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iCivics and National Council for the Social Studies Call for Renewed Focus as New RAND Corporation Report Shows Lack of Infrastructure for K–5 Social Studies

Posted on by icivics

WASHINGTON, DC – March 7, 2023 – With the release of the RAND Corporation’s latest report, “The Missing Infrastructure for Elementary (K–5) Social Studies Instruction,” during today’s opening forum for the first-ever national Civic Learning Week at the National Archives, iCivics and the National Council on the Social Studies (NCSS) call for renewed efforts to prioritize K–5 social studies instructional time and ensure educators receive sufficient support. 

According to the report, most states do not have the infrastructure in place—such as academic standards, accountability policy and assessments—to support high-quality social studies education. Where an infrastructure is in place, there remain large gaps in quality. 

The report was based on an extensive literature review on what is known about state policies for social studies along with nationally representative data from surveys of more than 700 K–5 teachers and 1,600 principals in public schools.

At the local level, infrastructure such as teacher evaluation and professional development for social studies pales in comparison to the more-tested subjects of math and English language arts (ELA). 

“Civic learning and social studies have always been important foundations of a well-rounded education, but they have been marginalized, and social studies instructional time has significantly decreased or been outright eliminated—especially at the elementary level,” NCSS Executive Director Lawrence Paska said. “We hope this report sheds light on why it is so important to ensure a robust social studies K–12 program every day—and support teachers and students in teaching and learning social studies. That is why we are working with many states and organizations to support what we know to be the best approaches for developing, revising and implementing high-quality learning standards and curriculum frameworks across social studies disciplines.“

According to the report, half of elementary school principals report not having published curriculum materials to support social studies, leaving teachers to cobble together materials to support their classes. Combined with decreased instructional time, this means that too many elementary school teachers spend more time planning social studies content than they do actually teaching it.

“The implication that many educators called on to teach social studies have little to no support when it comes to teaching the lessons of our history and the fundamentals of how democracy works in the United States is simply unacceptable,” iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé said. “Civics and social studies are essential for informed and engaged participation in our self-governing society. That is why we must work to make these subjects a priority and support educators in providing high-quality instruction in these fundamentals.”

The timely report arrives during Civic Learning Week, March 6–10, 2023, when more than 100 organizations, states, and educators are holding scores of in-person and online events across the country to highlight the role of civic learning in sustaining and strengthening constitutional democracy in the United States. 

The events are designed to provide people of all ages with positive and engaging civic learning opportunities, offering mechanisms for parents, educators, students, business leaders, and other community members to connect at the local level and beyond around a shared commitment to civic education.

Civic Learning Week is cosponsored by the Farvue Foundation, iCivics, Microsoft, the National Archives, the National Archives Foundation, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the SN Charitable Foundation. 

For more information:

RAND Report

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA134-17.html

Civic Learning Week

civiclearningweek.org. 

New High School Executive Branch Lessons & Activities Added to Unit

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

The president is the most central figure within the U.S. government. What are the powers, purpose, and limitations of the presidency and the executive branch? Dive deeper into this role with our newly-updated Executive Branch Unit! Introduce high school students to the powers of the president, the function of the executive branch, and the president’s role in foreign policy with these new resources:

Lesson Plan: Why President?

Students examine why the Framers created the presidency and how it differed from other leaders around the world.

Lesson Plan: The Second Branch

Students take a deep dive into Article II of the Constitution to understand the structure and function of the executive branch.

Lesson Plan: Foreign Policy

Students learn what foreign policy is, as well as the role of the executive branch and the president in implementation.

Lesson Plan: The Modern President

Students explore how the role of the president has expanded and evolved since it was established.

WebQuest: What Can a First Spouse Do?

The president’s job is clearly defined, but what is the role of the First Spouse and how has it evolved over time? In this WebQuest, students learn how First Ladies have contributed to the leadership of the country.

Infographic: Order Up! Executive Orders

What the president says goes… or does it? This printable infographic explains what executive orders are, how they work, and what they can be used for, and how they are limited.

