Amidst a turbulent year for our country, the CivxNow Coalition continued its crucial march to strengthen K–12 civic learning from coast to coast.
Back in January, we challenged newly sworn-in federal leaders to strengthen investments in civic education, and Congress responded by maintaining appropriations for American History and Civics Academies and National Activities at $23M. This fall, the Trump Administration increased this investment to $153M over three years with grants to higher education institutions and nonprofits in celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
In May and December, the CivxNow policy team led and was part of two Hill Day efforts, where dozens of teachers, students, nonprofit leaders, and veterans made the case for civic learning among congressional offices. With our partners at the National Council for the Social Studies, 50 teachers from 24 states facilitated impactful meetings with their U.S. Senators and Representatives, ensuring that classroom voices are elevated in our nation’s capital during this challenging time for educators.
Turning to states, there is clear momentum for stronger civic learning policies, with 195 civics-related bills in 45 states, and 145 of them (73%) aligning with the CivxNow State Policy Menu. Several made it across the finish line, including Louisiana’s adoption of civics diploma seals; Ohio’s $500,000 appropriation for curriculum development at the intersection of civics and literacy; and a Utah law extending its high school course requirement from a semester to a full year.
Since 2021, by our count, 33 states have adopted at least 50 policies strengthening K–12 civic education. And thanks to the work of our state affiliates, a plethora of states are poised to move legislation expanding course requirements, civics appropriations, civic seals, and information literacy in the new year. These gains are delivering demonstrable impact: In the 12 states with new or expanded civics course requirements since 2018, we estimate that 700,000 additional students benefit each year through dedicated instruction in civics.
The collective impact documented above is attributable to our now 400-member-strong coalition and nearly 50-state-plus-D.C. representation on our State Policy Task Force. This fall we orchestrated impactful stakeholder events in Columbus, OH; Denver, CO; and St. Louis, MO. We’ve also convened a “State America 250 Commission K–12 Youth Coordinating Working Group” with a goal of ensuring that civic learning is central to next year’s semiquincentennial celebrations and commemorations.
We took the Civic Learning Week National Forum to the West Coast back in March, partnering with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University to reach new geographic and ideological audiences. Beyond the National Forum, our partners hosted events in all 50 states, celebrated teachers, and elevated student voice in making the case for universal access to high-quality K–12 civic learning. We hope to see many of you in Philadelphia this coming March for the next National Forum, and encourage each of your organizations to participate in the weeklong national celebration during the nation’s 250th.
Before signing off for the year, I’d like to recognize the members of the policy team who make this work possible:
- Ace Parsi has more than doubled the size of CivxNow since taking the reins and has achieved near universal participation among members in our collective impact efforts.
- Abbie Kaplan was the architect of the aforementioned Hill days and the captain of our federal policy campaign, engaging partners and educators in our federal policy and advocacy activities.
- Diana Leo is building a strong coalition presence in the Southwest and helped deliver the important policy win in Utah.
- Andrea Benites moved seamlessly from policy coordinator to state lead in the Mid-Atlantic region. Previously, she led the last two state policy scans and meticulously tracked civics bills on a weekly basis throughout the year.
- Sydney Moore joined the team as policy associate after previously serving as an intern supporting coalition engagement work.
- Dave Buchanan continued his two-hatted role as Massachusetts coalition leader and professional learning provider, repeatedly securing the largest annual state appropriation for K–12 civic education in the country.
- And we sadly bid farewell to Lisa Boudreau and Tanisha Pruitt this year. Lisa quarterbacked great successes at the state level since 2022, and Tanisha began building our focused policy campaigns in the Midwest. We pledge to carry their work forward with aplomb.
Our team is eternally grateful for your partnership, collegiality, and friendship as we collectively carry the banner for stronger K–12 civic education as a bulwark for our constitutional democracy. We wish you and yours the happiest of holidays and look forward to the promise of the new year, our nation’s 250th. See you in 2026!
