgent challenges our nation’s young people (and many of the rest of us) are facing in our transformed digital democracy, we have a generational opportunity for civics ahead of us in the form of the 250th anniversary of our nation in 2026.

We have little time to waste, so we can take a big cue and some comfort from the words of our founder, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who said, “We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone.”

In that vein, join us in acknowledging, supporting, and celebrating educators and other civic frontline workers by showering them with praise on social media, thanking them when you see them out in the world, and otherwise spreading the message that they are our Fellow Americans walking that democratic walk and doing their part to ensure our nation endures for another 250 years.

An Insight on Civics from the O’Connor Family

Posted on by icivics

Luke O’Connor, grandson of iCivics founder and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, sat down to talk with his father, Jay O’Connor, about Justice O’Connor’s legacy—for the American people and more personally for her family—regarding the importance of civic education. Jay O’Connor continues to carry forward this legacy as a member of iCivics’ Board of Directors.

What was the most important civics lesson Grandma taught you?

The most important lesson she taught me about civics was how and why civic education and civic engagement are so vital for the continued success of our country.

Your grandmother often said, “Democracy isn’t passed down through the gene pool. It has to be learned by each successive generation.”

She believed that for our country to continue to thrive over generations, all our citizens need to understand our unique form of democracy, the core principles of our Constitution, and how our government is designed to work.

It is our shared foundational principles, our shared democratic values, and our shared choice for how we govern ourselves that have sustained and united us over nearly 250 years, even during our greatest challenges as a nation. Where would we be as a country today without a shared set of enduring principles, without our Constitution, and without the rule of law?

Your grandmother also deeply believed that all citizens need to be engaged in our democracy and in their communities. She said, “It is through this shared understanding of who we are that we can follow the approaches that have served us best over time—working collaboratively together in communities and in government to solve problems, putting country and the common good above party and self-interest, and holding our key governmental institutions accountable.
How important was iCivics to her?

Your grandmother said many times that she believed that iCivics was her most important, lasting legacy. That says it all. iCivics meant the world to her.
When Grandma retired from public life, she issued a call to action to the public. What was that?

In 2018, your grandmother wrote a public letter to announce she was stepping away from public life as a result of significant health challenges. In that letter, she shared some final thoughts with the public, and she issued a call to action related to the cause to which she was so devoted.

She said this:

It is time for new leaders to make civic learning and civic engagement a reality for all. It is my great hope that our nation will commit to educating our youth about civics, and to helping young people understand their crucial role as informed, active citizens in our nation. To achieve this, I hope that private citizens, counties, states, and the federal government will work together to create and fund a nationwide civics education initiative.
Why did you decide to become involved with iCivics?

Your grandmother’s lifelong passion for public service and civic education got me hooked! And of course, she was an amazing role model throughout my life. Growing up and through high school and college, I was inspired to see her serve in all three branches of government, culminating with her appointment to the Supreme Court after my freshman year in college.

When your grandmother was active in growing iCivics, I helped her behind the scenes on several initiatives. The more I got involved in iCivics, the more I was impressed with the impact iCivics was having on young people. When the opportunity presented itself to join the board of iCivics, I was thrilled to say, “Yes!” It is a true honor for me to help iCivics work toward your grandmother’s vision of teaching every young person in the country about our unique form of democracy and inspiring them to participate actively in civic life.

What’s your favorite game and why?

My favorite game is Do I Have a Right? You get to learn about constitutional law by playing the role of an attorney on real-world cases involving constitutional issues. It’s fun, relevant, and remarkably sophisticated.

What should all kids know about civics and iCivics?

First of all, your grandmother would be very disappointed if you didn’t pay special attention to civics!

Believe it or not, iCivics makes it truly fun and interesting to learn about our democracy and government. Students and teachers love it!

By learning about civics, you and your peers will understand what makes this country special, and how the unique design of our government and separation of powers has made our Republic enduring. Additionally, you’ll learn about your rights and responsibilities as a citizen, and the relationship between the government and its citizens.

Do you have a memorable story of seeing iCivics’ impact? 


There are numerous studies and measures that prove the positive impact of iCivics. But it’s really gratifying whenever I see real students use and talk about iCivics and watch them thoughtfully, passionately discuss the topics and prompts in classrooms. With iCivics, the games and the class discussions are where the real magic happens. They bolster student–teacher interactions and supplement curriculum development for teachers. Seeing real impact in both teachers and students is surely the most rewarding aspect.