Looking for more resources for teaching about the presidency and the executive branch? Find all of our games, lesson plans, infographics, and other resources for middle and high school students in our Executive Branch curriculum unit!

Explore the Unit

Prepare for Presidents’ Day with our collection of resources.

Presidents’ Day is just a week away on February 20. Use our games, lesson plans, infographics, and other resources to teach about the important role the president plays in the U.S. government.

View the Collection

Political Law Advocate and Compliance Expert Benjamin L. Ginsberg Joins iCivics Board of Directors

Posted on by icivics

CAMBRIDGE, MA [January 12, 2022] – iCivics, the nation’s leader in civic education, today announced that political law advocate and compliance expert Benjamin Ginsberg has joined its Board of Directors. 

A partner at Jones Day from 2014 to 2020, and Patton Boggs for 23 years prior, Ginsberg currently serves as a co-chair of the Election Official Legal Defense Network, which provides election officials—no matter their political affiliation or whether they work in a blue or red state or county—with needed advice and legal protection at no cost. He is the Volker Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and a Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School.

Known for its engaging games, iCivics has expanded its scope in recent years, embarking on an ambitious strategic plan to realize its vision of informed and civically engaged young people sustaining and strengthening constitutional democracy in the United States. iCivics continues to be the leading provider of K–12 civic education content, with hundreds of free, nonpartisan digital curricular resources benefiting more than half of the nation’s students in grades 4–12 every year. iCivics also supports excellence in civics and American history education through high-quality professional learning and its continued leadership as part of the Educating for American Democracy Implementation Consortium. And, through its leadership of the CivXNow Coalition of more than 270 organizations, iCivics also works to advance civic education as a national priority. 

“There is nothing more important to our future strength as a nation than giving America’s students a sound education in civics and what makes our government work. I am pleased to be joining this vital organization as it fulfills this crucial mission,” Ginsberg said. 

Ginsberg brings to the iCivics board an intense understanding of the conservative political landscape, along with a long track record of collaboration across the political spectrum. He has represented the campaigns and leadership PACs of numerous members of the Senate and House as well as national party committees, governors and state officials—and has represented four of the last six Republican presidential nominees, including the 2000 and 2004 Bush–Cheney campaigns and the 2008 and 2012 Romney campaign.

He served as counsel to the Republican Governors Association and as co-chair of the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration, which produced a much-lauded report on best practices and recommendations for state and local officials to make U.S. elections run better.

“As I have had the opportunity to get to know Ben during this process, I can’t think of a better and more thoughtful partner in our work,” iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé said. “Not only does Ben fully embody the civic dispositions and skills of working across difference we strive to instill through civic education, but I was also impressed by his desire to dig deep into iCivics’ work and materials to ensure that they embody our commitment to nonpartisanship.before joining the board”

“It’s hard to think of anyone better suited to help iCivics advance its mission,” said Larry Kramer, Chair of the iCivics Board of Directors and President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. “Ben’s life’s work has been deeply grounded in the values and practices of American democracy, and he is respected by people across the political spectrum for his judgment, integrity, and wisdom.”

National Endowment for the Humanities Invests $1.7 Million in the Implementation of Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy

Posted on by icivics

WASHINGTON, DC [January 10, 2023] – The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced that it will continue its investment in implementation of the Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy (EAD) with $1.7 million to be distributed over the next two years to build the foundations for widespread adoption of EAD-based K–12 civic and history education.

The NEH and the U.S. Department of Education provided initial funding for the Educating for American Democracy Initiative, an unprecedented effort—led by research centers and schools at Harvard, Arizona State and Tufts Universities along with iCivics—that engaged more than 300 experts from multiple perspectives to create a roadmap that states, districts and individual schools can use to provide excellence in civics and history education for all students. 

Since its release in March 2021, the EADRoadmap has reached tens of thousands of educators. EAD’s founding partners continue to work together as part of the EAD Implementation Consortium, and a network of more than 190 “Champion” organizations remains dedicated to advancing the use of inquiry-based instruction for civic learning. School districts in multiple states such as Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Oklahoma are now running pilot programs, creating models and establishing best practices that districts everywhere can use when implementing the EAD Roadmap.

