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An Important Week to Honor Civic Educators

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

This week marks the second anniversary of the passing of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor—one of the greatest civic educators our nation has known. And at this moment, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, her legacy feels especially urgent.

As we remember her, thousands of civics, history, and social studies educators from across the country are gathering in Washington, D.C. for the annual National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference. There, we will also name the first recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching Civics—an award honoring a teacher whose dedication reflects the values she championed.

Justice O’Connor adored teachers. She trusted teachers. She believed teachers were the beating heart of a healthy republic—our frontline defenders of constitutional democracy.

If she were still with us, she would be thrilled to see educators gathering in our nation’s capital to sharpen their craft, support one another, and reaffirm their commitment to preparing the next generation for civic life.

Justice O’Connor’s own story makes clear why she valued this work so deeply. Raised on the Lazy B Ranch, she grew up with responsibility, grit, and a deep sense of community. Those early lessons shaped her judicial philosophy: practical, independent, consensus-driven. Throughout her public life—from pioneering service in state government to becoming the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court—she embodied the civic virtues she hoped young Americans would learn.

After leaving the Court, she dedicated herself fully to strengthening civic education nationwide. She visited classrooms, championed educators, and urged policymakers and community leaders to take civic learning seriously. She was instrumental in sparking the early conversations that eventually helped catalyze a national movement around civics renewal.

If Justice O’Connor could walk the halls of NCSS today, she would immediately recognize the passion of the educators gathered there. Yet she would also see the unprecedented challenges they face:

  • culture wars that turn historical facts into political flashpoints,
  • declining trust in institutions and in one another,
  • the disorienting rise of artificial intelligence,
  • and a civic vacuum created by decades of underinvestment.

And still, teachers show up—every day, in every state. They teach students how to debate respectfully, analyze evidence, understand our constitutional system, and see themselves as contributors to their communities. They work with students to build the critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creative skills to navigate the democracy and economy of the AI age. They do the work Justice O’Connor dedicated her later life to advancing.

The timing could not be more urgent. The kindergartners who entered school this fall will graduate in 2038—the 250th anniversary of the Constitution’s ratification. They are the “A250 generation,” coming of age amid historic levels of technological disruption and political division. What they learn about democracy today will shape the country they lead tomorrow.

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 gives our entire nation a once-in-a-generation civic moment. Across the country, America250 commissions, museums, cultural institutions, tribal nations, and community organizations are preparing programs to reconnect young people with our founding principles and with the full, plural story of who we are.

Justice O’Connor believed every young person—regardless of geography, background, or politics—deserved access to high-quality civic learning. That is a worthy rallying cry this week especially. 

As NCSS educators gather in Washington, as communities across the country prepare for the 250th anniversaries, and as we reflect on two years without her, it is clear that we must carry her mission forward by supporting civics—and supporting civics teachers.

A Fluorescent Moment for Civics

Posted on by Sophie Gordon

As we carry the energy of Civic Learning Week (CLW) 2025 forward, I am reflecting on the momentum we witnessed across the country.  The key takeaway for me coming out of CLW is that the civic fabric of America, while frayed, remains durable. New research shows public support for civic education is sky-high. Large majorities believe that what unites us are the founding principles of our constitutional democracy and that the highest responsibility of citizenship is protecting each other’s liberties.

A heat map of local civic action from recent weeks, covering everything from classroom lessons about the Constitution to people attending town halls and Governors signing civic education legislation, would show bright fluorescent splashes across all 50 states. That is what CLW is all about, and it is worth celebrating. We have excellent opportunities to maintain this momentum on the horizon, including around Constitution Day in September.

We also know that polarization, plummeting faith in institutions, and technology-driven disconnection will continue to stress our civic fabric to a degree we haven’t seen in generations. Coupled with the intensity of disruption in politics and policy right now, these trends are creating a fluorescence of their own, in the sense that just keeping up is akin to staring into the sun.

In this environment, civic education is the most powerful, underutilized tool we have to ensure that our individual liberties and our voice as the ultimate democratic arbiter are protected and that our children are prepared to navigate an increasingly complex world.

