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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

A Reflection: Common Ground in Our Divides

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A couple of weeks ago, I left Atlanta in the morning where I had attended a meeting with a conservative libertarian group. Given iCivics’ commitment to nonpartisanship and engaging with viewpoints across the political spectrum, I had been invited to the annual event to test out the appetite for coming together on common sense solutions around issues facing our constitutional democracy.

I then flew to New York City, where I attended a meeting of what might be deemed a more liberal group. 

The juxtaposition was startling. I traveled between a corporate-looking hotel space to a large industrial space. From a large group of 1,400 folks mostly in suits and ties to an eclectic, colorfully dressed, and diverse group, most of whom likely lived on the eastern corridor and attended the same set of institutions of higher education. I went from an exploration of whether Americans are as divided as they seem to exploring human connections, building relationships across humility, and offering listening as an act of love. From conversations spanning cowboy boots and a universal dislike for elites to discussions about the “bravery” of social justice work.

These were very different spaces. Very few people get the opportunity to travel so far across the political spectrum. When you do the work I do, you learn the codes from each camp, the throwaway lines that mark you as part of the tribe. I expected the contrasts and stereotypical icons, but this day was memorable not for the contrasts, but for the similarities. I was startled because I heard the same EXACT words in both spaces:

  • Policy is impossible without trust
  • Polarization is overcome by engagement
  • Trust needs to be built amongst difference
  • Fear of the other side must be overcome
  • It’s beneficial to get out of our bubbles 
  • Social media’s role in supporting, encouraging, and even causing the divisions

Most of all, there was a clear recognition that actors are profiting either financially and/or politically by dividing and “outraging” Americans. While divisions were acknowledged, it was noted that the vast majority of Americans continue to hold moderate positions.

The experience was not easy. I heard comments that I found very difficult, but the richness of the experience I would not trade. I am grateful to both groups for allowing me into their bubbles, to see the points of commonality and hopes for our country and life together. While the work I do may give me insight into the demarcations of different groups, it also reminds me of the power of our life together—e pluribus unum—and the important role that civic education has to play in building civic friendships across differences. 

At iCivics, we advocate for more and better civic education. This experience says something about the “better” part. The civic education we need for all students must reflect the diversity of our nation, community by community. It should foster debate across a plurality of ideas, and encourage reflection about whether we have more in common than what divides us.

—Louise Dubé, Executive Director, iCivics

iCivics Launches iCSL Professional Development in Miami

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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

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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

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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.

The Need for Multiple Perspectives in Civics

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In mid-November, when I was in first grade, my mother visited my classroom to share knowledge on Indigenous people, and specifically, our Narragansett tribe. As one of the few Native students in school, my mom’s presentation was essential for adding Indigenous voices to the curriculum. Aside from this experience, Native voices were never incorporated into my learning, especially not in history or civics classes. 

Instead, a limited narrative of my own family was presented, and I knew nothing other than to accept this. The omission of Native voices from my K-12 education silenced my own voice. Without seeing myself, or my family, I learned to compartmentalize my identity while in the classroom instead of letting it fuel my curiosity and insight. 

Since completing my K-12 education, I have discovered spaces that genuinely welcome and celebrate voices that expand the narrative of our nation’s history. I joined iCivics last summer as a part of the initiative, Educating for American Democracy (EAD). The EAD initiative provides a Roadmap for high-quality history and civics education that prioritizes inquiry and multiple perspectives. The current debates about what content can and cannot be included in history classrooms distract us from what students deserve: the opportunity to grapple with hard questions, to sort through evidence to determine whose voices and stories are amplified and whose are silenced, and determine what is signal and what is simply noise. The EAD Roadmap leans into these complexities through its emphasis on inquiry and on viewpoint pluralism. The Design Challenges highlight these complexities and acknowledge that our history is not cut and dry, leading to inevitable tensions in the classroom. Nonetheless, these complexities are what drive learning and create engaged community members. 

As an EAD intern, I curated resources for the Educator Resource library, including perspectives from Indigenous nations to broaden the scope of history and civic education to include the myriad voices, perspectives, and peoples of these United States. This aligned with the EAD Roadmap, particularly around “Theme 2: Our Changing Landscapes,” where students are asked to “analyze Indigenous understandings of land stewardship, economic activity, property, and prosperity” and “how have different experiences of belonging shaped the range of conceptions of ‘the people’ we find in the contemporary U.S.?” There is an underappreciated and complex relationship between sovereign nations and federal and state governments that all students must understand. Students must learn both the hard history of our country, but also, they must learn to celebrate and appreciate the ever-present cultural and linguistic resiliency of Indigenous peoples and the continual push for Indigenous rights, for Indigenous futures, and for our rightful place in “America’s Plural Yet Shared Story.” 

