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Philanthropy Leader Larry Kramer Named iCivics Board Chair

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CAMBRIDGE, MA [May 17, 2022] – iCivics, the nation’s leader in civic education, today announced Larry Kramer, President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as its new Board Chair. Kramer succeeds Wendy May-Dreyer, who took over from founder Sandra Day O’Connor and led the board for two three-year terms.

In recent years, iCivics has expanded its scope and embarked on an ambitious strategic plan to realize its vision of a thriving American democracy supported by informed and civically engaged young people. The leading provider of K-12 civic education content, iCivics creates free, nonpartisan online games and digital resources that are now used by more than half of middle and high school students across the country.

Kramer will lead iCivics as it continues its work to make civic education a national priority in order to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy. As part of these efforts, iCivics continues to lead efforts to implement a roadmap developed by more than 300 experts from across the viewpoint spectrum that states and school districts can use to achieve excellence in civics and history education. iCivics also leads a coalition of more than 200 organizations working to advance the civic mission of schools.

“It’s an honor to lead the board of iCivics and to work with its talented team and broad coalition of partners to strengthen civic education, which is essential for a robust and healthy democracy,” Kramer said. “iCivics is doing critical work to ensure that every young person has the knowledge and skills necessary to be an informed, engaged participant in civic life.”

As President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation since 2012, Kramer has guided the foundation in maintaining its commitment to enduring issues such as education while responding to pressing and timely problems, such as political polarization and cybersecurity. Kramer previously served as the Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and Dean of Stanford Law School. Earlier in his career, he served as law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr..

Kramer succeeds May-Dreyer, under whose leadership iCivics grew from reaching 48,000 to 145,000 educators, and serving up to 9 million students. During May-Dreyer’s tenure as Board Chair, Educating for American Democracy and the CivXNow Coalition were both initiated, and contributions to iCivics more than quadrupled. May-Dreyer also founded and chairs the Texas Civic Education Coalition, a cross-ideological coalition of more than 40 organizations with a mission to improve civic education in Texas.

“We’re incredibly excited that Larry Kramer has agreed to become iCivics’ next Board Chair and believe that he is the perfect fit for the organization as it reaches a new growth point,” iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubè said. “Larry’s experience in the nonprofit sector, and his knowledge of the education and political fields – along with his legal expertise – will help steward iCivics into its next phase.”

An extraordinary investment in civic education at a pivotal moment

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At a moment when the need for better civic education has never been more clear, philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett stepped up and gave iCivics the largest single donation the organization has ever received. Like all of their philanthropy, this was an unsolicited gift to fund the organization’s important work as it deems best.

Scott has repeatedly said that she does not want their donations to be her, but rather about empowering others to make changes this world needs. And that is truly what we believe this investment will make possible.

It’s an extraordinary investment made in an extraordinary way, at a pivotal moment.

At a time of great division, Scott and Jewett have committed to civic education, a proven-effective, long-term way to strengthen our nation’s civic health—one that the majority of Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, agree can help heal this country.

This gift is a significant stake in iCivics’ ambitious strategic plan to further its work as the leading provider of and advocate for more and better civic learning, and its commitment to elevating civic education as a national priority and making quality and equitable civic education a centerpiece of modern education.

Founded in 2009 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics is now the nation’s leading provider of high-quality, nonpartisan, effective, and engaging civic education resources. Our award-winning, free resources are used by 145,000 teachers nationwide to teach the majority of middle and high school students in the United States—9 million and counting each year.

But just as importantly, we have become a leading voice in a growing national movement around civic learning. We founded and lead the CivXNow Coalition of more than 200 organizations working to raise up civic education through bipartisan policy on the state and federal levels; and we are working to implement the seminal Educating for American Democracy initiative with a national network of teachers, scholars, students, and leaders from private and public sectors representing viewpoint, professional, and demographic diversity.

MacKenzie Scott’s and Dan Jewett’s investment will foster our work to ensure that each and every student in the United States has access to a high-quality civic education that prepares and inspires them to be informed and engaged members of society.

This kind of support demonstrates the kind of faith in the power of civic education and trust that our supporters have put in iCivics to help build a civic learning ecosystem that will sustain democracy in the United States for generations to come.

We are deeply grateful to Mackenzie Scott and Dan Jewett for their incredible support of our work.