The fast-approaching 250th anniversary of the birth of the American experiment provides a fleeting opportunity to return civic knowledge, pride, and action to the center of American life after so many years of atrophy with obvious consequences. To paraphrase Sharon McMahon, the popular author and civics podcast host who graced us with her presence at CLW, too many of us have been robbed of this rich knowledge for too long – and it is time to get it back.

We built momentum for this critical work at CLW. I want to offer my heartfelt appreciation to all the individuals and organizations that spoke up for civics across the country, with special thanks to our CLW National Forum co-hosts from the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions at the Hoover Institution and our CLW and forum sponsors Bezos Family Foundation; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Daniels Fund; Democratic Knowledge Project; Microsoft; More Perfect; PBS LearningMedia; Stuart Foundation; and Travelers.

Here are five additional steps forward I believe we all must take together to bring civics back to the center in our nation:

The Founders unequivocally believed that civic education should be a sustaining pillar of constitutional democracy:

  • Thomas Jefferson and James Madison extolled civic learning as a way to safeguard individual freedoms.
  • And President George Washington, in his final Annual Address to Congress in 1796, said that the “education of our Youth in the science of Government” would prepare them to be “future guardians of the liberties of the Country.”

To them, civics and an ethos of service were at the heart of what education in America should be, but we have strayed very far from that vision in our schools and communities.

Key takeaway: Collectively, we need to lead with the Founders’ vision as we argue for returning high-quality civics to the center of how our children learn and prepare to be responsible citizens. We can tell this story and tell it often over the next 18 months.

More to explore:

  • Watch the Civic Learning Week closing plenary with Condoleezza Rice, Tad and Dianne Taube Director & Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy, Hoover Institution, and Spencer Cox, Governor, State of Utah.

Condoleezza Rice and Utah Governor Spencer Cox converse during the Civic Learning Week closing plenary.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of continuing to go local and back to basics on civics at this moment:

  • Local communities are where the most trusted institutions and leaders still reside.
  • Policy gridlock and our saturated media environment make it difficult to operate productively at the federal-national level.
  • Our federalist system, and many of the Trump Administration’s early policy moves, mean that states and locales will have even more power to set the direction of education and other issues in the future.

This means that public dialogue and policy change are coming in all 50 states, focusing on what the goals of education should be (hint: look back to the Founders!) and how to manage and fund it moving forward.

Key takeaway: Funders and partners can immediately get behind an array of local efforts to build civics coalitions, advance good policy based on local context, and help bridge the gap between the civics classroom and local communities, where civics can be experienced first-hand in a way that solidifies student learning and nurtures longer-term civic engagement. The work of the CivxNow coalition and growing momentum behind state Civic Seals programs and the National Civics Bee are examples of new energy in this area.

More to explore:

Gen. Jim Mattis speaks with Hahrie Han and Sharon McMahon during the Pluralistic Civic Learning in Practice panel at Civic Learning Week.

We are long past due to evolve our thinking about how civic learning happens in the following ways:

  • Start in kindergarten and never stop providing civic learning experiences (rather than focusing mainly on grades 6-12).
  • Build new approaches to imparting civic knowledge that are fit for the way young people – really all of us – learn and live today, including engagement in all types of school, out of school, and informal learning environments.
  • Expand our argument for civics to include the importance of core skill building (communication, critical thinking, and collaboration) for the economy of the AI age.
  • Evolve our thinking about measuring attainment.

Of course, to do any of this effectively, we also have to become comfortable with some uncomfortable things: embracing responsible AI use, walking the walk on pluralism and celebrating a huge range of local approaches, and inviting students and parents into the heart of the conversation about where we go from here.

Key takeaway: We have a moment of opportunity to strengthen nascent collaboration among stakeholders across the learning cycle (K-Grey) and learning environments, and between the public and private sectors. Engaging the business sector, including technology organizations, will be critical here and across all that I propose in this document.

More to explore:

A panel of four youth and young adults discuss civic education with moderator Rajiv Vinnakota, President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars.

In many recent conversations, I have sensed latent skepticism about whether schools are worthy of focus any longer in terms of delivering quality civic education. I cannot argue strongly enough for us to resist this temptation, for a few key reasons among many:

  • For 250 years, there have been civics teachers in every community advancing the Founders’ vision of protecting individual liberties and preparing the future defenders of our democratic traditions. There are no other scaled, locally trusted channels like this for reaching young people and their parents and communities.
  • The further shift of power over curriculum and instruction to the states, coupled with decreased federal funding streams, mean that civic educators will have to navigate a Wild West environment to access professional development opportunities and deliver high-quality civic learning.

