Month: July 2026

July 2026: Advancing Civic Readiness on the Eve of America 250

NEWSLETTERS
JULY 2026

News From the Front Lines of Civic Education

Doing Civics for Civics: Modeling Civic Participation on Capitol Hill

Earlier this month, CivxNow and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) took to Capitol Hill to advocate for the future of civics, social studies, and history education. More than 70 educators, students, and partners represented 15 states, holding 50+ congressional meetings in a single day to urge federal policymakers to support robust funding for civic learning.

By stepping into these offices, advocates modeled “doing civics for civics” and the kind of informed civic participation Justice Sandra Day O’Connor envisioned when she founded iCivics.

Read Full Insight

Call for Proposals: 2027 Civic Learning Week National Forum

We are now accepting session proposals for the 2027 Civic Learning Week National Forum. Co-hosted by iCivics and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the 2027 National Forum to be held in Charlotte, NC, on March 11–12, 2027, will explore the theme Civic Education in the Digital Age.

Civic Learning Week logo

We are seeking experts to lead sessions on Digital Tools in Civic Learning; How Young People Now Learn; Trust, Expertise, and Civic Institutions; and Field Adoption and Assessment.

Proposals are due Friday, September 18, 2026. An optional informational webinar with time for Q&A will be held Friday, August 28, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.

Submit Proposal
Register for Webinar

Research Roundup: Culturally Divisive Conflict Costly to School Districts Across the United States

Culturally divisive conflicts cost U.S. school districts an estimated $3.2 billion annually, according to a recent national survey of superintendents published in the Peabody Journal of Education.

Direct expenses range from $25 per pupil in low-conflict districts to $80 in high-conflict ones, excluding indirect costs like lost staff time. The personal toll is also high, with half of superintendents experiencing harassment and 30% fearing for their safety. Ultimately, these conflicts disrupt efforts to prepare young people for democracy. The authors urge communities to practice pluralism, model civic friendship, and resolve debates civilly through local governance channels.

Read Full Research Roundup
Peabody Journal of Education cover image

On the Road

Shawn Healy presenting at the Education Commission of the States National Forum

Education Commission of the States

On July 9, iCivics leaders Shawn Healy, Mya Baker, and Chloe Jordan led a session at the Education Commission of the States National Forum in Washington, D.C. Their session, Building Civic Skills and a Pathway to Lifelong Community Engagement Through Civic Seals, explored the national growth of civic seals and how iCivics and CivxNow support their implementation.

Minnesota civic seals recipients

Minnesota's First Civic Seals Recipients

This month, Minnesota celebrated its first-ever graduates to earn the Civic Seal on their diplomas, including students who successfully advocated for local policy and expanded the program in their districts. Supported by iCivics, the YMCA Center For Youth Voice, and the Minnesota Secretary of State, this initiative highlights the powerful impact of young people when given the opportunity to participate in our democracy.

Coalition Partner Spotlight: National Association of State Boards of Education

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) elevates state board members’ voices to advance equity and excellence in public education. Alongside its work with adult members, NASBE actively supports student governance through the “New Student Member Institute,” annual awards, and student advisory councils that advocate for relevant skills and real-world learning.
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National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) logo

In the News

With summer still underway, there remains some heat around civics in the media:

  • Education Week wrote about a new RAND study that shows that civics classes may be on the rise, but only a third of districts offer experiential civic learning, with only 13% requiring it.
  • Former Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera wrote a piece in Education Next about why the 250th is a time for a civic education renaissance, and how it is happening in Virginia.
  • The New York Times published an open letter from 16-year-old Chan-Yul Kim, a high schooler in Austin, Texas, about why schools should prioritize civic education.
  • Bill of Rights Institute President and CEO David Bobb wrote in Education Week that at the 250th, civics classes need more civil disagreement.
  • Joshua Dunn and William Lyons, who direct the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee, wrote in RealClearEducation about how the Institute’s Civics Academies work.

Coalition Members

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

August 2026

An Assessment Playbook for Civics Civics has been lamentably lost in the shuffle in this now-decades-long, high-stakes testing era. However,

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July 2026

Culturally Divisive Conflict Costly to School Districts Across the United States

Culturally divisive conflicts cost school districts across the United States a collective $3.2 billion annually, according to a national survey of superintendents conducted by researchers John Rogers, Rachel White, Robert Shand, and Joseph Kahne, with results published in a recent issue of the Peabody Journal of Education (2026, Vol. 101, No. 1, pp.6–19). The analysis of culturally divisive conflicts centers on teaching about issues of race and racism, rights and protections for LGTBQ+ students, and student access to a full range of books.

Direct costs accrued due to culturally divisive conflicts include enhanced security measures, media and community outreach, school board and government relations, and staff turnover. These costs were borne disproportionately by the degree of conflict experienced by a district, ranging from $25 per pupil for low-conflict districts to $80 per pupil for high-conflict districts. 

These estimates do not account for the indirect costs, namely staff time redirected from otherwise productive tasks to manage conflicts instead. Moreover, superintendents bear a significant burden in weathering culturally divisive conflicts: 30% of superintendents feared for their own or their family’s personal safety during the 2023–2024 school year, half experienced at least once instance of harassment, and 10% received death threats or experienced property vandalism. 

The authors conclude that culturally divisive conflicts are costly and highly disruptive of efforts to prepare the next generation for informed and effective engagement in our constitutional democracy. While they acknowledge that debates about how and what our children are taught in our diverse, politically heterogeneous country are inevitable, the authors insist that these conflicts be resolved civilly through established channels of local governance, most prominently school boards. Parents, members of the public, and school board members themselves should practice pluralism and model civic friendship. And we must invest in the capacity of educators, school leaders, and board members to manage culturally divisive conflicts as part of collegiate training and their ongoing professional development.

Doing Civics for Civics – Modeling Civic Participation on Capitol Hill

Earlier this month, CivxNow, in partnership with colleagues at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), took to Capitol Hill with a clear, unified mission: advocate for the future of civics, social studies, and history education.

The energy, dedication, and passion of the group of advocates who joined us was inspiring. We brought a powerful message to Washington, D.C., through an incredible collective effort:

  • 70+ dedicated participants, including NCSS Summer Leadership Institute attendees, iCivics educators, CivxNow partners, and students from middle school through grad school
  • 50+ congressional office meetings held in a single day
  • 15 states + D.C. represented, from Mississippi to California, bringing diverse local perspectives directly to federal policymakers

Speaking with policymakers and their staff, advocates showed up with unmatched resolve about the importance of civics. They shared classroom realities, outlined the essential work of nonprofit organizations supporting educators and students, and reinforced the critical need for robust federal funding that sustains this work, all within the context of this momentous semiquincentennial year. 

In our civic learning field, we often talk about the idea of “doing civics for civics.” This Hill Day wasn’t just an advocacy event; it was a living reflection of exactly what we teach about every day. By stepping into these offices, our colleagues modeled the very kind of informed civic participation and productive dialogue we want to see the next generation equipped for, helping to fulfill iCivics founder Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s vision of preparing young people to take up their roles in our nation’s constitutional democracy. 

To everyone who joined us, thank you, and immense gratitude to the many coalition partners who participated. It was an honor to lead this day alongside you. We hope the momentum we built on the Hill travels back with you into your classrooms, organizations, communities, and states. Onward!