Our schools have a civic mission to develop among our youth a reasoned commitment to the fundamental values and principles of American constitutional democracy. The Center for Civic Education is administering a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for a multi-year series of Presidential Academies for teachers and Congressional Academies for students. In the summer of 2021 both Academies will include a three-week online institute in conjunction with exemplary scholars and mentor teachers. Participants will be immersed in the study of constitutional history and principles following the intellectual framework of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum.
Objectives
- High-quality professional development in the content and methods of history and civics for a group of teachers of predominantly high-need students each year
- High-quality, interactive instruction in history and civics for a group of high-need high school students
- Outreach and follow-up activities with scholars that will benefit teachers, students, and the general public during the year
- Participation in a research study
Intended Outcomes
- Improved subject knowledge and pedagogy for 51 teachers each year, leading to high-quality interactive instruction and a professional learning community aided by a History and Civics Online Forum
- Improved content knowledge, skills, and attitudes for 102 students each year, aided by a Student Online Forum
- A series of four webinars that will extend the teachers’ professional development and benefit students and the general public
An evaluation of the 2019 Academies conducted by Georgetown University’s Civic Education Research Lab demonstrated that students’ knowledge of American history and civics increased and their civic dispositions improved as a result of their participation.
The 2021 Academies will take place on July 5 to 23 totally online. Virtual field trips to National Park Service and other historical sites will be a part of this experience.
Teachers will be selected from schools with strong administrative support for work with high-need students. For each teacher, two high-need students from that teacher’s school or school district will apply jointly and participate in the Congressional Academy. The teachers and students will meet in separate institute sessions.
The application information for the summer of 2021 is available on the Center’s website, www.civiced.org/academies.
For additional information about the American History & Civics Academies, please contact either Alissa Irion-Groth (irion@civiced.org) or Maria Gallo (gallo@civiced.org)
About the Center for Civic Education
The Center for Civic Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to fostering the development of informed, responsible participation in civic life by citizens committed to values and principles fundamental to American constitutional democracy. The Center’s programs are implemented with the assistance of a network of public- and private-sector organizations and educational leaders in every state and congressional district in the country and in more than 80 other countries, many of which are emerging and advanced democracies.
Center for Civic Education • www.civiced.org • 818-591-9321