These shifts provide openings at the state and local level to build support for educators and for returning civics to the center. At CLW, we unveiled a new annual prize honoring an exemplary civics teacher from our network in the name of iCivics’ founder, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, which we hope will be part of a larger surge of support to civic educators.

Key takeaway: Our transformative aspirations for civic education will fall apart if we overlook teachers and their frontline role as defenders of both our democracy and our children. We need to support teachers and encourage them to be engaging America’s young people on both our democratic traditions *and* contemporary public issues in the classroom. Strong civics instruction that effectively brings these two things together, and makes space for students to engage with a variety of viewpoints, propels the development of core democratic knowledge, civic pride, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills – all so important in the challenging contemporary environment and economy.

More to explore:

  • Read about our Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer’s full circle moment during Civic Learning Week.
  • Check out the CivxNow State Policy Menu, your one-stop shop for crafting strong civic education policies for K–12 schools.
  • Learn about Teachers Advancing Civic Learning (TACL), a grassroots network of educators trained and empowered to advance and strengthen civic learning through policy at the local, state, and national levels.

Even a milestone commemoration of the birth of the American experiment isn’t immune from national cultural conflict right now. But below the national level, evidence shows a huge yearning among Americans to reach out across differences, build more connections, and solve problems together – in other words, to act according to pluralism. And so we must:

  • Tell a better story about democracy by telling better stories about America, to paraphrase Republican strategist Sarah Longwell. America250 provides a generational opportunity to do that.
  • As a means of rebuilding broader trust in institutions and democracy, raise up and celebrate local (more trusted) institutions and local (more trusted) civic educators and leaders who protect our liberties and deliver results in communities.

Stitched together, these many actions will represent a nationwide civic reawakening at a pivotal moment in our history. The huge scope and variety of these efforts will be pluralism in action.

Key takeaway: The greater opportunity here is to give all Americans something they can feel prideful about throughout their lives. Today’s young people likely won’t remember the division and distortion of this moment, but they may remember the cool things they helped make happen in their community for America250.

More to explore:

Rosie Rios, Chair, America250, speaks at the Civic Learning Week National Forum.

I hope the civics community can coalesce and do our best work to take advantage of the generational moment that is upon us. As Civic Learning Week exemplified, we are best suited to tell the vividly colorful (fluorescent) stories about America and our constitutional democracy that can bring people together at the community level. There is no more important calling on the road ahead, and as always, I’m reminded of a quote from iCivics’ founder, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor: “We pay a price when we deprive children of the exposure to the values, principles, and education they need to make them good citizens.” My only edit would be to have this quote apply to all people, and my call to action is civics for all, one community at a time.

Civic Learning Week photos courtesy of Patrick Beaudouin | Hoover Institution

Civics as Invitation

Posted on by icivics

There’s a moment, just before a student raises their hand, when you see the wheels turning. A flicker of hesitation, the weighing of whether their thought is worth sharing. And then—if the classroom is the right kind of space—confidence wins, and the question, the insight, the challenge spills into the air. I saw that moment over and over again this week in classrooms where teachers were using iCivics to guide discussions on democracy, governance, and civic responsibility.

It’s easy to talk about civic education in broad strokes. We know the statistics, the declining trust in institutions, the polarization. But in these classrooms, the conversation was immediate, alive. Students debated real-world court cases, mapped out the branches of government, stepped into the roles of legislators and advocates. And in the center—calm, nimble, engaged—were the teachers.

Teachers do more than instruct. They hold space for tough conversations, model engagement with disagreement, help students see the weight of their voices. In one classroom, a student hesitated before responding to a classmate’s argument. The teacher let the moment breathe. Eventually, she spoke—not just to counter but to build on the idea. That small thing was the foundation of civic engagement: listening, considering, responding with purpose.

How do you teach civic courage? How do you help young people feel the power of participation in a system that can seem too large, too distant, too broken? The teachers I observed weren’t delivering grand speeches or prescribing a single way to engage but creating conditions where students could discover for themselves. They nudged, they asked, they left silences open just long enough for students to step in.

