#CivicsMatters
In an era where American civics and history education is being politicized and civics education is at its worst point in history, students need a revitalized civics education. The #CivicsMatters is Project TEAL's signature summer 2021 campaign, focusing on promoting civics education in a variety of ways. Most notably, Project TEAL hosted its first Congressional Lobby Day, meeting with 7 Congressional offices on the landmark Civics Secures Democracy Act. We trained and organized a dozen cohorts and small groups to make our case to Congress about the Civics Secures Democracy Act. Additionally, this campaign has focused on providing students with an Activist Toolkits and other resources to learn more about the history of civics education in America and actions they can take.
Lobby day
On July 9th, Project TEAL met with 7 Congressional offices on the Civics Secures Democracy Act, a once-in-a-generation bill that would dramatically revitalize American Civics education by allocating grants for state boards, prioritizing equity in education, and providing both students and teachers with the necessary resources to bolster American civics education. In our efforts, several offices stated their interest to co-sponsor the bill, and all offices gave us their support. Through this Lobby Day, we provided students across the country with the opportunity to make their voice heard in Congress.
Civics Secures Democracy Act Policy Brief.pdfCivics Secures Democracy Act Policy Brief
In our organizing, Project TEAL created a one-page policy brief to explain the key provisions of the Civics Secures Democracy Act, impacts of the bill, and statistics on the disparity of American civics education.
Activist Toolkit
As part of the #CivicsMatters campaign, Project TEAL compiled resources for activists to foster a better understanding of the history of civics education in the United States.
#Civics Matters.pdf