Month: February 2026

February 2026: March Momentum: Civic Learning Week, Research, and Coalition Spotlight

NEWSLETTERS
JANUARY 2026

News From the Front Lines of Civic Education

Three Ways YOU Can Celebrate Civic Learning Week

Civic Learning Week (March 9–13) is a weeklong, high-profile celebration of civic learning, engagement, and leadership, bringing together all those committed to high-quality civic learning to energize and advance the movement to prioritize civic education across the nation.

This year’s theme, Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250 invokes the semiquincentennial, and invites us to connect the nation’s founding with the relevance of civic learning today and for the next 250 and beyond. We invite you to join an event, plan your own initiative, and join us for the National Forum livestream on March 9 and 10.

Read Full Insight

Research Roundup: Top Takeaways on Youth Voting in Recent Elections

Earlier this year, the Center for Information Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) shared 25 data points from research released in 2025, with updated analysis of youth voting trends found in the 2024 Presidential Election, as well as in state and municipal races in 2025.
 

The report documents that while youth turnout reached 47%, significant gaps remain, with only 16% of young voters believing that democracy is currently working for them. Key findings stress that a student’s “sense of belonging” at school is a critical factor in their civic development and likelihood to vote in both local and national elections.

Read Full Research Roundup
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On the Road

panel of speakers at Unidos US Education Community of Practiceconvening

UnidosUS Education Community of Practice

On February 3, iCivics joined UnidosUS for their annual Community of Practice Convening to discuss best practices for civic engagement. The team participated in a civic engagement panel, exploring cross-sector perspectives on public funding and education policy prior to affiliate meetings with Congressional representatives on Capitol Hill.

Two members of the iCivics Policy Team at the National Association of Secretaries of State Winter Conference

National Association of Secretaries of State Winter Conference

Members of the iCivics policy team attended the National Association of Secretaries of State 2026 Winter Conference to elevate the work of the CivxNow coalition. The team met with several Secretaries of State to discuss the vital role these officials play in supporting and advancing civic learning policies nationwide.

Coalition Partner Spotlight: Inquiring Minds Institute

This Civic Learning Week, the Inquiring Minds Institute is launching the Courageous Child Award, a nine-step framework where 5th graders lead a democratic process to recognize civic courage in their peers. By campaigning, voting, and presenting awards, students experience firsthand the impact of active citizenship on their school community.

Learn More
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In the News

As we head toward Civic Learning Week, civics is in the news:

  • The Lincoln Presidential Foundation’s Erin Carlson Mast and iCivics’ Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Shawn Healy made an appeal for civics on Presidents’ Day in the Chicago Tribune
  • The Christian Science Monitor editorial board makes the case for civic education during America’s 250th
  • The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tells the story of a local civics educator
  • Rick Hess used his column in Education Week to discuss with Ashley Berner, Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, what the erosion of civil society means for schools

New Members

CivxNow continues to grow, now officially standing at more than 400 member organizations! The latest additions are: We remain deeply appreciative of member efforts and all that we accomplish together. Our goal is to aggregate and activate large networks of support to expand and re-imagine civic education as a force for civic strength. To our members, thank you for your partnership. If your organization is interested in joining CivxNow or in learning more, please contact us at CivxNow@icivics.org.

Related Posts

February 2026

Forty-seven percent of young voters (ages 18–29) cast ballots in 2024, down three points from 2020, but eclipsing 2016 turnout

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February 2026

Forty-seven percent of young voters (ages 18–29) cast ballots in 2024, down three points from 2020, but eclipsing 2016 turnout (39%). This is the top takeaway from our partners at the Center for Information Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) based on their 2025 analyses of the 2024 Presidential Election and 2025 contests in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City.

Other key findings include:

  • Persistent gender and racial/ethnic gaps in youth voting, with 58% of White women voting in 2024 compared to 25% of Black men. Young voters of color say they disproportionately lack information about the voting process.
  • Huge swings in youth turnout by state, from a high of 62% in Minnesota to the low of 33% in Arkansas. Turnout tends to correlate with the state’s political competitiveness.
  •  A mere 16% of young voters believe democracy is working for them, a figure that, if left unaddressed, can drive even more potential voters to the sidelines.

This fall’s midterm elections present another teachable moment for the civic learning movement. CIRCLE found that fewer than half of youth surveyed (48%) felt a sense of belonging—a critical factor in students’ civic development—in school. However, two-thirds of those who vote in every national election reported a sense of belonging, as did 58% who vote in local elections or participate in local government.

Let’s commit to teaching students about voting processes and the candidates and issues on the ballot this fall, but also attend to their whole being, supporting schools in practicing the tenets of our constitutional democracy daily.

Three Ways YOU Can Celebrate Civic Learning Week

Civic Learning Week (March 9–13) is a weeklong national celebration that highlights the importance of civic education in sustaining and strengthening our constitutional democracy, bringing together students, educators, policymakers, and civic leaders across sectors. During the nation’s semiquincentennial, this movement serves as a catalyst for uplifting youth and preparing our communities for the next 250 years and beyond. Here are three things you can do to celebrate Civic Learning Week:

  1. Plan Your Own Initiative for Civic Learning Week

    Use Civic Learning Week as a way to engage your own networks, communities, and classrooms in conversations about civic education, empowering youth, and community engagement. This is an opportunity to further amplify the work you are already doing toward strengthening civic education, constitutional democracy, and youth.

    If you are an educator or school leader, use an official Civic Learning Week resource to engage your students in an activity or lesson during March 9–13. Upload your school-based activity to show others how your classroom celebrated Civic Learning Week and uplifted civic education.

    Plan your own public event, activity, or initiative and submit it on the website to become an official Civic Learning Week partner. Collaborate with other civic leaders, organizations, and community members to plan this event and broaden your audience.

    Spread the word about Civic Learning Week and civic education! Highlight the work you are already engaging in to strengthen civic learning and constitutional democracy. Use this social media toolkit for sample language, graphic assets, and more.

  2. Join an Event

    Throughout Civic Learning Week, there are many in-person and online events, activations, and initiatives hosted by CivxNow members and other leaders across the nation. Look through the Civic Learning Week calendar to learn about these events, or check out the map to see what’s happening in your state or community. Use this as an opportunity to spread the word and encourage your colleagues, network, or communities to join Civic Learning Week events or activities.

  3. Register for the National Forum Livestream

    The Civic Learning Week National Forum serves as an anchor for Civic Learning Week. In anticipation of the nation’s semiquincentennial, this year’s theme is Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250.

    While we have reached capacity for the in-person event in Philadelphia, we invite you to join us virtually via the National Forum livestream. Tune in March 9 and 10 to explore how educators, policymakers, researchers, academics, and private- and public-sector leaders are energizing the movement to advance high-quality civic education nationwide.