What do you think about iCivics and how it has grown from providing games and content to also helping shape education policy across the country?

Though iCivics began solely providing access to games and minimal lesson plans, its journey has been remarkable. iCivics has developed an innovative new approach and roadmap to teach history and civics in an integrated new way—one that is being adopted by many states.

Extending past just classrooms are iCivics’ policy efforts through the CivxNow coalition, which aims to advance civic education through policy at the state and federal levels. In 2010, Florida passed the “Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Education Act,” a bill receiving bipartisan support that required middle school students to take an assessment following the culmination of a civics course. Your grandmother would certainly be thrilled that iCivics is now following her footsteps.

What would Grandma think about what iCivics is now?


During all my years on the board of iCivics, I would speak often with your grandmother to give her updates on the progress of the organization. She absolutely loved hearing about the new developments, and knowing that more than half of middle and high school students in the United States now use iCivics.


She would be so proud to see how far iCivics has already come in fulfilling its vision and knowing the positive impact it has on millions of young people. But she would also be the first person to point out that so much more needs to be done. We must push forward until all students, in all 50 states, receive a high-quality civic education that prepares and engages them in civic life.

Why is iCivics an important philanthropic investment?

The ultimate goal of iCivics is to secure and sustain a healthy democracy in the United States.

A thriving democracy and the rule of law are fundamental pillars that have enabled the successes and enduring strengths of the United States. They foster economic prosperity by providing an environment where freedom, innovation, and prosperity can flourish. They promote social cohesion and stability by ensuring that all citizens have a stake in the nation’s future. And they have allowed the United States to position itself as a global leader with tremendous influence.

Our ongoing success as a country depends on inculcating in each new generation a deep understanding and appreciation of our democracy, our form of government, and our rights and responsibilities as citizens to continue sustaining and participating in our democracy.

This learning must start with young people. iCivics is the ideal vehicle to foster civic learning and civic engagement, which are the sparks that create informed and involved citizens that sustain a healthy democracy.

Why is it important for the country to invest in civic education right now?


Your grandmother saw so clearly—decades before anyone else—that our democracy could not be taken for granted. She had become concerned that citizens were increasingly disengaged from their democracy. That’s why she started iCivics 15 years ago.


In the last eight years, many Americans have realized that our democracy is more fragile than most people had assumed. It requires ongoing care and sustenance. Civic learning is one of the most important essentials to sustaining the health of our democracy. Civic education has never been more timely and vital.

Where do you see the organization in 5 years, 10 years?

As we head toward our nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, iCivics is continuing to expand its vision and mandate by designing new ways to engage our youth in civic learning, growing the nationwide movement to prioritize civic education, and advancing new policies and practices that strengthen civic life in classrooms and communities across our land. Included in this vision is the advancement of civic investment as a core curriculum, advancing policy to support investment in civic education, and creating a greater general involvement in the civic education of youth. The current state and future of iCivics exceeds what your grandmother ever thought it would be.

iCivics to release a Civic Virtue Collection for K-2 Classrooms 

Posted on by Michelle Shen

Building Classroom Culture through Civics

The beginning of the school year is all about building community and establishing routines. Creating a culture of learning—based on inquiry, perseverance, and generosity—is the pathway to a successful school year! 

Every student enters the classroom with different strengths and needs, and every student wants to learn, grow, and be a part of a community. That doesn’t mean building a strong classroom culture is easy. What if you could build community norms and teach civics at the same time? What if you could help students not just follow the rules but understand why we have rules at all? 

iCivics has your back! We are excited to release four new units about civic virtue as part of the Private i History Detectives curriculum. This collection of twelve new lessons will help you teach early elementary students about civic virtue while building that essential classroom culture. 

What is civic virtue and how does it connect to happy students?

Over two thousand years ago, ancient thinkers, like Aristotle from Greece and Cicero from Rome, wrote about the need for people to think about their community and practice civic virtue. Members of any successful community need to practice self-control and think about their neighbors. A successful republic requires virtuous citizens. These ancient thinkers wrote about individual virtues like generosity, moderation, perseverance, courage, and justice. They believed that practicing virtue throughout one’s life would help a person achieve happiness. Aristotle said, “For one swallow does not make it summer, nor does one fine day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy.” Happiness requires practicing virtue throughout one’s life—It’s a life-long quest. He even had a word for this kind of happiness—eudaimonia!  

