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Civics Education

Offering analysis and curricula for students, parents and teachers to improve our understanding of the American Experiment.

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About Civics Education

Amid deep polarization and the rise of shallow, rapid-fire media, the nation faces an urgent challenge: preparing young Americans to engage rationally in civic life, understand our constitutional system, and safeguard a free society. 

Pioneer advances rigorous history and civics education, recognizing the need for a shared “possession” among citizens, grounded in the nation’s founding principles, coherent historical knowledge, and a clear understanding of American institutions. 

Our work helps states build strong, content-rich civics frameworks through policy guides like Restoring the City on a Hill to strengthen standards and instruction; polling; high-quality content featuring leading scholars and educators on The Learning Curve podcast; widely used classroom resources; and a comprehensive civics curriculum developed by nationally respected teachers. 

We must rise to the challenge and equip every student with the knowledge, habits of mind, and historical understanding needed for responsible citizenship in a constitutional republic. 

Latest from Civics Education

American Citizenship, Education
December 14, 2023

Better Civics Education Is the Massachusetts Way

The fight for more comprehensive civics education in the Bay State has persisted for years. The Legislature’s recent override of Gov. Maura Healey’s cut to the state’s modest civics instruction budget suggests that in many in Massachusetts — including parents, teachers, and lawmakers — support strengthening the state’s civics and history curriculum, particularly with mounting evidence of declined student performance across the country.
American Citizenship, Education
October 25, 2023

New Book Calls on States to Improve U.S. History and Civics Education

Pioneer Institute is today releasing Restoring the City on a Hill: U.S. History and Civics in America’s Schools, which details the decline of history and civics knowledge among students and offers a plan for how states and local school districts can foster understanding of and curiosity about our nation’s history.
American Citizenship, Education
February 22, 2023

Civics education is crucial to engaged citizenship

The Founding Fathers believed the main role of public education was not workforce development, but to create citizens prepared for informed participation in American democracy. Without this, they feared the nation might dissolve. Never have the founders looked more prescient.
American Citizenship, Education
December 7, 2022

Poll Finds Strong Majority of Massachusetts Residents Support Restoring U.S. History MCAS Graduation Requirement

Sixty-two percent of Massachusetts residents support restoring passage of a U.S. history test as a public high school graduation requirement, according to a poll of Massachusetts residents’ attitudes toward education policy commissioned by Pioneer Institute and conducted by the Emerson College Polling Center.
American Citizenship, Education
December 7, 2022

Massachusetts Survey Report on US History MCAS

Sixty-two percent of Massachusetts residents support restoring passage of a U.S. history test as a public high school graduation requirement, according to a poll of Massachusetts residents’ attitudes toward education policy commissioned by Pioneer Institute and conducted by the Emerson College Polling Center.

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Explore Our Work

American Citizenship, Education
March 9, 2022

Civics Education is More Important than Ever

American Citizenship, Education
February 16, 2022

New Study Shows What Works for Civics Education

American Citizenship, Education
February 16, 2022

Learning for Self-Government: A K–12 Civics Report Card

American Citizenship, Education
July 19, 2021

Elevating Liberal Democracy Above Fragmentation – 30 Resources for Citizens and Schools

American Citizenship, Education
July 4, 2021

Celebrating American Independence! – 50 Resources on America's Founding for Schoolchildren & Citizens

American Citizenship, Education
June 28, 2021

“The Jazz Age” – 1920s America – 50 Resources for High School Students

American Citizenship, Education
June 2, 2021

“Ballast for the Ship of State” – The U.S. Senate – 40 Resources for High School Students

American Citizenship, Education
March 1, 2021

Key Madison Park Program Lags Other State Voc-Techs, but Shows Signs of Improvement

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Meet the Experts

Jamie Gass

Jamie Gass

Director of the PioneerEducation

Fact of the day

Electricity Generation by State: 2023

How much electricity do states produce? In 2023, Texas generated twice as much power as Florida, the next closest state. At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont produced the least electricity and had the lowest per capita generation rate. Explore the data on US DataLabs! https://loom.ly/-trkbR4
#facts, #electricitygeneration

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