Louise Dubé
Executive Director, iCivics

iCivics and the Council on Foreign Relations Release New Game to Teach Students Fundamentals of Foreign Policy

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What should the United States do if a disease in a foreign city threatens an outbreak here and around the world? Should the United States support democracies elsewhere? If an ally or partner is threatened, what is the proper U.S. response? Convene the Council, a new game from iCivics and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), encourages students to grapple with critical questions, using digital gameplay to teach important foreign policy and global civics lessons in an engaging way.

In Convene the Council, students play the role of president of the United States, navigating a range of U.S. foreign policy issues from the White House Situation Room. The game poses fictional foreign policy scenarios that resemble those in the real world and challenges students to use critical thinking skills to determine how the United States should respond based on recommendations from the president’s closest advisors. Players must navigate the difficult balance between foreign and domestic needs and determine the course of action they believe best supports U.S. interests and values, all while considering how their policy decision might play out internationally and how the U.S. public might respond. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made it all too evident that policymakers in the United States must work collaboratively with leaders across the world to meet challenges that know no borders. Now, more than ever, the youth in this country must possess a foundational understanding of the world and how it works,” said CFR President Richard Haass.

The partnership between iCivics and CFR brings together the country’s leading provider of civic education content and the country’s leading organization on foreign policy. iCivics’ games and resources have been played more than 150 million times over the past decade. The addition of Convene the Council is an acknowledgement that civic education in the twenty-first century requires a global perspective.

Convene the Council adds a new dimension to CFR’s mission to build global literacy—the knowledge, skills, and perspective required to successfully navigate today’s connected world. Born out of concern that students demonstrate gaps in global literacy, CFR is creating learning resources that explain international relations and foreign policy to high school and college students who have little or no background in these topics. For example, award-winning digital tools such as Model Diplomacy and World101 allow students to experience firsthand how government and political systems work at home and abroad. This empowers them to understand real-world issues that transcend national borders. With Convene the Council, CFR now provides learning resources for students as young as twelve.

“This game puts students at the center of global civics issues, and helps them to grasp the interrelatedness of domestic and foreign policy,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “It represents an important collaboration between leaders in civics and foreign affairs, merging iCivics’ expertise in making civic education engaging and relevant through game design and effective pedagogy with CFR’s expertise in foreign policy. Together, we have translated the most critical aspects of foreign policy into a fun and educational game.”

The game is free and is also offered in Spanish.

To learn more about Convene the Council, visit: icivics.org/convenethecouncil or contact [email protected].

About iCivics
iCivics is the nation’s largest provider of civic education curriculum, with its resources used by more than 145,000 educators and nine million students each year nationwide. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics in 2009 to transform the field through innovative, free educational video games and lessons that teach students to be knowledgeable, curious, and engaged in civic life.

About CFR
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. CFR takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

iCivics Board Member, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, releases new children’s book, “Just Help! How to Build a Better World”

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Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States, and iCivics Board Member, released a new children’s book, Just Help! How to Build a Better World, her third book for young readers. (Read the official announcement on AP News.)

“This is a wonderful book asking young readers the simple question Justice Sotomayor’s mother asked her each morning: ‘How will you help today?’” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “Much of civic education is about understanding one’s role in relation to others, in supporting family and community. I was honored to contribute some insight to this book showing young people some of the simple, yet significant, ways they can make a difference right in their own communities, as well as inspire others to do the same.”

In the book, children help in a variety of ways – from sending care packages to U.S. soldiers overseas to cleaning up a park to donating toys to a children’s hospital to volunteering at a nursing home. 

“I want kids to do this intentionally, to think that this is a requirement of living almost, that trying to figure out how they will make a better world should be a part of the charge of their living,” said Justice Sotomayor in a telephone interview ahead of the book’s publication.

Justice Sotomayor said she wants kids not only to help family and friends but also to actively think about and act to help neighbors and the community and change the world.

In her role on the Board of iCivics, Justice Sotomayor has demonstrated a tireless commitment to ensuring each and every child in the United States is informed and inspired for lifelong civic engagement through high-quality civic education. Specifically, she has visited with thousands of students across the country with the message that they can—and should—help make a difference as community members. 

The book is available from all major booksellers, or it can be purchased through the Supreme Court Historical Society’s Gift Shop. 

Purchase the Book

Read More:

Chicago Tribune: 5 questions with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on her latest book, ‘Just Help! How to Build a Better World’

iCivics awarded $400,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop new game, Supreme Justice

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iCivics is thrilled to announce a $400,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to develop a unique game-based experience—Supreme Justice—aimed at engaging younger learners ages 12–18. Unlike anything in iCivics’ suite of game-based education materials, Supreme Justice will be a multimedia experience, building on best practices in civic education, including simulations and role-playing, and complete with supports for English language learners.

