Last Thursday, the CivxNow Coalition hosted its first-ever Hill Day in the nation’s Capital. Fifty civic learning advocates visited 40 congressional offices to make the case for sustainable, and ultimately, a generational investment in K–12 students’ civic development. A bipartisan cohort of Congresspeople and Senators graciously received our hopeful message during these perilous, polarized times.
Our group of students, educators, veterans, and community partners visited members of key congressional appropriations committees and respective state delegations. At stake is the current $23M annual investment in American History and Civics National Activities and Academies for the coming fiscal year (2026) that begins in October.
CivxNow members spoke to the impact of these investments, touching an estimated 4,000 teachers and 400,000 students. They expressed how a modest increase in funding would further scale civic learning opportunities for students and professional development for their teachers.
On the horizon next July is the 250th anniversary of this great nation, a clarion call for policymakers to transcend fireworks and tall ships in commemoration and ensure that our youngest Americans graduate with an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of American democracy.
Kindergartners entering school this fall represent the Class of 2038, our next civic milestone when the U.S. Constitution turns 250. Can we guarantee that they will graduate with a deep understanding of the Declaration of Independence, a document longtime civics supporter Jack Miller likens to our national mission statement? Similarly, the Constitution is our longstanding strategic plan for governance. Imperfect, yet alterable by design, it is imperative that our youngest citizens understand the separate and shared powers across our three branches of government, the amendment process, and the Bill of Rights addendum as a condition of state ratification.
Depressing statistics of poor civic knowledge represent a self-fulfilling prophecy given civics’ marginalization in schools and paltry public investments, including less than 50 cents per student at the federal level. We can and must do better for our national posterity.
The CivxNow Coalition put its best foot forward last week in the Capital, doing civics for civics. After all, our students, teachers, and practitioners are the on-the-ground experts of effective civic learning practices and how our schools, districts, and communities stand to benefit from additional federal investment. We are deeply grateful for our partners who came from near and far to take part in this inaugural effort, sharing their authentic insights of the life-changing impact of civics in districts and states.
For most of us, entering the ornate congressional office buildings with staffers and members dressed in fancy suits is very intimidating. Add the fact that our field is resource-starved, and we present little more than the power of our stories and the vast constituencies we represent. But these offices belong to us as citizens. A plaque I encountered upon entering the office of Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi affirmed this principle: “This office belongs to the people of the 8th Congressional District of Illinois.”
We delivered a civics lesson of our own during the first ever CivxNow Hill Day: The Declaration of Independence is our birthright, and the Constitution a compact of democratic governance with “We the People.” Congress must ensure that the rising generation proudly takes this baton at America250 and works within our institutional frameworks to “build a more perfect union.”
