Category: Insights

Reading Between the Lines of the United States’ Founding Document

Posted on by tcaspersen

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

Posted on by icivics

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

Posted on by icivics

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…

Today, iCivics lost its leader, but we continue to be guided by Sandra Day O’Connor

Posted on by icivics

by Louise Dubé, Chief Executive Officer, iCivics

In 2014, I met with Sandra Day O’Connor for dinner at a restaurant in Washington, DC, to interview for the position of executive director of her nonprofit iCivics. I barely got a word in between interruptions from other diners who wanted to shake her hand, tell her a story, or take a picture with her. When dessert was served, the Justice was clear in articulating my marching order: “Louise, we need to be in all 50 states.”

I have been working to make her vision a reality ever since.

When we met that day, iCivics was just past its startup phase. Today, up to 145,000 educators and 9 million students use iCivics resources every year. We now provide professional learning to educators to support their practice in all 50 states. And, we are working to advance bipartisan legislation on both the national and state level that supports civic education through CivXNow, a coalition that iCivics founded that includes more than 300 organizations from across the viewpoint spectrum.

Justice O’Connor was a true leader. Beginning in 2006, she was determined to “crack” civics, to reimagine how we teach a “boring” class in new and exciting ways, and to ignite the passion of young people to become involved in our constitutional democracy. Her determination, devotion to high quality, and find common ground continue to animate iCivics’ work. 

She was not just a luminary, but unique in her ability to drive change and follow through on her passions. 

Many important and famous people have started initiatives that have not succeeded. iCivics has grown and flourished because she spent time listening to the customers—educators and students and their families—to find out what they needed. She hired educators to work on curriculum development. She built products that were easy to use, engaging to students, did not require a lot of preparation time, and closely aligned to the state educational standards. That is iCivics’ recipe for success. 

And she did this because she cared not just about this country but about the very people that make up our nation.

Justice O’Connor saw into the future. She lived and worked within institutions her whole life. Yet much of her time was spent outside of these institutions, forging personal friendships and building trust. She knew that the formal was not sufficient. Institutions are nothing without people, without those who bring to bear the very norms, beliefs, rules, and behaviors that make institutions function well. Justice O’Connor understood that our country’s institutions cannot survive without support from “We the People.” 

Civic education is an investment in developing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of a citizen so that they can both understand how our system functions and hold it accountable. Justice O’Connor understood that schools are the best way to ensure we reach each and every student in the United States in order to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy.

To this day, iCivics’ culture is a reflection of Justice O’Connor’s determination and commitment.

I came to iCivics to honor the legacy of a woman who pioneered the way forward for professional women. As she said, “It was good to be the first, but you did not want to be the last.” 

I feel an obligation to ensure that the contribution of the women from a generation prior to mine is understood, honored, and respected. My mother had an eerily similar story to Justice O’Connor’s. She was the second woman Supreme Court Justice in Canada. Also like Justice O’Connor, my mother could not get hired out of law school and ended up posting an ad in the newspaper. 

But both women persevered and did not let the conventions of their time get in the way of their talent and wisdom. They are superwomen, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.

Shortly before she died, I was deeply honored to speak with Justice O’Connor one last time. I assured her that iCivics was successful and that her vision is now a reality.

We will miss you, Justice O’Connor, but we continue to be animated by your vision.

Thank you for your service.

What is the Fourth of July to you?

Posted on by icivics

On this Fourth of July, as we near the 250th anniversary of the establishment of this country’s independence, I urge you to take a pause before you bite into that barbecue and – amid the fireworks and the displays of flag – ask yourself some questions that can give this holiday the meaning it deserves:

What is the Fourth of July?

Yes, it is a national holiday, but it is not just a day to sit back, eat hotdogs, and watch parades, although I will certainly do all of those things. It’s the celebration of the birth of American Independence.

On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of a resolution declaring the 13 colonies’ independence from the rule of Great Britain. Two days later, on July 4th, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, the formal statement drafted by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Robert R. Livingston of New York, officially declaring their separation from the English Crown.

Though Adams would write to his wife, Abigail, that this day should be celebrated through “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other,” he also noted that such merriment comes with responsibility. Adams and his cohort celebrated because they understood the cost of their freedom. While they wrote the Declaration of Independence a year into the Revolutionary war – nearly six years before it would end – they still rejoiced in the prospect of being an independent nation.

Take some time from the fun and the noise to actually read the Declaration of Independence, and ask yourself…

What does July 4th mean to me?

