September 2022
 
Stronger Civics an Antidote to “Threats to Democracy”
An NBC News Poll released on August 21 once again found voters across the political spectrum identifying “threats to democracy” as the most important issue facing the country, eclipsing cost of living, jobs and the economy, and immigration.
A subsequent CBS News Poll released on September 1 showed 72% of respondents believe U.S. democracy is “threatened,” versus 28% who see it as “secure.”
These concerns transcend partisan labels. While the NBC poll’s open-ended follow-up question showed a wide range of concerns over threats to democracy, the CBS poll identified some commonalities, from the influence of money in politics to the sense that "most people don’t have a say."
These collective sentiments—paired with the latest Axios-Ipsos “Two Americas Index” pointing to concerning support across parties for undemocratic norms—must be taken seriously, for they represent existential threats to this nation’s long-standing experiment in constitutional democracy. Solutions are not immediate or singular, but we, the national civic learning community, offer the most promising long-term plan for sustaining and strengthening our democracy and protecting it from threats, both foreign and domestic.
Civic education is a matter of national security, making the bipartisan, bicameral federal Civics Secures Democracy (CSD) Act aptly titled. Stated simply, civic education is key to rebuilding trust in institutions and one another, fostering informed patriotism and civility, and equipping citizens to build a more perfect union.
Civic education’s neglect over the past 50 years coincides with many of the troubling trends surfaced by the recent polls. The Civics Secures Democracy Act presents a key opportunity to reverse this trajectory, making a generational $1B annual investment in civic education to ensure all students experience a robust civic education throughout their K–12 experience.
Let’s ensure that every student in the United States graduates with the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for informed, effective, and lifelong engagement in our communities, states, and country. Join us in making the case to members of the 117th Congress: Before adjourning in January, pass the bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act!
 
CSD in the News
  Former U.S. Senators Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Doug Jones (D-AL) make the case for CSD in this Washington Examiner piece
  Former U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss writes about his support for the Civics Secures Democracy Act and discusses how it will help Georgia
  In New Hampshire, Stephen Duprey and the Hon. Melanie Levesque, trustees of NH Civics, write about how civics and CSD are the best way to unify this country
  In Oklahoma, Generation Citizen’s Amy Curran writes about why Oklahomans should join U.S. Sen. Jim Inhoffe in supporting CSD
  Utah Boys State President Doug Case and the Utah Civic Learning Collaborative Facilitator Judi Hilman write about how CSD will support civics efforts in Utah
 
 
 
Coalition Member Spotlight: Utah Civic Learning Collaborative (UCLC)
In 2020, the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) launched the Utah Civic Learning Collaborative (UCLC), an informal alliance of educators, nonprofits, policymakers, and academic partners dedicated to preparing youth for civic life.
During 2021, UCLC worked to facilitate consensus on policy changes by advising a civics policy workgroup formed by the Utah Legislature. UCLC conducted a survey of civic education stakeholders and used that input to pinpoint and clarify priorities for the 2022 state legislative session. Topping the list was House Bill 273, Local Innovations in Civic Teaching and Learning, which subsequently passed and invested $1.5 million in school districts and schools.
UCLC facilitators also conducted a statewide listening tour, meeting with or surveying more than 400 stakeholders—teachers, administrators, and curriculum specialists—across Utah to identify innovative teaching practices that might be taken to scale and learn what is needed. In August 2022, UCLC released Civics Education Poised for Innovation: Listening Tour Findings, which includes recommendations and describes consensus on the need for guidance on how to discuss current events and issues that matter to students.
To learn more about the Utah Civic Learning Collaborative visit placeforallutah.org.
 
 
Upcoming Events
Our Civics: Safeguarding American Democracy
Thursday, October 27, 2022 | 2:00–5:00 p.m. PT
To celebrate National Civics Day on October 27, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library will join forces with the Partnership for American Democracy, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Karsh Institute for Democracy at the University of Virginia, and Our Common Purpose at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for "Our Civics: Safeguarding Our Democracy." The program will feature discussions with policymakers, practitioners, and partners in civic education on the vital role of universal civic learning in our democracy. Register >>
 
CivXNow
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Media Literacy and the Civic Mission of Schools
Thursday, October 27, 2022 | 4:00–5:00 p.m. ET
Our country and constitutional democracy can only thrive when schools prepare the next generation to be independent consumers and producers of news and media. That can only be achieved when schools first reflect a broader civic mission. Come learn about how the media literacy community is working to reclaim the civic mission of schools. Explore this and other Media Literacy Week events >>
 
 
New Members
The CivXNow Coalition continues to grow, now standing at more than 245 member organizations! The latest additions include:
  Alterea Inc.
  American Alliance of Museums
  Association of Art Museum Directors
  CivicLex
  Coalition for Service-Learning
  Constitutional Democracy Project
  Divided We Fall
  First Amendment Museum
  Florida Civic Advance
  Future 500
  Independent Sector
  Indiana Council for the Social Studies
  Indiana Historical Society
  In This Together
 
  John & JeJuan Stewart, Jr. Foundation
  Liberty Hall Historic Site
  Moderate Party Podcast
  National Council on Public History
  National History Day
  Nevada Center for Civic Engagement
  Operation Grow Inc.
  RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy
  The SSChat Network
  Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum
  Youth Service America
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
 
The CivXNow team produces this newsletter each month.
We are grateful for the energy, time, and guidance of the CivXNow Advisory Council and to many, many others who support individual projects.
The important work of CivXNow is generously funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Einhorn Collaborative.
 
 
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