There’s a kind of hope in this work. At a time when civics can feel like a battleground, these teachers are not retreating. They lean in, trusting that giving students tools to understand, question, and shape the world is worth what they might face. They teach not just the mechanics of government but the habits of participation, the confidence to speak and listen, the understanding that democracy is not a spectator sport.

I left thinking about the long arc of influence. How a single teacher can shift a student’s sense of agency. How a single moment—raising a hand, offering a counterpoint, taking apart an argument and building it back stronger—can begin a lifetime of engagement. These teachers shape not just the next generation of voters but community builders, advocates, and leaders.

Not every hand will go up. Not every student will leave fully convinced of their power. But the invitation is there, the door is open. And maybe that’s enough for now—to create the space where the next generation can step forward, take their place in the conversation, and decide what comes next.

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.

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.

Educators as Frontline Civic Workers: Teaching Elections

Posted on by icivics

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?

Reading Between the Lines of the United States’ Founding Document

Posted on by icivics

Today is Constitution Day, which is especially worth celebrating in the midst of a contentious presidential election.

A special thanks to our partners in civic education at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.,  who gave me permission to post an image of the U.S. Constitution as part of this piece. It is a beautiful thing to behold, with its exquisite script flowing from the iconic “We the People” opening.

But underlying the words lie some fundamental values and commitments that are valuable to remember today. The first subtext is the essential importance of compromise. As the National Archives notes on its website, “The Constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures [and uniting] its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. Without it, the American Experiment might have ended as quickly as it had begun.”

Under enormous pressure, the drafters and Constitutional Convention participants navigated innumerable difficult (and woefully imperfect) compromises to establish the United States of America.

Coming together for the common good is only possible through believing in something greater than oneself and embracing the humanity of those who may have different concerns, creeds, and circumstances. Even as majorities of Americans support compromise in our national politics, too many of our national leaders who presume to represent us seem to have lost sight of this in recent years. That has made the jobs of educators, local officials, and other civic actors harder in many cases.

Thankfully, our work at iCivics provides plenty of anecdotal evidence that our fellow citizens, including the rising generations, are transcending tribalism and partisanship to solve problems together in their communities. Cases in point are the 34 new iCivics youth fellows from diverse sociopolitical and geographic contexts across the United States who will be traveling to Washington, D.C., soon to continue their civic learning and leadership journey together.

The second subtext that speaks to me when I look at the U.S. Constitution is the sense that it’s nothing more than paper without the commitment of each successive generation to teach and learn it. iCivics is proud to support more than 145,000 teachers who reach more than 9 million students a year with our civic education resources, including a new Civic Digital Literacy initiative that provides nonpartisan, evidence-based, classroom-ready resources to help prepare students to skillfully verify the various pieces of information encountered online.

We are continually in awe of the educators we work with who are bringing the Constitution and other civic lessons into the classroom, even amidst the challenges too many are facing for simply doing their jobs in an increasingly polarized climate. Now, more than ever, it is important that our educators know they have our full faith and trust in this important endeavor.

Let’s use this Constitution Day to celebrate the subtexts, reaffirming our commitment to civic compromise, civic education, and civic educators. As our iCivics founder, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, said, “The fact is that knowledge about the Constitution…is not something that is handed down through the gene pool; every generation has to learn it.”

If you’re interested in more information to help with Constitutional conversations in your classroom, around your dinner table, or anywhere else, visit our new iCivics website.

Our Moment of Consequence

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We are experiencing a national civics moment like none other in my lifetime. Americans are seeing why our institutions and political systems matter.

Increasing political divisions and distrust have separated Americans from one another, and our young people wonder about their place and purpose in our civic life. Too many are losing confidence in our country —​ and in democracy itself. ​We risk losing a generation’s desire to help build “a more perfect union.”

To meet this moment and seize possibilities to protect, preserve, and strengthen our constitutional democracy, I am excited to provide this update about iCivics’ vision and plans. 

At iCivics, we know that the best way to strengthen our democracy is to teach it.  Building young people’s faith in our democracy starts with teaching them how to participate in it.