The new funding from NEH will support this work and help achieve the goal of reaching 60 million students and 1 million teachers by the year 2030.

“The NEH is honored to support the implementation of the EAD Roadmap in schools across the country,” said Chair Shelly Lowe. “I’m especially excited about the ways that this investment will create connections between classrooms and local cultural institutions to foster a deeper understanding of our constitutional democracy. As a core component of the NEH’s new American Tapestry initiative, this partnership leverages the best of the humanities to strengthen future generations’ understanding of America and its democratic traditions.” 

Through a cooperative agreement with iCivics, NEH will distribute the funds for activities such as the following:

  • Continuing to grow a network of institutions, organizations and out-of-school educational programs aligning resources with EAD;
  • Building a community of educator leaders to help other educators use EAD and build community and family support for EAD;
  • Curating exemplary resources aligned with state standards;
  • Building a community of professional development providers among civic organizations, colleges and universities; and 
  • Researching and evaluating EAD implementation to help it scale.

“This new round of funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities shows an enormous vote of confidence in the work already being done to build upon and implement the EAD Roadmap,“ said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé, who serves as chair of the EAD Implementation Consortium. “EAD is about elevating how civics and history are taught in this country so all Americans are prepared to play a role in sustaining and strengthening our constitutional democracy. This funding is a tremendous boost.”

The largest allocation through this new round of funding from NEH will be focused on implementing EAD in K-5 schools. Harvard University, through the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics and Project Zero at the Graduate School of Educations, will lead a competitive grant process earmarked for programs such as new EAD pilots in elementary schools, professional development for elementary school educators, and the development of materials and approaches for teaching civics and history education in the lower grades. $600,000 will be awarded through that process. Importantly, these will include pilot programs and projects with a specific focus on underserved communities and collaborative work with local cultural institutions–libraries, museums, historic sites–to broaden access to the project.

“A particularly exciting element of the Educating for American Democracy Initiative is how it has provided an opportunity for universities to work in support of the civic mission of K-12 schools,” the Director of Harvard’s Safra Center, Danielle Allen, said. “Now the question is whether we can build on that opportunity and forge an enduring relationship between higher education and our K-12 system in support of civic learning.” 

The new cooperative agreement represents an unprecedented investment in civic and history education from the NEH, and a commitment to EAD’s goal of creating a new approach that integrates instructional innovation and the blending of civics and U.S. history to teach the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that all Americans need to be engaged citizens and to tell a complete history of the United States and its constitutional democracy. The agreement is a central project of NEH’s new special initiative, American Tapestry: Weaving Together Past, Present, and Future, which uses the humanities to address contemporary challenges and strengthen our democracy.

“This renewed support from the NEH will boost the EAD approach of providing a civic education in reflective patriotism about America’s history, ideals, and challenges,” said Paul Carrese, Director of the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. “This national-consensus approach emphasizes preparation of informed and engaged citizens – in constitutional and historical knowledge, but also in the civic virtues needed in our complex, pluralist polity. Those virtues include civil disagreement, and American civic friendship across party and philosophical views. Lincoln warned in 1838 that if America failed to prioritize fundamental civic education we would be risking national self-destruction. The NEH and the broad EAD coalition are doing their part to redress the inadequate priority for and condition of civic learning in our schools.”

Now accepting new members for the 2023 iCivics Educator Network!

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

You don’t have to navigate the challenges of teaching alone. At iCivics, we are committed to building a supportive community for educators across the country. The iCivics Educator Network is one of the key ways we do that.

More than just a professional development network, the iCivics Educator Network is an energetic group of civics, history, government, and social studies teachers from almost every state in the nation who serve as champions and ambassadors for high-quality equitable civic education.

“The iCivics Educator Network not only helped me develop best practices for teaching civics and government but has allowed me to collaborate with educators from across the country who have become great friends.”