Being able to contribute to the EAD initiative has been very rewarding. This internship has built my understanding of broader dynamics in education and curriculum building while also incorporating my perspective and lived experiences to strengthen the project’s goals of equity and accessibility. History is a powerful tool and teaching students to grapple with complex histories expands their ability to engage as thoughtful citizens. Uplifting voices in the curriculum simultaneously uplifts voices in the classroom and empowers all students in their potential. 

Written by Emma Rial

Emma is a senior at Amherst College, studying sociology. She works on the curation team for EAD and enjoys hiking, cooking, and being home with family in Rhode Island.

14 Reasons Why Teaching Civics is Important Right Now

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Teaching civics prepares students to be informed and engaged members of society. Students who experience high-quality civic education are more likely to complete college and develop employable skills (including communications and public speaking skills), vote and discuss policy issues at home, and volunteer and work on community issues. 

However, prioritizing civics in the classroom can be difficult. According to research from The Brookings Institution, schools have reallocated instructional time from social studies toward key tested subjects, often prioritizing reading and math. This has become even more pronounced as class time has been disrupted by the ongoing pandemic. Teachers spend what time they do have in the classroom trying to catch students up and prepare them to meet grade-level requirements by the end of the year.

But teaching civics remains at least as important as ever, in preparing students to take their place in shaping our government and society now and long into the future.

Why make teaching civics a priority? We posed this question to iCivics Educator Network teachers and our staff members, and they responded with the following:

  • As we approach 250 years of America’s independence, there is no better time to teach civics. Instilling the principles and virtues of our democratic society will prepare future generations to lead us through the rest of the 21st century. -Michael Reyes, Youth Fellowship Community Lead, iCivics 
  • The reason for teaching civics has always been about helping to inspire the next generation to be active and productive citizens. -Janet Wills, iCivics Educator Network Teacher 
  • Teaching civics helps students connect past and present in order to be informed voters. It helps students make meaning of current events and reassures them that nationally and internationally, there is precedent for solving modern issues. Civics also helps students engage in critical thinking and writing, which engages those 21st century skills that will be essential in their future. In examining civics, we cultivate empathy. -Amanda Setters, Curriculum Associate, iCivics 
  • Civics is the language of the citizenry. It’s how we communicate and plan and execute the change we desire. When people aren’t prepared to find this voice, ask these questions, and learn their role in the community and the democracy, they miss out on a major opportunity to be part of something meaningful—and they resign that power, those decisions, to someone else. The returns on civic education, or lack of it, are cumulative and transformative. -Christian Swagger, Educator Network Teacher 
  • Civics is a shared reality. Regardless of where people fall on the current divide du jour, we are all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Civic skills have to endure, and they have to be taught. -Carrie Ray-Hill, Senior Director of Digital Learning, iCivics 
  • No matter what plans students have for life after high school—whatever their career plans, however they may continue their education—all students will be members of communities where they will need agency to raise their voices and make an impact. Civics teaches skills, knowledge, and disposition that will be needed by all. -Shannon Salter, iCivics Educator Network Teacher 
  • Civic education is important because it is the passport to the future. The future belongs to those who prepare and educate themselves today. -Angela Clay, Educating for American Democracy Curriculum Associate, iCivics 
  • Understanding civics empowers change. The founders intentionally created a system that could endure by allowing citizens to make changes that could benefit society as a whole. -Beth Doman Doughty, iCivics Educator Network Teacher 
  • In a digital age, it is easy to have knowledge of all of the wrong things. Teaching civics allows students to learn valuable skills that are conducive to critical thinking. It helps students understand how important decisions have molded the country and continue to set precedents as time goes on. I think the statement of “history repeats itself,” applies beautifully here in a sense that knowledge allows for personal action to prevent further repetition. -Niko Garcia, Curriculum Intern, iCivics 
  • I like to think of teaching civics as giving students the opportunity to practice civic skills they are going to need when it becomes their turn to play in the real game. -Tia Costello, iCivics Educator Network Teacher 
  • At its root, civics is about how we all live together, as different as we all are from each other. To do civics well, everybody needs practice, just as we all do in learning to read, write, do math, and cook a decent meal. -David Buchanan, Director of Massachusetts Programs, iCivics 
  • Everyone needs civics. It is the fabric of civilization. Contributing to the advancement of one’s community and society and understanding how to navigate through the perils and roadblocks is of the utmost importance if we want to continue to govern ourselves in a productive manner. -Kymberli April, iCivics Educator Network Teacher 
  • A government “of the people” can only exist if the people understand how their government works, and are willing to participate in it. Teaching civics is the pathway for meeting both of those goals. -Lora DeSalvo, Curriculum Associate, iCivics 
  • Civic education has massive cross-partisan appeal as a solution to what ails our democracy. The public overwhelmingly agrees that our country needs K-12 civic education! -Abbie Kaplan, Federal Policy Associate, iCivics

On the iCivics blog, multiple perspectives contribute to the public conversation about civic education in the United States. Each contributor represents their own opinion. We welcome this diversity of perspectives. Responses in this blog post have been edited for brevity and clarity.