That matters now more than ever. ​

We need civic education that is relevant, meaningful, and engaging for each new generation. Civic education that not only inspires a belief in our nation, but also instills in youth a sense of belonging and a confidence to shape the world around them and work with others to solve problems together.

The New iCivics: Advancing Education, Leading a Movement

As we head toward our nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, iCivics is continuing to expand its vision and mandate by

We empower educators and lead the movement to make civic education a nationwide priority so all young people have the confidence to shape the world around them and believe in our country’s future.

Through iCivics Education, we are providing a wide variety of high-quality civic education resources and tools that are nonpartisan, standards-aligned, and inclusive of all learners.

Through our leadership in the civic education field and CivxNow, we are joined by more than 300 organizations working to make civic education a nationwide priority and provide the research, policy, and institutional practices that empower educators, administrators, students, parents, and community members to help all young people build confidence in themselves, each other, and our country’s future.

And we know that building confidence extends ​beyond the classroom​. Students who experience high-quality civic education are more likely to:

  • complete college and develop employable skills;
  • vote and discuss current issues at home; ​
  • be confident in speaking publicly and communicating ​with elected representatives ​about their ideas and priorities; and
  • volunteer and work on community issues.

In short, when young people see their role in helping to shape our country, they believe in its future.

Our Moment of Consequence

As our nation prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, our most urgent charge is to ensure the next generation has the confidence and character to engage in our democracy for the next 250 years and beyond.

Now is a moment of great consequence. By joining together, committing to our youth, and transforming civic education for all of us, we will step up to meet it.

Let’s get to work!

10-Year Reflection

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As I enter my second decade with iCivics, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what a ride it’s been!

During my interview dinner with iCivics Founder Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in May of 2014, I remember not speaking more than three words between people coming up to her and mostly listening to her bold vision.

I was conflicted about accepting the position. Friends were dubious about taking a position with a small (6 staff) and financially unstable nonprofit that was reliant on a high-visibility champion. As one iCivics board member stated, “when you work at a more mature organization, you get paid whether you raise money or not. Here, if you do not raise the funding, you don’t get paid.” That was sobering.

I weighed those concerns against what I saw: an incredible product with a dedicated fan base on an issue I cared deeply about preparing young people for civic engagement.

The founding team had done the hard work. Abby Taylor, Jeff Curley, Carrie Ray Hill, Allison Atwater, Julie O’Sullivan, and so many others designed products with unusual attention to, and care for, educator needs. They understood what teachers needed: meeting state standards while crunched for time and striving to hold student attention. Justice O’Connor truly listened to educators and allowed her team to design what was needed. They were meticulous and connected with users frequently. In my 20+ years in education, I had rarely seen that.

What’s more, I remembered my son using Win the White House while in 4th grade. At the time, I was skeptical about games as homework, but he told me, “All of school should be like iCivics.” That won the day.

The first couple of years were stressful. In the first few weeks, we got a transformative gift from the MacArthur Foundation, which gave us the runway to grow. From there, we built on the assets the founding team had developed and sought to make Justice O’Connor’s vision a reality.

By 2017, it was clear that if we wanted civic education to have an impact, we would need a nationwide movement to make civic education a priority. That year, the Carnegie Corporation of New York invested in and supported our development of the “Democracy at a Crossroads” conference, expanding the visibility of civic education and incubating the CivxNow coalition.

But at a time of great division, such a movement needs a north star. What kind of civic education does our country need? Along with 300 colleagues, we sought to answer that question, culminating in Educating for American Democracy in 2021. 

This vision of a thriving American democracy supported by informed and civically engaged young people animates us today. Our resources are now used in every state in the nation to serve 9 million students every year. We have hundreds of resources to support educators and added services to our product mix. This expanded reach and support for students and educators is made possible today by a staff of 70 across 25 states, and a budget that has grown tenfold.  

Most of all, we have had an impact. We have helped more than quadruple federal funding for civic education. Our coalition—now 340-strong—has helped pass policies to advance civic education in 24 states.  We know that states where strong quality civic education has been implemented have better results on assessments of civic learning.

I am deeply grateful to iCivics and to the team who has done an enormous amount of hard work over the years. I am also grateful to our extraordinary supporters, who have shared their insights as well as their financial resources to make this work possible.

iCivics is growing up! Here’s to the next 10 years…