~ Michael M., Social Studies Teacher and iCivics Educator Network member

Benefits of joining the iCivics Educator Network:

  • A monthly email newsletter packed full of learning opportunities and resources
  • Monthly virtual Educator Network meetings where you’ll connect with other members and discuss pedagogy and teaching ideas
  • First access to behind-the-scenes sneak peeks at new iCivics resources, special events, pilots, and other opportunities
  • The chance to share your teaching experiences with national and local media
  • Collaboration with other teachers as part of a vibrant and supportive community

 

What the 2022 Midterm Elections Do and Don’t Tell Us

Posted on by icivics

 

Voting is one moment in time. Civic engagement is the work that happens between elections—the choices we make and the work that we do every single day as part of this audacious experiment in democracy that is the United States of America. Civics is the preparation we all need for this work.

—

With the run-off in Georgia now complete, we now know the full results of the 2022 midterm elections. Perhaps the clearest throughline is that voters rejected extremist election deniers. I believe the results validate the American people’s commitment to sustaining our constitutional democracy. 

And it wasn’t just the candidates that were on the ballot, but key issues—whether explicitly or implicitly. All this led to high voter turnout across the board. Likewise, youth (18–29) turnout was 27 percent—second only for midterms in the last three decades to 2018. 

It is perhaps significant that the aggregate youth turnout rose to 31 percent—higher than 2018’s record—in nine key states. In three of these—Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio—Republicans did well, while Democrats won notable victories in the remaining six. (And not only did the midterms see 18–29-year-olds vote, but even be on the ballot, themselves, with 25-year-old Maxwell Frost of Florida’s 10th district being elected the first Gen-Z member of Congress!)

According to exit polls, while 63 percent of the youth vote went to Democrats in House races, this is slightly down from 2018 and Republicans may be gaining ground with some young people in more local races. We need further analysis with data from actual voting to determine whether this holds true. What we do know is that youth prioritized and voted based on issues, and the issue that had the biggest impact on their vote was abortion.

What the analysis of the youth vote also tells us is that the college vote is a key subset. We know from the PACE Civic Language Perceptions Project that the widest gap in both the understanding and perception of civic terms manifest with respondents’ level of education and socioeconomic status. This is why the work of iCivics in reaching kids before this juncture—ensuring that everyone feels a part of this democracy no matter their educational attainment—is essential to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy.

We need members of our society to understand their rights and responsibilities, one of which is voting. How will we ensure that 2018 and 2022 are new trends in voter turnout and not anomalies? How can we increasingly ensure students receive the kind of civic education that pushes this key metric to at least be in line with the national average? In what ways can a more civically educated youth population spur greater engagement among the overall populace so midterms see voter turnout break 50 percent of eligible voters?

While the midterms mostly saw a rejection of extremism, our nation’s divisions are far from healed. First, it’s important to note that a “rejection of extremism” is not one-sided. Secondly, much of the analysis around this centers on swing states, while strongholds were further entrenched, underscoring the depth of our divides.

This voter behavior further validates iCivics’ approach to garnering a broad tent across difference to support investing in civic education. I wrote before the election of common ground across our divides I had the privilege of experiencing in my travels. And this only underscores recent polling that once again affirms strong support for civic education across party lines.

The key to a functioning healthy democracy is what happens between elections—the choices we make and the work that we do every single day as part of this audacious experiment in democracy that is the United States of America.

There is urgency to what happens between now and our nation’s 250th anniversary. What iCivics does during this time matters. There are some 17 million middle and high schoolers who will come of age in that time. 

Democracy is not guaranteed—it depends on each of us engaging. With democracies around the world still under threat, it is more important than ever that we ensure that each and every child in this country develops the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions to take up their part in this self-governing society.