This is the day that we celebrate our freedom, but take a moment to reflect on how that freedom manifests in your life and your community. What would your life look like if you were not free? What would the country look like if it was not free? Is it truly free for all? Is this the America you want – and how could it be better? Try to picture America in its perfect form, in your eyes and the eyes of others. Think about, “How do I express my freedom? How do I protect it?” And then ask yourself…

What can I do to protect this country’s freedom?

The beauty of our constitutional democracy is that every one of us can play a part, be it voting, or changing a road sign, or helping to build a better local community. Protecting this country does not have to mean joining the military, but it always means engaging in democracy – because without our participation, it will cease to exist. We cannot engage, however, if we do not know how to engage. We must actually understand our democratic institutions and processes. For a primer or refresher, visit iCivics.org – or any number of online resources, and then ask…

How can I talk about this country with my family or friends?

Many of us share what we are grateful for on Thanksgiving. Such thoughtful discussion should also happen on July 4th. Share your hopes for this country with your family and ask them to express theirs. We may not always agree with each other, but compromise starts with conversation, respect, and a desire to understand one another. Be curious. Keep an open mind. Instead of trying to win an argument, try to know the hopes, fears, and lived experiences of the people you love to better understand their differing points of view. Then ask yourself…

How can July 4th offer a path forward in such a divided nation?

While our political differences seem to divide us now more than ever, I suspect we have much in common with our fellow Americans. But we must put in the work to reunite as a country. July 4th offers a lesson on how to do so.

Just look at Jefferson and Adams, both of whom died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826. As leaders of this country’s first two political parties, they were bitter rivals. But it’s important to remember that Jeffersons’ defeat of Adams in the presidential election of 1800 symbolized the first peaceful transfer of power from one party to another – and later in life, Adams and Jefferson reconciled over what united them: the crucial roles they played in establishing the United States of America.

This is the kind of reconciliation we as a nation need as we confront complicated challenges and questions.

A quarter century after Adams and Jefferson died, Frederick Douglass, the former slave and abolitionist, discussed just how difficult it can be to address the complexity of what it means to be an American.

On July 5, 1852, Douglass delivered a scathing speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, in which he both extolled our founding fathers for their bravery, yet excoriated them for maintaining slavery – claiming their freedom, but not extending it to those who were enslaved.

But Douglass believed in his country’s ability to transform: “Notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country […] While drawing encouragement from the Declaration of Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions,” he wrote, “My spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age.”

In today’s age, it’s easy to forget that freedom must be cultivated and maintained. July 4th is the perfect day to pick up that work and ask ourselves important questions about our great nation and the freedom it guarantees.

Emma Humphries is iCivics’ Chief Education Officer.

First National Civic Learning Week Recap

Posted on by icivics

Earlier this month, we hosted the first national Civic Learning Week, a celebration of civic learning, civic engagement, and civic leadership. From March 6-10, more than 100 partner organizations and 21 states came together to host 121 events to make civic learning a national priority in order to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy.

And at the end of our successful week, the President’s proposed FY24 budget included an increase of $50 million for American history and civics! If enacted, this would bring the total federal funding to $73 million.

Some of the featured Civic Learning Week events included:

Opening Forum

The Opening Forum was held at the National Archives and featured educators, students, and civic leaders discussing the future of civic education, information literacy, and more.

A Conversation with American Diplomat and Author Richard Haass

Dr. Richard Haass, who is in his twentieth year as president of the Council on Foreign Relations, discussed the relationship between civic education and national security.

Civic Education as a Matter of National Security

A panel of individuals in the military and educator community shared their perspectives on how we can foster a healthy democracy through civics education.

Forgotten No More: Civic Seals and Re-affirming the Civic Mission of Schools

State education chiefs discussed how they have found ways to incentivize student learning and preparation for engaged participation in our constitutional democracy through civic seals.

Gaming for Democracy

Game developers presented some of the key elements of their games, and a panel discussed how gaming can deepen understanding of democracy both in school and out.

Find more recordings from events throughout the week on the Civic Learning Week website.

 

Go to Site

Your role in the movement to make civic learning a priority to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy is invaluable. Here are some ideas for continuing the momentum of Civic Learning Week all year long:

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 Launches iCSL Professional Development in Miami

Posted on by icivics

As we take this time to reflect on Independence Day, we want to acknowledge the role that those in public service and the military play in protecting so many of the freedoms we enjoy. The iCivics Civics, Service, and Leadership (iCSL) program aims to prepare students exploring careers in the military and public service with high-quality civic learning experiences that build independent thinking, media literacy, civility, civic knowledge and participation, and service.

An important component of iCSL is the professional development program. We work directly with teachers to understand the iCSL model and the resources available to them. Our teachers are also helping to shape the iCSL lens as teacher expertise will be incorporated into instructional materials.

