Civic Learning Week is March 11th to 15th!

This $10,000 award recognizes a civics, U.S. government, or history teacher who has demonstrated courage and excellence in equity-rooted civic education. Deadline is June 1st.

Nominate a teacher for The Darcy E. Richie Teacher Courage Award

Generation Citizen

We are transforming how civics is taught by providing real-world civics education with an equity-centered approach.

What We Do

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Equipping all young people with a real-world democracy education to effect change

Civics Day is more than an event — it is an experience that positively impacts and empowers young people to become better leaders.

Civics Day

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High school student representatives are selected from each Generation Citizen class to present their real-world civics project at Civics Days

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Students present their real-world civics project to Community Advisors made up of other students, community members, business leaders, GC Alumni and public officials.

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Community Advisors engage with students: posing questions, considering the issues students are raising, and engaging in intergenerational dialogue about community solutions

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Students are awarded for their success via our Student Changemaker award

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During and after the project is complete, students spend time reflecting on their impact and role as a civic actor in our democracy

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Get Involved

Ready to create an action civics program?

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Project-Based Civics

Create a Democratic Classroom

Choose a Focus Issue

Take Action & Build Relationships

Research & Create an Action Plan

Share Results

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Community-based, experiential civics recognizes, affirms, and connects learning to students’ identities, cultural backgrounds, communities, and histories. Students engage in courageous conversations centering their lived experience as relevant assets to civic engagement.

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Student are leaders of their own learning when developing and implementing their action civics project. Teachers act as facilitators and share power at each stage of the learning process inviting students to  plan, implement, and make decisions about the design and direction of their community-based experiential civics project.

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Students engage in project-based learning by working in groups on a real-world civics project. They present their final product and reflection to their community during a Civics Day showcase event.

Browse resources

A Generation Citizen class models a democracy with a focus on including all student voices in leadership and decision-making. Students center their identity and lived experiences as they explore community issues and actively apply civic knowledge and tools to engage with local civic issues.

We have resources for teachers to help with project-based civics in the classroom.

Join us for our Civic Day events at the end of each semester⁠—like a science fair, but for civics!

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Become a GC Teacher

Classroom Action Civics

We build partnerships with teachers and administrators to bring hands-on civics to their classrooms and schools.

How Partnership  Works

We work closely with former GC students to support community-based democratic participation beyond the classroom. We’re currently conducting in-depth research on cross-generational civic engagement, and will be publishing our findings in early 2023.

Meet the Board

GC alumni contribute to our organizational strategy as full members of our Board of Directors.

Go Now

Feeling inspired by this conversation and ready to take action? Visit Vote16USA.org to learn more!

Krisha is a high school senior who has worked on campaigns to lower the voting age and reform civics education in Michigan.

The Rhode Island Youth Voice Fellowship and Youth Research Fellowships were both launched in 2021 by the RI Civic Learning Coalition (RICLC), a multiracial, multiethnic, and multigenerational coalition convened by Generation Citizen.
These fellowships provide a year-long cohort experience in which students gain hands-on experience working with their own state civics policy.

Learn More

Academics and experts in the field agree on three indicators to best predict a student’s likelihood of future civic engagement:

Find out how Generation Citizen is making an impact in these three areas.

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Our regional teams are active community members in true partnership with educators and supporters of civics education.
Use the map to explore key milestones we&#8217;ve achieved across the nation in areas of program work, policy and youth civic leadership.

Learn More About How Action Civics Works in Schools

We partner with middle and high schools to implement a project-based civics curriculum that engages students in their own communities.

Learn More About Our Advocacy Work

We advocate for bold investments in education and tell the stories of students, teachers, and communities to illustrate the importance of civic education nationwide.

Learn More About Our Youth Leadership Work

We provide youth with training, support, and leadership opportunities so they are prepared to write the next chapter of our history.

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All students deserve access to a comprehensive, experiential civics education that prepares them to participate in their communities and in our democracy.

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Find out more

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We envision a world where every young person can assess inclusive, representative, and affirming K-12 civic learning opportunities.

equityincivics.org

Equity in Civics

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Local elections, like those for school board members, impact young people more than anyone else. They have a say in these decisions.