—Louise Dubé, Executive Director, iCivics

iCivics Releases Private i History Detectives, a Curriculum that Uses Inquiry to Teach History and Civics to K-5 Students

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Private i History Detectives is iCivics’ first product made specifically for elementary students and fills a significant need for resources that teach the fundamentals of history and civics in K-5 classes. Product will be unveiled to teachers during a live webinar Nov. 1 for educators.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – October 25, 2022 – iCivics has released Private i History Detectives, a new curriculum for K-5 that taps into young learners’ natural curiosity and uses inquiry to teach the basic skills that students need to understand history and civics.

Private i History Detectives is a powerful new tool that elementary educators can now use to help their students build foundational historical and civic knowledge, as well as inquiry and critical thinking skills early in their education. This will ensure that students understand how history has and continues to shape our country’s institutions and our own roles as citizens as they continue through middle and high school and into adult life.

Born out of a collaboration between iCivics and History’s Mysteries, through the Library of Congress’s Teaching With Primary Sources (TPS) initiative, the curriculum challenges young learners to take on the role of history detectives. They must use primary sources and inquiry skills to answer “big questions,” such as “What does it mean to be a citizen?” It then guides them through age-appropriate discussions with teachers. The curriculum is easy to use and aligned with state standards.

Private i History Detectives is the first curriculum iCivics has developed specifically for the youngest learners, a segment of the learning population that is traditionally underserved when it comes to civics. Over the next few years, iCivics will continue to expand its K-5 resources.

“For civic education to be effective, we must approach the subject just like we approach STEM and literacy, teaching the fundamental skills starting in elementary school,” Taylor Davis, iCivics Director of Curriculum and Content, said. “Private i History Detectives, breaks historical inquiry skills into simple, easy to grasp concepts in a way that is fun and engaging so that we can meet young learners where they are.”

The full K-5 curriculum is now available for teachers to use, for free, on iCivics’ website.

“After working with many educators, it became clear to us that elementary teachers were hungry for quality, primary source based lessons that would excite and engage their students,” said Laurie Risler, Elementary Education Instructor at Westfield State University, and History’s Mysteries co-creator. “Private i History Detectives requires even the youngest students to think deeply and draw conclusions based on primary source evidence. In the role of history detectives, students do the work of historians as they answer questions using evidence from primary sources.”

Private i History Detectives will be officially unveiled at a launch webinar that is open to educators and school administrators on Nov. 1, 2022, at 7 P.M. EST. The webinar will feature Taylor Davis, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for iCivics, History’s Mysteries co-creators Kelley Brown and Laurie Risler, who are both educators, and Natacha Scott, Director of Educator Engagement at iCivics.

Watch the Webinar Recording

Ana goes to the WIDA Conference!

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Last week, #FlatAna came to the WIDA conference in Louisville, Kentucky, with three members of the iCivics staff to learn more about the best ways we can continue to support ELs and MLs in our games and other resources. Ana has many roles in iCivics games. She is a campaign manager, guide, assistant, and all around helper. She’s bilingual in English and Spanish, and she believes in the iCivics mission of reaching all learners, especially multilingual and English learners. And if you follow our social media, you know that since June, #FlatAna has been doing a lot of exploring! 

The WIDA Annual Conference is for educators, administrators, and curriculum developers to share best practices and learn new classroom strategies.The opening keynote address featured Juliana Urtubey, 2021 National Teacher of the Year, who talked about the value of being multilingual: “If you speak another language, you are linguistically gifted…” Her message focused on building a “joyous and just education for all.” She said, “Celebrate your successes, compost your failures. Nobody loses when we are all empowered. It is possible when we build a world of wonder and justice around our students.” 

Game-based learning follows that idea. You get to empower your students by having them play the role of a presidential candidate, a lawyer, a county chair, a legislator, etc. In games, it’s ok to make mistakes, or fail. Like Juliana Utrubey says, you can “compost your failure” by playing again. At iCivics, we give students the opportunity to explore content through games which engages all learners and generates wonder in the classroom. What did Ana’s colleagues think?