When the United States became a country in the 18th century, the Founders also believed that a successful republic required civic virtue. They read ancient thinkers like Cicero and thought about how to promote civic virtue in America. They knew education would be key to creating virtuous citizens and that practicing civic virtue would help create a successful republic and make people happy! 

Everyone, ages five to one hundred, can think of a time when being generous made them feel good or when persevering through a difficult task brought them satisfaction. Learning about civic virtue can not only help teachers build classroom culture but also encourage good citizenship, and make happy students! 

What does it look like to learn about civic virtue with young learners?

In the new collection of Civic Virtue units, the Private i History Detectives Team helps students understand that practicing civic virtue can help them learn, grow, and be happy! Students learn why we have rules, how they connect to civic virtue, and that our country is based on these virtues! 

In the introductory unit, students learn that classroom rules, like working hard, thinking before you act, sharing and helping others, and speaking up, help us practice civic virtue at school, in our lives, and in our communities. Students are introduced to how Benjamin Franklin practiced civic virtue throughout his life and how key figures in the founding generation like Mercy Otis Warren, George Washington, John Adams, and Phillis Wheatley learned to practice virtue.

After an introduction to civic virtue, teachers can explore units that focus on individual virtues like generosity, perseverance, and civic-mindedness. Students will begin each individual virtue unit with a lesson that explores what that virtue means in their own lives and the key behaviors necessary for practicing it. In the following two lessons that complete each unit, students will examine historical stories that illustrate civic virtue in action. Students will engage in full participation tasks by holding up their Civic Virtue Signs as they recognize examples of civic virtue in historical narratives and primary sources.   

Let’s explore an example!

In the unit “How Can Generosity Help Me Be a Good Citizen?”, students will begin by learning that generosity can include being kind and giving time, money, or things to others. They will explore these virtuous behaviors by acting out school-based scenarios that model generosity, like asking another student to play at recess. Through exploring generous behaviors, students will learn why it is important to be generous. 

Students will then make a Generosity Civic Virtue Sign to hold up and show during the next lessons! 

In lesson 2, students explore the question, “How Did Children Use Generosity to Help During the World Wars?” By analyzing primary sources such as posters, photographs, and letters, students will uncover how children used generosity to help the U.S. during the World Wars. They will listen to heart-warming stories, make observations,  and find relevant evidence as history detectives. 

In Lesson 3, students explore the question, “How Did Generosity Help Bring the Statue of Liberty to New York City?”  They will learn about why France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States and how a newspaper publisher and over 100,000 people used generosity to ensure the special gift made it to New York City. While exploring primary sources and listening to the story, students will use their history detective skills and the Civic Virtue Sign to find examples of generosity throughout the lesson while they answer the mystery question.

In each of the units in the Civic Virtues Collection, students learn about amazing civic virtue champions and practice the virtues in their own lives and in the classroom. Teachers can mix in additional civic virtue champions through picture books. The versatile collection has room for ELA, math, health, and science integration. Generosity, perseverance, and civic-mindedness are the first three virtues released in this new Civic Virtues Collection with future units to come!  

Begin exploring now!

Private i History Detectives was created by Laurie Risler and Kelley Brown who continue to work with iCivics on the development of new resources.

Laurie Risler is an instructor in the Education Department at Westfield State University where she has been teaching since 2012. Prior to working with pre-service teachers, Laurie was an elementary school teacher and special educator. Laurie loves working with teachers and leading professional development.

Kelley Brown is an instructional coach and government teacher at Easthampton High School in Easthampton, Massachusetts where she has been teaching since 2001. Kelley’s love for teaching civics and government has helped to build a successful We the People program at the high school where her team has continued success, including a national championship in 2020!

34 Students from Across the United States Selected for iCivics Youth Fellowship

Posted on by icivics

Now in its sixth year, the iCivics Youth Fellowship helps students from across the country build civic leadership skills and explore how they can help make civic education relevant and accessible to all young people.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. [October 1, 2024] – Earlier this year, iCivics selected 34 talented high school students from across the country to take part in the iCivics Youth Fellowship. The students were selected after a competitive process that garnered 528 applicants from 46 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. 

The yearlong fellowship helps students develop leadership and communications skills as they collaborate with their peers and learn from experts in the field of civic education. Throughout the year, students research and explore how civic education can become more equitable for students across the United States, utilizing their own lived experiences to become ambassadors and shed light on how civic education can include student voices from every background.

