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| October 2022 |
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| Likely Voters and Parents of All Stripes Show Strong Support for Investing in K–12 Civics |
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| With Election Day looming, prominent pollster Brent Buchanan and his firm Cygnal gauged public support for stronger K–12 civic education, including the bipartisan federal Civics Secures Democracy Act. |
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| The poll engaged a national sample of 3,002 adults from September 15–26, 2022, including 2,385 likely voters; 1,195 Republican primary voters; and 803 K–12 parents, with substantial overlap across groups. Overall, respondents demonstrated strong support for more emphasis on civics in this pivotal moment for our constitutional democracy: |
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Two-thirds of likely voters think civics in schools should be emphasized more, with Republican primary voters (64%) and parents (59%) registering strong, but slightly lower support. |
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Similar numbers across these three groups see civics as more important now than it was five years ago (likely voters, 69%; Republican primary voters, 66%; and K–12 parents, 66%). |
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Nearly two-thirds of likely voters (65%) support more funding to ensure every child receives an adequate civic education, as do 59% of Republican primary voters and 64% of K–12 parents. |
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| Turning to the Civics Secures Democracy (CSD) Act, specifically, a majority of likely voters support the bill at first blush, and support only increases with additional knowledge of the bill’s provisions. |
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| Post-election, CSD faces its final consideration in a lame duck session with a full congressional plate. Members of Congress must know that likely voters and parents of all stripes prioritize more time and funding for K–12 civics, as embodied by CSD. Help us translate strong public support for K–12 civics into a tangible, generational investment in students, teachers, schools, and districts: |
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| State Partner Highlight |
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| Founded in 2017, NH Civics envisions an informed New Hampshire citizenry engaged in a civil, open-minded democratic process. NH Civics believes that civic education must become a fundamental priority for our schools, with educators helping students learn a variety of skills and dispositions associated with political and community life. |
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| Key Accomplishments: |
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1,400+ educators trained in best practices in civic education |
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7,000+ students served directly through the Kid Governor program, court education program, and the Mikva Challenge |
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30,000+ people reached, in partnership with NHPR, through a series of conversations on building civic strength with five New Hampshire communities |
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Locally sourced curriculum library inspired by a NH Civics workshop was created by New Hampshire teachers, and a new K–3 early civics curriculum is being piloted in two communities this fall. |
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| NH Civics also leads the NH Civic Learning Coalition, a group of 40 stakeholders from all over the state who are committed to increasing and improving civic learning in New Hampshire. Since its beginning in June of 2021, the Coalition has identified four top policy priorities: |
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More time on civics (with a proposed bill to bring forth to the state senate and house this November); |
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More and better professional development for teachers on civics and media literacy; |
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Equity; and |
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Student voice. |
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| To learn more, please visit nhcivics.org and nhciviclearning.org. |
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| Event Recaps |
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| “This is Civics” Debuts at National Civics Day Event |
| To celebrate National Civics Day on October 27, iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé moderated a panel as part of More Perfect’s "Our Civics: Safeguarding Our Democracy" event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The program featured discussions with policymakers, practitioners, and our partners in civic education on the vital role of civic learning in our constitutional democracy. For the “This is Civics” panel, Dubé was joined by two students and a teacher to discuss the realities of civic education in the classroom, building on a new video debuted at the event and designed to highlight such civic education across the country. |
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| Media Literacy and the Civic Mission of Schools |
| As part of Media Literacy Week, panelists from the News Literacy Project, Media Literacy Now, West Miami Middle School, and iCivics discussed how our country and constitutional democracy can only thrive when schools prepare the next generation to be literate and independent consumers and producers of news and media. The discussion centered on the intersection of news and media literacy and civics and the resources and policies that empower their success. |
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| The Business Case for Civic Education |
| During a “Civics Forward” program hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, William A. Galston, Ezra K. Zilkha Chair and Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution; Janice Brunner, Group General Counsel and Head of Civic Engagement at Travelers; and Louise Dubé, Executive Director of iCivics, discussed “Investing in Civics to Secure Democracy—A Business Imperative,” exploring the tie between civic education and the U.S. economy and making the business case for civic education. Check out our related resource on the business case for the Civics Secures Democracy Act. |
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| Upcoming Events |
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| November 10 Coalition Member Meeting |
| Join us on Thursday, November 10 for our bimonthly all-member meeting. On the heels of the election, we will discuss the latest updates on CSD, state policy efforts, affinity groups, and the 2023 Civic Learning Week.
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| Civic Learning Week 2023
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| Mark your calendars for Civic Learning Week, March 6–10, 2023. Civic Learning Week 2023 seeks to highlight the importance of civic education in sustaining and strengthening constitutional democracy in the United States. Stay tuned for more information on Civic Learning Week events and activities happening nationally and in your state! |
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| New Partners |
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| The CivXNow Coalition continues to grow, now standing at more than 250 member organizations! The latest additions include: |
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| 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. |
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| If you are part of an organization interested in joining the Coalition or learning more, please contact us at CivXNow@icivics.org.
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| Our Mission
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| A Team Effort |
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| Follow us and use #CivXNow to join the movement!
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| 1035 Cambridge Street, Suite 21B | Cambridge, MA 02141 |
| 617-356-8311 | www.iCivics.org |
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