Meet Vote16USA Changemakers

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Vote16USA

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www.macivicsforall.org

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democracyreadyny.tc.columbia.edu

Local Coalitions

<ul>
<li>Support state-based coalitions</li>
<li>Foster a supportive, responsive civics education ecosystem</li>
<li>Promote culturally-relevant democracy education by engaging diverse voices from democracy, civil rights, and education organization, emphasizing youth and educator voices</li>
</ul>

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reports

Equity in Civics: Racial Equity Interview Series Brief

Policy Papers

Reports

Civics Advocates in the State: How Secretaries of State can be Public Champions of Civics Education

Civics Advocates in The State: How Secretaries of State Can Be Public Champions of Civics Education

New York State Seal of Civic Readiness A Toolkit 2023

Program Papers

New York State Seal of Civic Readiness: A Toolkit 2023

Beyond Passing the Torch: Recommendations on Leveraging Age Diversity to Build a Stronger Democracy Now

Democracy Lab: 8th Grade Civics for the 21st Century

Generation Citizen District Report

Generation Citizen Through An Action Civics Lens

Advancing Equity in Civics Community Toolkit

Generation Citizen Press Release Umd Vote16 Research Network Launch

Equity In Civic Education

Ensuring Civic Readiness In A 21st Century Democracy

Generation Citizen Strategic Plan 2020-2025

Generation Citizen Strategic Plan 2017-2020

2018-19 Generation Citizen Policy and Advocacy Agenda

Democracy Lab Flyer 2019

Generation Citizen Policy And Advocacy Agenda

Delossa Civics Testimony June 2017

Generation Citizen Focus Group Report Spring 2017

Generation Citizen Action Civics Presentation 2017

Generation Citizen Educating for Citizenship

Ballard Cohen Littenberg Tobias 2016

Generation Citizen Educating For Democracy

Review of Generation Citizen 2014-15 Program Data Report

Generation Citizen Civic Skills Report

Generation Citizen Efficacy Report

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Stay inspired with all the latest news from Generation Citizen!

Virginia

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Utah

Launched a rural community partnership to bring the GC curriculum to 150 middle and high school students

Kentucky

Facilitated dialogues on Equity in Civics with administrators, teachers, and students

Texas

Launched new partnership for classroom-based programming with the School District of Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

San Francisco students created a 3-bin classroom waste system and met with the Supervisors’ Office of San Francisco to plan waste drop-off days and a beautification event

California

Piloted an educator leadership development program: 
The first cohort of Lead Teachers ran five citywide Civics Days and will train fellow educators to make programs sustainable beyond the direct support of GC

Massachusetts

More than doubled our progress reach through district-level partnership expansions

New York

A GC class project led to 3 years of student advocacy and the 2022 passage of a bill that requires adults who sell alcohol to minors to attend victim impact panels

Oklahoma

“Generation Citizen gave us a voice even though we are so young.”

Student at Southeast High School

Ashley J.

“It has been great. I have learned a lot, more than just doing bookwork about government. I have an idea on how bills are processed or rejected, the cycle. Overall, I love having Generation Citizen at my school.”

Ryan P.

“It has been enlightening. It has helped me to become a better speaker and member of my community.”

Student at Southmoore High School

Hannah C.

“Generation Citizen has really shown me that even students as young as we are have the capability to impact our community.”

Abagail M.

“Generation Citizen has let me know that I can make a change. It has given me an eye for politics. It gives younger kids a voice.”

“It definitely influences how I view our community. It shows me what I can do to change what I am passionate about.”

Student at Southmoore HS

Karly A.

“It made me open into realization into what is going on.”

Student at Norman High

Sabrina H.

“What I have learned is that helping out in the community is very important and being able to do something about the issues we have within the community.”

Student at Southeast HS

Enrique S.

“You need to communicate to get things done. Communication is key.”

Student at Harding Fine Arts

Alexis D.

“I feel like Generation Citizen has helped me learn that I have a voice. That my opinion matters and that I can make a change.”

Maribel R.

RT @lcmichaelides: My request is this: please refuse to accept the convenient narrative that bailing out SVB or allowing it to be purchased…

“The first time we’ve pulled back from freedom is after the Dobbs decision.” - @SpeakerPelosi at the Future of Global Democracy session hosted by @TheAtlantic x @sxsw #SXSW23 https://t.co/VRJzRfujsJ

"I think Kenny Chesney has a perfect voice … I tweet about him all the time and never get any engagement."

Read @kait_tiffany's culture and entertainment picks: https://t.co/fnWrTrXWKb

RT @nondocmedia: This tweet was supposed to go out at 7 a.m., but then the government said it was already 8 a.m. | #Sundaze #Cartoon #DST h…

RT @AmericanStudier: While @DrHettie2017 interviewed @lorgia_pena for @BlkPerspectives about her new book from @haymarketbooks: 
https://t.…

'A question of honesty': Fox News host asks Kevin McCarthy about giving Tucker Carlson Jan. 6 tapes

https://t.co/xRLuFmPJdH

Why hasn’t Biden gone to East Palestine?  https://t.co/DU1HhPPaVl https://t.co/cP9GEu6VpO

Aramco's Nasser says oil market tightly balanced https://t.co/deQyILicol https://t.co/sYknRgAFg8

Retailers say theft is rising as more people shop in stores, cutting into profits that were already under pressure https://t.co/5RU5cGTiHf