| |
|
 |
| June 2022 |
| |
|
| Looking Ahead to Civics Secures Democracy Act Reintroduction in the House |
|
| Two weeks ago, the Civics Secures Democracy (CSD) Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate with the lead bipartisan co-sponsors Chris Coons (D–DE) and John Cornyn (R–TX) being joined by four additional cosponsors representing broad political support for the bill: Angus King (I–ME), Mark Kelly (D–AZ); Jim Inhofe (R–OK); and Bill Cassidy (R–LA).
|
|
| CSD’s Senate reintroduction is a major milestone in our push to pass this generational investment in K–12 civic education with strong bipartisan support in the current Congress. Attention now turns to replicating this success in the House as we seek reintroduction in the lower chamber prior to the August recess. This will require intensive constituent outreach by our 220+ CivXNow Coalition members and friends of civic learning. |
|
| Together, we’re succeeding in our effort to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy by ensuring all students have access to a high-quality civic education throughout their K–12 trajectory. We’ve cleared multiple hurdles in the 15 months since CSD was originally introduced in March of last year, but as the finish line appears in the distance, the most challenging stretch in this truly marathon effort lies ahead. We are grateful for the good and hard work you have done to-date to put us in position to win this race, and ask that you double down in the coming months with emails, phone calls, constituent meetings, and social media amplification. |
|
| • |
|
Use our online toolkit to send emails and make phone calls to your Representative. The toolkit includes pre-populated email templates and call scripts to guide your efforts. |
| • |
|
Constituent meetings with relevant staff from your Representative’s office are also strongly encouraged. We’d be delighted to work with you to schedule these meetings and attend as experts on the bill’s substance. For more information or if you need any assistance, please contact Abbie Kaplan. |
| • |
|
Finally, use our social media toolkit to spread the word about CSD and activate your followers on its behalf. |
|
|
| Yours in civics,
|
|
| Shawn Healy |
| Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, iCivics |
|
| Inside this newsletter:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Affinity Group Meetings Recap |
|
| • |
|
The Research and Best Practices Affinity Group brings together Coalition members engaged in civic education research to share notes and learning through a monthly brown bag.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| • |
|
The Policy and Advocacy Affinity Group has developed a curated list of Congressional representatives we aim to engage on CSD through grassroots activation and grasstops influencers. The group will meet every other week to strategize actions. |
|
| • |
|
The Awareness Affinity Group will meet next week to discuss next steps in awareness-building, including back to school, Constitution Day, and broader messaging. |
|
|
| If your organization is interested in joining any of the CivXNow affinity groups, please contact Director of Coalition Engagement Ace Parsi. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Upcoming Coalition Meetings and Partner Events
|
|
| CivXNow All-member Meeting | July 14, 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET |
| At the July CivXNow bimonthly all-member meeting, we will discuss the reintroduction of the Civics Secures Democracy Act in the U.S. Senate and next steps on the path to passing this landmark legislation. In addition, we will share updates on state policy efforts, next steps for each affinity group, and how members can get involved. |
| REGISTER |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| NAMLE Conference | July 15–17
|
| Join hundreds of educators, practitioners, scholars, and concerned citizens virtually at the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) 2022 Conference—the largest professional development conference dedicated to media literacy education in the United States!
|
| REGISTER |
|
| RISE | July 27–28 |
| This year’s theme for the Reagan Institute Summit on Education (RISE)—Networked: The Quest for Connectivity—endeavors to examine connectivity through broadband and infrastructure, as well as through the individual and systemic connections students need to thrive. |
| REGISTER |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Meet the Newest CivXNow Coalition Members
|
|
| The CivXNow Coalition continues to grow, now standing at more than 220 member organizations! The latest additions include:
|
|
|
|
|
| The Coalition remains deeply appreciative of member efforts and of all we have accomplished together. Our goal is to aggregate and activate large networks of support to expand and re-imagine civic education as a force for civic strength. To our Coalition members, thank you for your partnership. |
|
| If you are part of an organization interested in joining the Coalition or learning more, please contact us at CivXNow@icivics.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Our Mission
|
|
| CivXNow is a coalition of partners from diverse viewpoints working to create a culture shift that elevates civic education and engagement as a national priority in order to protect and strengthen America’s constitutional democracy. This includes building a shared commitment to ensure that all young people are prepared to assume their rights and responsibilities to participate in civic life and address the issues facing students, their families, and communities in our increasingly dynamic, polarized, and digital society. |
|
| To achieve this goal, CivXNow advocates for bipartisan federal and state legislation that supports implementation of state and local policies that reimagine and deliver relevant, inclusive, and engaging K-12 civic learning, both in- and out-of-school. |
|
|
|
|
|
| A Team Effort |
|
|
| |
|
| Follow us and use #CivXNow to join the movement!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1035 Cambridge Street, Suite 21B | Cambridge, MA 02141 |
| 617-356-8311 | www.iCivics.org |
|
|
|
|
|
|