The fellowship kicked off in August, and moved into full-gear with an in-person symposium in Washington, D.C., at the end of September.

“Our fellows learned a lot from their time in Washington, D.C., and I hope they take these lessons back to their community. I am excited to see where the rest of the school year takes us,” said iCivics Youth Engagement Coordinator Michael Reyes.

The fellowship will run through the 2024–25 school year as fellows engage in online group discussions, workshops and lectures with experts in the field, and projects designed to strengthen listening and collaborative skills. The fellows’ work will be centered around ensuring that civic education is available and relevant to all students in the United States. 

Over the past six years, students from across the country representing rural, urban and suburban school districts have taken part in the fellowship and become an integral part of informing the broader civic education movement. Fellows and alumni have shared their experiences and thoughts at convenings for the Educating for American Democracy initiative, Ronald Reagan Institute, Civic Learning Week, Commonwealth Club, and Andrew Goodman Foundation. They have been featured in media such as The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and WBUR in Boston. 

iCivics is proud to announce this year’s participants:

California Georgia Hawaii
Bradley M.
Dylan F.
Madeline C.
Riley C.		 Kori M. Stanley K.
Illinois Kentucky Louisiana
Rika N. Carmin C. Yuchen C.
Maine Maryland Massachusetts
Tessy B. Abby M. Owen S.
Missouri New Hampshire New Jersey
Elizabeth S. Emma A. Philip S.
Tessa P.
New Mexico New York North Carolina
Tanner O. Amber D.
Julian D.
Raya A. 		Emelia K.
North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma
Dagan S. Imre H. Brian M.
South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee
Madison B. Ella J. Franklin D.
Texas Utah Washington
Alexander G.
Emmanuel C
Sophie B. 		Stefany P. Carina M.
Washington, D.C. Wyoming
Verenize T. Liliana S.

For more information about the iCivics Youth Fellowship, and how to participate, visit icivics.org/get-involved/students

Cast Your Vote and Growing Informed Voters 

Posted on by icivics

As a middle school civics teacher, not only do I need to teach the importance of voting like my high school colleagues, but I have to do it four or more years before the students will even be eligible to register. This makes holding their interest more difficult. I have also found that while students understand the importance of making informed decisions, they do not know how to find information about the candidates in order to make those decisions. The solution?  I have students take part in the actual research, comparison, and election processes through an in-depth mock election project that kicks off with the iCivics game, Cast Your Vote.

Cast Your Vote is one of the more challenging games offered as part of the We the People program because of the amount of analysis required of students regarding candidates, including their stances on issues and voting history. Students must also identify red flags related to misinformation or bias.

In the game, the player has four simulated weeks to attend town halls, research candidates through digital news sources and campaign literature, and decide their own personal stance on issues to find the candidate who best matches. At the end of the game, students not only get a score based on voting for a candidate who best matches their decided-upon stance on issues but also on the amount of facts and red flags identified.

Once we’ve played the game in class, students are ready to try out the same skills with the real upcoming elections. I assign one race to each period, and each student gets a graphic organizer that documents the candidates’ stances or plans for at least five issues affecting our government.

After a few days of at-home research and a quick grade based on completed research, students are then put in pairs or small groups to choose one of the issues and create an informational poster contrasting the candidates on that issue. Our hallway quickly fills with research-based, unbiased comparisons using the candidates’ own stances and comments. The staff and visiting adults in the building love to comment about how helpful this research is for their own voting preparation.

Finally, it’s time for our mock election. After students have had a few days to look over other classmates’ work and see a sample ballot, I publish their mock election ballot taken from screenshots of the real sample ballots from my local election office. Students are warned to follow the directions of the ballot just like at a real polling location and, during a period, are given privacy in booths to take their ballot and vote. I have even begun buying stickers for the students who choose to participate, which is almost 100%.

During the project, the students comment that the amount of work often surprises them, and they now not only understand the importance of voting more but feel like they are better prepared than many of the adults in their households with whom they talk about the project a lot.

Erin-Merill-Headshot

Written by Erin Merrill

Erin Merrill is an award-winning educator in her 19th year of teaching middle school social studies and her 10th year as Department Chair and Middle School lead at Pennington Traditional School in Prince William County, VA. She is passionate about making her students aware and engaged in the current events around them, and thankfully, Civics provides the perfect platform for this.

Through the iCivics Educator Network, the perspectives of teachers across the country contribute to the public conversation about civic education in the United States. Each contributor represents their own opinion. We welcome this diversity of perspectives.