Kristen Chapron, Senior Editor of Digital Learning and ELL: “The best part about the conference is learning new tips and strategies that we can apply to our games, activities, and lesson plans. In the session, Teaching Language Objectives Using Next Generation ESL Curriculum Resources, Dr. Jennifer Altavilla-Giordano broke down the components of creating language objectives. Participants were able to practice using and adapting the tools. Function and features are key. I also learned innovative ways to engage students with academic language from Nadra Shami, ELL Language and Literacy Trainer, in an interactive session called Developing Academic Language in the Content Areas. I also loved the energy and great ideas from other sessions, and I am excited to get back to curriculum writing, apply these practices, and share them with our team.”

Kristen Chapron with Dr. Jennifer Altavilla-Giordano, lecturer and program director for TESOL & Bilingual Education at BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

 

Angela Clay, Curriculum Associate for EAD: “I had the privilege of learning about James Baldwin’s speech “A Talk to Teachers” from Dr. Carl Grant. Dr. Grant related Baldwin’s 1963 speech to the contemporary world. He articulated eloquently the significance of how a student’s self-image is mirrored in history and the classroom. When students recognize themselves in the lesson, they develop a sense of belonging in the classroom and in society. Dr. Grant was also able to illustrate the overlap between English learners and minority students. Both groups are resilient and, as Baldwin argued, they belong in today’s society. In order for all students to develop a good self-image, it is the responsibility of educators and curriculum leaders to guarantee that we educate our children and acknowledge the complex layers necessary to create a more inclusive learning environment for students to have a positive self-image. Dr. Grant charged us as educators to ensure we empower our students to build a more inclusive classroom and society.”

Angela Clay with Dr. Carl Grant,Hoefs-Bascom Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and former Chair of the Afro American Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Amanda Setters, Curriculum Associate: “As a former Social Studies teacher, I really enjoyed exploring new classroom strategies. In my new role creating resources, I fall back on that knowledge to develop materials that are not only rigorous, but also include impactful scaffolds that save teachers time and effort. In my session on Scaffolding Strategies for High School EL Students, I did just that. High School English Teacher Noel Emilius gave an excellent presentation on strategies she implements to scaffold grade level content assignments to support all learners. In addition to taking us on a tour through one of her lessons, we also took some workshop time to discuss how we have used strategies in the field. Then we had time to apply the knowledge in our work. What is so powerful is that the time investment in creating these lessons can benefit a wide range of learners in today’s classroom so it is truly time well spent. It also highlights the need to network with other teachers to collaborate and share the workload. The exhibitor hall also had tons of resources that can help classrooms leverage technology to develop language skills so I really enjoyed seeing the variety of materials and tools that are available.”

In Leadup to 2022 Midterm Elections, iCivics and CalMatters Provide News-Based Lesson Plans and Resources for California’s Teachers

Posted on by icivics

Partnership combines CalMatters award-winning nonpartisan nonprofit state news with iCivics lesson plans, games and content to help educators engage students in activities and discussion around the 2022 midterm election.

California’s educators now have a powerful new tool to help teach the 2022 midterm elections through a partnership between the country’s leading civic education nonprofit, iCivics, and California’s premier nonprofit news outlet, CalMatters.

California Election Headquarters, which is available for free for all California teachers and students, is a new portal that combines nonpartisan local journalism and election information with interactive lessons and games to help students improve media literacy skills and increase civic knowledge and skills.

The portal will be updated weekly with relevant news stories from around California that relate to the election as the state determines who will be its next Governor and new U.S. Senator, and weighs a number of important propositions. iCivics will provide games, exercises and lessons to aid discussion in the classroom by helping students understand the news and key civic terms and concepts underlying the news.

Geared toward high school students, the portal includes curated elections resources, organized by week and topic; curricular suggestions and teacher tips for pairing CalMatters news articles with iCivics lessons; and a listing of free professional learning opportunities in teachers’ areas.

“We’re thrilled to be able to share our nonpartisan journalism with California’s social science teachers,” said CalMatters CEO Neil Chase, “supporting them as they educate California’s newest and next voters about the important issues facing our state. We’re especially pleased to partner with iCivics, relying on their expertise in curriculum development and their strong relationships with teachers and students.”

