In the afterglow of our fourth annual national Civic Learning Week (CLW), we’re in awe and appreciative of the scope and span of the CivxNow coalition’s collective work to strengthen K–12 civic education. This year’s events, proclamations, op-eds and earned media, and other forms of advocacy shined the spotlight on civics as we count down the final weeks until the Semiquincentennial.
The CLW Nahttps://vision.icivics.org/civic-learning-week-2026-believe-in-bottom-up-civic-renewal/tional Forum has become the civic learning field’s seminal annual event, as evidenced by this year’s over-capacity two-day summit. It was particularly special to host the Forum in Philadelphia in this anniversary year and to have robust participation from our most important stakeholders—students and teachers. The iCivics policy team treasured the opportunity to see so many of you in three dimensions outside of our normal Zoom boxes.
After the Forum, we followed our Founders’ lead in crossing the Delaware River, where we attended CivicsNJ’s second annual convening. Civic learning and engagement is clearly unifying the Garden State. North, Central, and South Jersey were all well represented, and attendees were treated to an inspiring address by Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell, who has emerged as a clear civics champion.
My Civic Learning Week travels then took me to The Fund for American Studies’ (TFAS) Developing Courageous Citizens conference in Washington, D.C. Across these three convenings, I was struck by the shared values, not to mention common attendees and speakers. The quest to develop a sense of reflective patriotism across generations presents an opportunity for unity in these polarized times, embracing the lofty ideals of our founding.
Meanwhile, iCivics State Policy Lead Andrea Benites was covering the western United States, where the University of New Mexico hosted a convening on developing a civic diploma seals program in the coming year.
Appropriately, Connecticut became the 13th state to offer civic seals earlier this month as Governor Ned Lamont signed legislation. Similar legislation awaits Governor Kim Reynolds’ signature in Iowa. As of this writing, civic seals bills passed one legislative chamber in Idaho, Maryland, and New Hampshire, and out of committee in Minnesota.
Throughout the week, CivxNow members celebrated civic learning across the country—in K–12 classrooms, museums and historic sites, government buildings, colleges and universities, presidential libraries, online, and elsewhere. Partners across different sectors spread the word on the importance of student civic learning throughout their own networks, states, and local communities. Overall, CLW was celebrated by more than 200 organizational partners, with activities registered in all 50 states + DC, and 25 official state and local proclamations issued at last count.
We are living in split-screen times, where there’s simultaneously deep concern about our civic health and celebration of this long-standing experiment in self-governance. This profoundly civic moment presents generational opportunities to carry forth the momentum of CLW throughout this anniversary year and ensure investments in the civic inheritance of our posterity for the next 250 years and beyond.
