Democratic Knowledge Project

"So many feel anxiety and dread for the future of our country, yet I can confidently report that the kids are learning civics again. They are enjoying it, and for an increasing number, their lessons support pluralism, civic friendship and reflective patriotism outside the classroom. The future they will shape may feel distant, but I am confident that it will be bright."

Our director, Danielle Allen, has a powerful new op-ed out in the New York Times on the civic education movement and why, despite negative political headlines, there is real reason for hope.

She highlights how educators, policymakers, and community members across the country are:

- Rebuilding civic education after years of decline
- Teaching students how constitutional democracy works and how they can participate
- Cultivating reflective patriotism, civil disagreement, and civic friendship

We're thrilled to be part of this effort, and to collaborate with partners who share these commitments through the Educating for American Democracy initiative and CivxNow.

You can read Danielle’s full piece here:

Opinion | Nothing Beats Polarization Like Civics Education (Gift Article) The decline of civic education hit bottom about a decade ago and is at last on the rebound. This fact brings me hope.

Educators across the U.S. continue to grapple with a shifting policy landscape and its implications for their classrooms and their learners.

ValuesinTeaching.org is designed to help teachers navigate challenging conversation and lead with their values, within and outside of the classroom. On the site, you can engage in values reflection exercises, walk through activities and explainers about navigating legal and policy risk in your learning environment, and learn strategies for having tough conversations with your learners and with other adults. The site has been recently updated to include new resources on community values and curricular adaptation decisions.

We are happy to have partnered with EdEthics and Project Zero on the Summer 2025 Create-a-Thon that led to the creation of these materials!

Do you want to provide your students with more opportunities to do any of the following?
- Recognize the breadth of civic activity in their communities
- Focus on issues that matter to them and their communities
- Recognize and build their capacity as civic participants
- Gain a more complex understanding of a civic issue
- Understand that compromise is often necessary and consider what goes into making a principled compromise
- Build confidence that change is possible
- Connect abstract concepts like justice and power to actual, real life examples

In our upcoming online workshop, Deepening Civic Learning through Community Connections, we'll be exploring how engaging with your broader community can create powerful civic learning opportunities for students like those listed above. We hope you'll join us!

📌 Wednesday, April 15
🕢 7:30-9 PM ET
💲 $10
🔗 Register here: https://cvent.me/mg7gmB

This workshop is part of the Civic Learning Institute, an initiative of the Democratic Knowledge Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

📢 Coming up soon: Join EAD Steering Committee Chair Liz Evans to explore the organizing themes, pedagogical principles, and design challenges of the Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy, a framework created to make civic learning accessible to all students across disciplines and grade levels. The course is just $15 and starts April 7. Register now, as spots are limited!

🔗 Register here: https://cvent.me/mg7gmB

This course is offered by the Civic Learning Institute, an initiative of the Democratic Knowledge Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

The Civic Learning Week National Forum in Philadelphia is next week, and we’re so thrilled to have a cohort of 38 school-based and non-profit civic educators joining us as 2026 National Civic Forum Fellows! These educators have been nominated and sponsored by civil society organizations, and will bring insights from the Forum back to support high-quality civic learning in their communities. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors: American Indian Center of Houston, Stuart Foundation, Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), and Veterans for All Voters.

The 2026 National Civic Forum Fellows are:

🔹Jessica Culver (Ozark High School)
🔹Eric Alvarez (Glenn L. Downs Social Sciences Academy)
🔹Adam Kubey (Jefferson Union High School)
🔹Carolyn Power (Riverside Unified School District)
🔹Elizabeth Karn (Life Learning Academy Charter)
🔹Elizabeth Ramos (Alta Loma High School)
🔹Jalyn Barnard (Riverside Unified School District)
🔹Judy Smith (San Lorenzo High School)
🔹Louis S. Bonsteel IV (Huntington Park Senior High School)
🔹Megan Smith (Alliance College Ready Public Schools)
🔹Tamisha Allen Smith (Salinas Union High School District)
🔹Valerie Ziegler (Lincoln High School)
🔹Wes Batcheller (Etiwanda High School)
🔹Shae Parks (Milford Senior High School)
🔹George Garner (Sumner High School)
🔹Tony Pirotta (Sumner High School)
🔹Zachary Weaver (Rotaract Global Service Club)
🔹Susan Harris-Boring (Kaiserslautern Middle School)
🔹Adrienne Stang (Cambridge Public Schools)
🔹Darcy Daniels (Nipmuc Regional High School)
🔹Thomas Trainor (Rindge Avenue Upper Campus)
🔹Emilia Toth (Democracy Maine)
🔹Michael C. Martirone (Egg Harbor Township High School)
🔹Nicole Wright (Richard M. Teitelman Middle School)
🔹Theresa Maughan (East Orange STEM Academy)
🔹Joaquin R. Sanchez (South Valley Academy)
🔹Ray B. Shackelford (National Urban League)
🔹Nancy J. Brewer (Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School)
🔹Emily Sattler (Commonwealth Charter Academy)
🔹Starleisha Michelle Gingrich (LancasterHistory)
🔹Marc Arlen Turner (Spring Hill High School)
🔹Melissa Collins (John P Freeman School)
🔹Barbara Geerdes (North East Independent School District)
🔹Julie Zahn (American Indian Center of Houston & Tunica - Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana)
🔹Erin Merrill (Pennington Traditional School)
🔹Christopher Sheehan (Twinfield Union School)
🔹Jennifer Bradley (Beaverton School District)
🔹Jerry Price (Muckleshoot Tribal School)

🗣️Many educators are currently navigating uncertainties about how to handle conversations about challenging topics with their learners. Join us for our course on Difficult Conversations in the Classroom to build your capacity to approach sensitive discussions with confidence while supporting your students’ civic development!

🔗Learn more: civiclearninginstitute.org
🔗Register here: cvent.me/mg7gmB

Projects within and outside of the classroom can promote authentic and meaningful civic learning for students of all ages. Join us at our upcoming workshop, “Civic Learning Through Projects: Getting Started,” to learn about foundational frameworks and approaches to help you implement projects in your context.

Registration is now open and is just $10!
📌 Tuesday, February 24, from 7:30-9pm ET
🔗 Register here: cvent.me/mg7gmB

☀️ Applications are now OPEN for our 2026 Civic Summer Institute for Learning and Teaching (CSILT). Accepted participants will join a powerful learning community of 8th grade and high school teachers from across the country for a week of professional learning at Acadia National Park in Maine, July 26th-August 1st — and travel and other participation costs are completely covered!

🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://bit.ly/CSILT26

📢 Registration is now open for the 2026 Civic Learning Week National Forum, which will be held March 9-10 in Philadelphia! We are thrilled to be co-hosting this event with iCivics this year. Learn more and register here: https://civiclearningweek.org/national-forum/

📚 Did you know? The Civic Learning Institute offers a menu of personalized and interactive workshops for K-12 teachers focused on powerful strategies for civic teaching and learning. Our workshops can be delivered virtually or in-person, and cover topics such as:
✔️ Managing difficult classroom conversations
✔️ Supporting student-led civics projects
✔️ Building inclusive and participatory classrooms

🔗 Complete the interest form today to learn more: https://www.civiclearninginstitute.org/workshops

The Civic Learning Institute is an initiative of the Democratic Knowledge Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.