We recently held our first professional development session with one of our pilot districts, Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Over the course of two days, we worked with a cohort of 12 Miami Master Teachers on the iCSL model and how to implement it in their classrooms. This model aims to work with teachers on developing a service and leadership lens while accessing iCivics resources and facilitating instruction that bridges the connections between civics, service, and leadership.

The Miami-Dade teachers walked away feeling confident in building these connections. They indicated the importance of iCSL in building character, inspiring civic engagement, and creating connections between content and real life.

Our constitutional democracy needs engaged participants with a strong foundation in civics and how the government works. This is especially true in the fields of military and public service. To this end, we are working with students and instructors in Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) and elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. 

As part of the iCSL Program, we will also be expanding the iCivics library of resources. This will include new online learning experiences such as five DBQuests that will engage students in a range of civic and historical topics, including Women in Service, the real consequences of fake news, U.S. territories, the judicial branch, and resistance to slavery. In addition to our curriculum, we are working with partners in the military community to create a volunteerism guide and civics fair guide, which will work to bring military and school communities together for engaged civic learning.

iCSL’s next steps are to provide professional development to Master Teachers at Prince William County Public Schools and kick off the pilot programs in Florida and Virginia. If you are interested in learning more about the program, reach out to us at [email protected]!

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) have awarded the grant that will fund iCivics’ Civics, Service and Leadership program, designed to teach K–12 and JROTC students the foundational knowledge and skills needed to be engaged civic participants in a diverse United States.

Our mom, Sandra Day O’Connor, knew something about politics that America forgot

Posted on by icivics

by Jay O’Connor and Scott O’Connor

Some of the most important work our mom, Sandra Day O’Connor, ever did occurred away from the Supreme Court spotlight, in homes and classrooms.

It’s been more than 40 years since our mother made history.

Sandra Day O’Connor became the first female associate justice in the nearly 200-year history of the Supreme Court. The 1981 Senate vote to confirm was 99-0, which seems unfathomable in today’s politically polarized times.

Twelve years later, in 1993, Mom welcomed the second female associate justice in the history of the high court when the Senate confirmed Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also by an impressive margin, 96-3.

This was Bipartisanship with a capital “B.”

And now, President Biden has signed legislation to erect statues of these two women legal pioneers somewhere on the U.S. Capitol grounds after unanimous consent in the Senate and an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in the House.

The overwhelming support for the statues of these two women with very different backgrounds speaks to something missing from much of today’s politics: respect for the other. Disagreeing without being disagreeable. Understanding that the other point of view is not intended to ruin the country.

Read the full article on USA Today.

Jay O’Connor is a software industry executive. Scott O’Connor is a commercial real estate developer.

iCivics Educator Network Grows to More Than 350 Civics and History Teachers

Posted on by icivics

iCivics, the country’s largest provider of civic education curriculum today announced that it has added 134 new members to its Educator Network. The iCivics Educator Network is made up of more than 350 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 Educator Network enables teachers to share best practices in civics and social studies, playing a key role in helping to empower students to engage as citizens in this country’s constitutional democracy, now and in the future. It provides opportunities for teachers to network with their peers, take part in focus groups, beta test new games and products, engage in special professional development opportunities, and build their voices as advocates for high-quality history and civic education.

“The iCivics Educator Network is more than a professional development and affinity group. An integral part of iCivics’ work, it’s a community that has developed over the past 11 years through which our best social studies and civics teachers are building a movement to reinstate the civic mission of schools in every corner of this country,” said Natacha Scott, iCivics Director of Educator Engagement. “Together these educators have worked through some of the most challenging times teachers have ever faced.”

Since it was founded in 2011, many iCivics Educator Network members have become some of the most prominent voices from the field advocating for civic education through the opportunities that the network provides. They are permanent fixtures as speakers at prestigious education conferences, routinely appear in both national and local media, and are recognized as excelling in the classroom.

The iCivics Educator Network includes educators with a variety of talents, interests, and teaching histories representing a diversity of grade levels K–12, geographic areas, and personal demographics. And the teachers who join the network stay a part of the network, as more than 240 members of this year’s cohort are returning, bringing our total to more than 350 educators.

“The iCivics Educator Network has provided me and my students with a platform like the youth civics fellowship to share our passion and elevate the need for equitable civic education throughout the country,” said Michael Martirone, a high school social studies teacher in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and an ed net member since 2016. “I have been invited to serve as a panelist and explain why this is the time to fund civic education and give my perspective from the classroom on other topics, as well. The iCivics Educator Network has given me the opportunity not only to teach civics, but to become a part of it.”

For more information about the iCivics Educator Network, and to find out how you can apply to be a part of the next cohort, visit icivics.org/our-network.