Reimagining Civic Education

in support of constitutional democracy

There has been disinvestment in civic education in the United States for decades.

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ONLY 32%

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

1 in 4

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

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.

WE ARE HERE TO CHANGE THAT

OUR VISION


67%

A supermajority of the population (at least 67%) will believe democracy is essential and will feel confident they have the knowledge, capacities and skills they need to participate in civic life.

How we do it

‍We partner with K-16 schools and educators to co-design high quality 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 learning opportunities around our curriculum and validated teaching methods. Please visit our Professional Learning page to find out more information about opportunities available to you.

‍We innovate ways of assessing civic readiness. New teaching materials and methods need new kinds of assessments. From guidance for evaluating classroom activities to our end-of-year assessments, we keep deeper civic learning at the center, equipping educators and learners with a holistic system to track and reflect on growth in civic knowledge, skills, and values. Navigate to our Research and Policy pages to learn more.

The DKP is a member of the Design Studio on Ethics and Civics Pedagogy at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics. As an initiative based at the Center for Ethics in partnership with other civics and ethics pedagogy initiatives, we tap into 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 are a leading partner in national efforts to revive educating for American democracy. Please visit our Partners page to learn more.

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The Democratic Knowledge Project is an initiative of the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University.
Copyright © 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College
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