The game, which will be co-developed with game design studio Gigantic Mechanic, will allow students to engage in a live-action multiplayer simulation via technology that combines videos, individualized student profiles, and real-time voting. The game will focus on freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and due process rights—all while simulating the deliberation process of Supreme Court Justices. Students must hear cases and determine whether the law, regulation, or action at issue is constitutional.

“We are incredibly grateful for this NEH funding that will enable us to offer a new, innovative Supreme Court digital simulation,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “This grant makes possible the reimagining of one of our signature games that was close to the heart of our founder, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.” 

Supreme Justice will model deliberation and critical thinking in a civic setting, grounded in historical cases and relying heavily on the U.S. Constitution as evidence. The gaming experience will guide students to engage in face-to-face discussions, while working together to craft arguments and debate issues central to civic and government life. Once the game is developed, it will be available—for free—on iCivics’ website.

Learn more about the other grantees and how the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant programs support research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation.

iCivics featured in New PBS Documentary Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union

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iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé is featured in a new PBS documentary, Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union, discussing the role of civic education in engaging and fostering an informed citizenry. 

iCivics’ Educator Network member and middle school civics teacher Mary Ellen Wessels’ students at Gate City Charter School in Nashua, New Hampshire, are also featured in the segment exploring the need for and impact of preparing all young Americans for informed citizenry from an early age. Wessels and her students show how iCivics’ nonpartisan games and lessons are used to educate millions of students in classrooms across the country in a fun, engaging, and impactful way.

The documentary reflects on the historical context of the democratic system, progress and threats to democracy at home and abroad, and lessons learned from our nation’s origin to the present day. It also highlights the Civics Secures Democracy Act, currently supported by a bipartisan alliance of Congressional leaders to invest $1 billion in civics and history education, ensuring more and better civic learning for all students in the United States.

In her closing remarks in the documentary, Louise emphasizes:

Civic education is the bedrock for a strong economy. Civic education is a national imperative because it’s so deeply related to national security issues. There are serious consequences to our nation and we need to change that right now.

Now is the time to seize this unique momentum and affect real and lasting change for future generations. Our investment in our students and their in-depth understanding of civics is an essential path forward for our country. 

Preserving Democracy: Pursuing a More Perfect Union premieres on January 6, 2022 on local PBS affiliates. (Check local listings for air times.) You can also see an excerpt of the segment on civic education on last weekend’s episode of PBS NewsHour (beginning at 11:39) below.

For educators looking for resources on facilitating classroom conversations, visit: Teaching About January 6, 2021: Resources for Classroom Conversations Surrounding the Capitol Siege.

Unity & GSV Venture Select iCivics Among Top 5 Winners of EdTech Creator Challenge

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Today, iCivics was named one of the Top 5 winners of the Unity and GSV Ventures EdTech Creator Challenge, and one of the Challenge’s overall top 30 projects. 

The EdTech Creator Challenge celebrates creators who are leveraging 3D-powering immersive learning platforms and tools to advance the technical skills of the next generation and educational solutions to increase access to high-quality learning experiences.

Read the Official Announcement

iCivics was selected as a top 5 winner by a team of more than 60 internal and external judges, who reviewed and rated 250 submissions based on the following criteria:

  • People: Is the team inclusive, and what populations are supported by this organization? 
  • Product: Does this address a critical need and use real-time 3D technology in a unique way?
  • Potential: What is the traction and impact to date, and does this have global potential?
  • Predictability: What are the near-term milestones (financial and other), and are they achievable?
  • Purpose: What is the organization’s mission and what are the impact goals? 

“We are thrilled to receive this honor,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “We remain committed to offering educators and students across the nation the kind of high-quality civic education necessary for the sustained strength of our constitutional democracy.” 

Along with each of the Top 5 winners, iCivics will receive $100,000 in funding from Unity and $10,000 worth of cloud computing credits from Amazon Web Services EdStart. Learn more about iCivics and the other winners that are empowering creators to change the landscape of education and support all learners.

Unity is the world’s leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and others, use Unity to make their imaginations come to life. We believe creators are changemakers. 

iCivics currently utilizes Unity’s powerful and flexible platform to develop its award-winning games. 

