REIMAGINING CIVIC EDUCATION
All in support of constitutional democracy
why we're here
Fewer than 30% of people under the age of 40 consider it essential to live in a democracy, compared to 70% for generations born before World War II.
SEE POLL

1 in 4

young people believe “choosing leaders through free elections" is unimportant.

SEE POLL
A ballot being inserted into a ballot box.
A ballot being inserted into a ballot box.

ONLY 32%

of U.S. adults feel pride in the American political system. 

SEE POLL
There has been disinvestment in civic education in the United States for decades.
WE ARE HERE TO CHANGE THAT.

OUR VISION

67%
With high-quality civics curricula and teaching methods, we can build a supermajority of the population (at least 67%) who believe democracy is essential and feel confident in having the knowledge, capacities and skills they need to participate.

HOW WE DO IT

We use Harvard’s resources combined with on-the-ground teacher expertise to identify, strengthen, and disseminate the knowledge, skills and capacities civic actors need to sustain healthy democratic life.

OUR RESOURCES

We partner with K-16 schools and educators to co-design curricular materials. These materials cover foundational civic knowledge (e.g. the philosophical foundations of democracy, separation of powers, the three branches of government, etc.) and also engage learners in thinking about their own civic identities and values in support of the acquisition of the skills of an engaged citizen. Our curricula emphasize and integrate the complexity and diversity of America’s civic past, present and future throughout. You can learn more about the materials we’ve developed in the “Curricula” tab in the menu above, including an overview of the full year 8th grade civics curriculum we’ve co-developed with Massachusetts educators.

We support teaching and learning by offering professional development around our curriculum and validated teaching methods. Learn more about our current partners in Massachusetts here.

We innovate ways of assessing civic readiness. New teaching materials and methods need new kinds of assessments. From our video game on the Declaration of Independence to our classroom simulations about governance to our Student-Led Civics Projects based on the 10 Questions for Changemakers framework, we are assessing learning from these tools in a holistic way. 

MEET THE DKP TEAM

An image of our team members smiling at the camera.

OUR SPONSORS

An image of the logos of our sponsors: the Harvard University Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Lucas Foundation Research, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Spencer, and the Andrew W. Mellon  Foundation.
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The Democratic Knowledge Project is an initiative of the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University.