This new and unique resource brings teachers what they need most:

  • Extensive iCivics resources about elections and democracy combined with CalMatters’ midterm-focused reporting and Voter Guide in a California-specific “Election Headquarters” site.
  • Teacher resources including 10-minute discussions, 45-minute lesson plans, interactive games and more.
  • Materials available in a variety of reading levels, in both English and Spanish.
  • Ways to combine important news stories with engaging concept-based lessons.
  • News stories and curriculum updated throughout the fall election period.
  • Live, virtual professional development with free resources, strategies and routines for engaging students on election information.

“Most elections-related teaching resources are either too heavily focused on national elections or simply cover generic information midterms,” iCivics Director of State Professional Programs Tammy Waller said. “This collaboration is different because it provides the California-specific resources focusing on state and local elections that teachers want and students will find most relevant. This makes it easier for teachers to focus on the state and local issues and races that matter to students and their communities.”

The partnership with CalMatters is part of a move toward greater state-based engagement for iCivics in California. As part of these larger efforts, iCivics is implementing a Teacher Facilitator Fellow program to cultivate through a train-the-trainer model a strong network of California educators with the knowledge, skills, and demonstrated abilities to provide each and every student with the kind of high-quality civic education needed to become engaged and informed members of our self-governing society. The first year will focus on Northern California, and expand statewide in coming years. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

For media inquires, please contact [email protected]

About iCivics

iCivics was founded in 2009 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to transform civic education and rebuild civic strength through digital games and lesson plans. iCivics is the country’s largest provider of civic education content and is currently used by up to 145,000 educators and 9 million students annually. All of its games are free, nonpartisan and available online at icivics.org. 

About CalMatters

CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe, explain and explore solutions to quality-of-life issues while holding leaders accountable. CalMatters is the only journalism outlet dedicated to covering America’s biggest state, 39 million Californians and the world’s fifth largest economy.

Apply to become an iCivics Teacher Facilitator Fellow (TFF)

Posted on by Luke O'Connor
  • Do you teach 7–12th grade social studies or civics in Northern California?
  • Are you interested in being a teacher-leader and facilitating social studies and civics professional development for teachers in your district, county, and state?
  • Are you interested in being part of a community of practice learning together to transform social studies and civics teaching and learning across the state of California?
  • Do you want to earn $2,100?

If you answered yes to these questions, consider becoming an iCivics Teacher Facilitator Fellow!

What is the iCivics Teacher Facilitator Fellow Program?

iCivics is building a train-the-trainer model to cultivate a strong network of California educators with the knowledge, skills, and demonstrated abilities to provide the kind of high-quality civic education to each and every student in their state, that is essential to sustaining and strengthening our constitutional democracy. We know that we can only reach this goal with the leadership and support of skilled teachers! This fellowship program creates a cohort of Teacher Facilitator Fellows who will work collaboratively with iCivics, other content and pedagogical experts, and each other to strengthen civic education content, pedagogy, and facilitation skills. 

After completion of this fellowship, Teacher Facilitator Fellows will receive a stipend to provide professional development opportunities to other educators in their district, county, and state.

The fellowship will be limited to 20 educators from Northern California for its inaugural year (School Year 2022–23). We are excited to expand the program statewide during the 2023 and 2024 school years!

As part of the fellowship, you will:

  • Attend an in-person kick-off event in late fall where you will meet, connect, and collaborate with other TFFs in your cohort, examine best practices for civics teaching and learning, and hear from guest presenters;
  • Participate in monthly professional development through webinars and coursework from iCivics staff and guest presenters;
  • Be part of a statewide community of practice learning together and supporting high-quality civic instruction;
  • Attend a statewide convening during the summer;
  • Become a certified iCivics Teacher Facilitator and be awarded a digital badge; and
  • Be compensated $2,100, upon fulfillment of fellowship obligations, with potential opportunities to participate in other stipend work. 

How to apply: 

Complete the application.