GSV Ventures is the leading edtech investment firm, funding $7+ trillion in the education technology sector across “Pre-K to Gray.” With GSV and the EdTech Creator Challenge, we will empower creators to change the landscape of education to support all learners in expanding their professional and income-earning opportunities by accelerating the critical work of EdTech creators using Unity.

30 Students from Across the Country Join iCivics Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship

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Now in its third year, national youth fellowship has engaged students from across the country to build civic leadership skills and explore how civic education can become more relevant to all youth in the United States

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Thirty talented high school students from across the country recently formed the newest cohort of the iCivics Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship (ECYF). The fellows are selected on a competitive basis and must be nominated by a teacher to be considered. 

Now in its third year, the program works with students to research and explore how civic education can become more equitable for all students. Fellows utilize their own lived experiences to become ambassadors for better civic education and to shed light on how civic education can include student voices from every background. 

The program, which is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is part of a broader initiative to explore equity in civic education. Throughout the course of the 2021-22 school year, fellows will engage virtually in group discussions with their peers, as well as in workshops and lectures with experts in the field and in projects designed to strengthen listening and collaborative skills—all centered around ensuring that civic education is available and relevant to all students in the United States. 

“I am very excited for the ways in which this amazing group of students will lend their unique voices to the conversation surrounding equitable civic education through this Fellowship,” iCivics Youth Fellowship Community Lead Michael Reyes said. “They will all be learning from each other and engaging their ideas through various activities throughout the year. Most importantly, I look forward to seeing the ways these Fellows will take their experiences into lifelong civic engagement.”

iCivics is proud to announce this year’s Equity in Civics Youth Fellows:

  • Joshua Adegoke, 11th Grader, Challenge Early College High School, Texas
  • Joshua Anderson, 10th Grader, Leominster Center for Excellence, Massachusetts
  • Marley Best, 12th Grader, Redbank Valley High School, Pennsylvania
  • Georgia Bullard, 10th Grader, Sequim High School, Washington
  • Jasper Chavarria, 10th Grader, Junction City High School, Kansas
  • Elena Correa, 11th Grader, Central High School, Nebraska
  • Jemieka Findlay, 12th Grader, Bronx Collaborative High School, New York
  • Alani Sanchez-Flores, 11th Grader, Normal West Community High School, Illinois
  • Tasneem Ghadiali, 10th Grader, Lexington High School, Massachusetts
  • Stella Haag, 9th Grader, Sandpoint Highschool, Idaho
  • Tianna Hunt, 12th Grader, City Neighbors High School, Maryland
  • Howard Jongkyu, Kim 9th Grader, Conestoga High School, Pennsylvania 
  • Brendan Kaminski, 10th Grader, Baldwin High School, New York
  • Kimtee Kundu, 12th Grader, Bravo Medical Magnet High School, California 
  • Darren McQueen, 12th Grader, Christopher Columbus High School, Florida 
  • Dieudonne Mfaume, 12th Grader, Lindbergh High School, Missouri
  • Diamond Moore, 11th Grader, Jones Senior High School, North Carolina
  • Surya Panyam, 10th Grader, Jesuit High School, Oregon 
  • Tiffany Peck, 12th Grader, Alameda High School, Colorado
  • Pedro Pena, Jr., 12th Grade, Anne Community High School, Illinois 
  • Sarah Rivera Rivera, 11th Grader, South County Highschool, Virginia
  • Rowan Jackson Sanborn, 9th Grader, Orono High School, Maine
  • Sophia Schmidt, 12th Grader, Ocean Springs High School, Mississippi
  • Milan Shah, 9th Grader, Westview High School, California
  • Sean Shelbrock, 12th Grader, Hill McCloy High School, Michigan
  • Amylia Tra,10th Grader, Collingswood High School, New Jersey
  • Leo Veatch, 11th Grader, Agate High School, Colorado
  • Ishta Wabaunsee, 11th Grader, Seaman High School, Kansas
  • Joy Washington, 11th Grader, Florida Virtual School, Florida
  • Elfin Wiriyan, 11th Grader, James Madison Memorial High School, Wisconsin

Department of Defense and National Defense Education Program Move to Prioritize Civic Education With $2 Million Grant to iCivics

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The grant will fund the 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.

Washington, DC — The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) have awarded $2 million to iCivics, the country’s largest civic education provider, to build content and curriculum to teach civics to K–12 and Junior ROTC students. 

The grant will fund the development of iCivics’ Civics, Service and Leadership (CSL) program, a two-year pilot through which iCivics will build upon and refine its existing award-winning curricula to meet the specific needs of students in the military’s K–12 education system. It is the first grant awarded under the Enhanced Civic Education grant program developed by the DoD.