Educators as Frontline Civic Workers: Teaching Elections

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Education Week recently ran an article entitled, “Why Most Teachers Won’t Be Talking About the Election in Their Classrooms.” 

First, I want to clarify an important point, and then take up the larger underlying issue. While the article rightly notes that “most teachers don’t plan to address the 2024 presidential election” in referring to a broad survey of teachers across subjects, it is absolutely the job of our social studies teachers to leverage this teachable moment, and I know for a fact that many intend to do so.

To address the larger underlying issue, I share what the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor frequently said, which led to her founding iCivics: “The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned by each new generation.”

As we near the 250th anniversary of this audacious experiment in self-government that we call the United States, it is essential for the next 250 years and beyond that each new generation be prepared to pick up the mantle.

That means we can’t shy away from tough topics. As one student noted, “We don’t stop algebra when it gets hard. We work through it.” I would argue we need that mindset at least as much for democracy as any other subject. 

I’ve been in this civic education business for more than 20 years. I know there are three co-equal branches in our government. I know how the Electoral College works. I know that we hold national elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November because when else would we do it?

I know all of these things because I WAS TAUGHT ALL OF THESE THINGS. Sorry for shouting. This is my passion.

And I wasn’t just taught these things through textbook pages and worksheets unattached to the sometimes exciting, sometimes horrifying current events happening all around me. On the contrary, I was taught these things through current—and, yes, oftentimes controversial—events happening all around me.

No matter how messy things were, no matter how scared or uncertain I felt, I always knew that I could walk into my social studies class where a passionate, college-educated subject-matter expert would help me navigate the madness. Mr. Madden, Mrs. Stecker, Mr. Wilkner, Mrs. Moyer, Mrs. Tozzi, Mr. Beasley didn’t always have all of the answers. But they knew what I now know: that young people need structured, intellectual spaces to make sense of it all—to talk about current events, to discuss contentious issues, and to have their viewpoints both validated and challenged in a nurturing educational environment.

This year’s presidential election is unprecedented in a number of ways, and we do our kids a disservice if we don’t help them navigate these waters and, while we’re at it, help them see why they should care enough to dive in. 

This brings me to another important point. Every year, we hear the same thing: young people are apathetic.

That’s just not true.

It’s not that kids don’t care. It’s that WE—the “adults”—seem to have decided that we care so much that we’ve made politics taboo, controversial, and too incendiary for polite or even scholarly conversation.

In fear of appearing political, we’ve embraced, modeled, and encouraged disinterest. In doing so, we risk undermining the very mission of public schools to prepare young people for their roles as citizens in our democratic republic.

For the love of George Washington’s wooden, wine-stained teeth, can we please take a breath and teach the next generation a thing or two about the government they are to inherit?

Civic Engagement for a Global World

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Fostering global competency in students is essential in today’s interconnected world. This is why iCivics has teamed up with Global Cities to host a two-part workshop series that explores new ways to connect local civic engagement to global topics and impacts while elevating your existing teaching curriculum. Stipends are available to participating teachers upon completion of at least one workshop. 

This workshop series, which takes place Oct. 7 and 8, equips you with the tools and strategies to foster your students’ capacity to advocate for and contribute to local, regional, or global improvement.

Register for the Workshop Series

Learn more about each workshop:

Workshop 1: Advance Your Curriculum with the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes

October 7, 2024 7:00 p.m. ET

This workshop focuses on using the landmark Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes to integrate global competency into curriculum and instruction. The Codebook allows educators to determine how well students are demonstrating global learning in any program or classroom.

Workshop 2: Explore Inclusive Problem-Solving Using Community Surveys

October 8, 2024 7:00 p.m. ET

Join us for a second workshop to explore how to teach attitudes and skills for inclusive problem-solving using community surveys. You will walk away from this workshop with the tools to actively engage your students with their communities.

By taking advantage of this learning opportunity, you’ll earn a small stipend for your professional development. Participants who attend one workshop will receive $25; participants who join both workshops in the series will receive an additional $50; and all participants, up to the registration limit and with preference given to those who attend both workshops, will be eligible to participate in a follow-up focus group on December 12 or December 17 from 7–8 p.m. ET for an additional $100. (The total stipend could be $175.)

For more information about Global Cities, visit their website.
For more information about Global Cities research, view the Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes.
To sign up for the workshop series, visit the registration page.