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.

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.