The initiative has the potential to ultimately reach the more than 60,000 students and 8,000 teachers—as well as the JROTC programs that operate in more than 1,700 public and private high schools, military outposts, and correctional centers throughout the United States and overseas.

The iCivics CSL program includes the development of new resources for elementary, middle and high school students, the creation of professional development for teachers designed specifically for NDEP, as well as the development of a technology portal for participating teachers and instructors. iCivics will also create a volunteer manual for military service members and families. All of the content will be aligned to state standards and benchmarks. iCivics will work with partners in this endeavor, including Blue Star Families, Makematic, National Council for the Social Studies, and a number of professional development providers. 

Section 234 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Department of Defense to implement a pilot program on enhanced civic education in collaboration with the DoDEA and/or JROTC. Enhanced Civics Education awardees will receive $4 million over two years to prepare the next generation to better understand the U.S. Government and their role as citizens in civic engagement.

This includes an expansion of the DoDEA and JROTC civic education programs, working to get military-affiliated youth more civically engaged and teaching critical civic knowledge and skills, such as voting, public service, collaboration, compromise, and media literacy. The DoD also awarded a civic education grant to the Education Development Center.

“iCivics couldn’t be more honored to be entrusted with this important work. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the military community and families for whom civic duty is already a central component of everyday life,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “We are thankful for the opportunity this partnership with the Department of Defense and National Defense Education Program presents for iCivics to play its part in ensuring the highest quality civic education possible for these students tied in such a unique and meaningful way to the civic life of our country through their DoDEA or JROTC education.”

In iCivics, the DoD has found a partner that is trusted by schools across the country. Founded in 2009 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics has more than 300 digital educational resources used by more than 145,000 teachers and 9 million students annually. iCivics resources, which teach the fundamentals of American constitutional democracy by engaging students in a first-person perspective of civic life, are nonpartisan and free to use at www.icivics.org. 

“Our military families and young people interested in serving in the armed forces deserve the best possible civic education, which will ensure a full understanding of the constitutional democracy service members pledge to protect,” said Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04). “In Congress, we recognized the importance of K-12 civic learning by funding a Department of Defense grant to create a civic education program for the Department of Defense Education Activity. iCivics is the national leader in providing students the tools needed to learn the fundamentals of engaged citizenship, and I am proud to champion iCivics for this program.”

New Documentary Recounts the Life of iCivics Founder Sandra Day O’Connor

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Today—Sept. 21, 2021— marks the 40th anniversary of the unanimous confirmation of Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States.

A new documentary just released by American Experience, “Sandra Day O’Connor: The First,” provides new insights into this pioneering woman, recounting a life that reflected and shaped an era. Justice O’Connor forged a legal career at a time when few women did, serving in all three branches of Arizona state government before becoming the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, where she spent nearly 25 years before retiring in 2006.

Her public service didn’t end after retirement, however. Over the course of her career, Justice O’Connor had become increasingly concerned about the growing lack of understanding regarding the system of government in the United States and disengagement from civic life.

“I’ve seen first-hand how vital it is for all citizens to understand our Constitution and unique system of government, and participate actively in their communities,” she wrote in a 2018 public letter announcing her stepping back from public life. “I made a commitment to myself, my family, and my country that I would use whatever years I had left to advance civic learning and engagement.”

So, in 2009, Justice O’Connor founded iCivics to ensure all Americans have the knowledge and will to participate in our unique experiment in self-government by transforming civic education with innovative, truly engaging games and resources. Of all her accomplishments, Justice O’Connor considers iCivics to be her most important work and greatest legacy.

“There is no more important work than deepening young people’s engagement in our nation.” – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor

Since its founding, iCivics has grown and evolved rapidly, becoming the nation’s premier nonprofit civic education provider of high-quality, nonpartisan, engaging, and free resources to more than 7.6 million students annually. We are proud to be a successful, high-impact, and scalable resource solution, as well as the sector leader driving systemic change, with the capacity and strategic ambition to fulfill and sustain Justice O’Connor’s ambitious vision. Day in and day out, we are guided by her wisdom, humor, and determination—all of which are showcased in the documentary.

Much has changed in our world since 1981, but the need for equitable, nonpartisan civic education may be even greater and more urgent today than when Justice O’Connor joined the highest court in the land. We are proud to continue fulfilling her most important work: to provide every student in the United States with high-quality civic education.