“The goal of the grant is to strengthen civic literacy and civic engagement across Southwest Ohio by building K–12 educators’ capacity to teach civics and American history, while also providing direct, engaging learning opportunities for students,” said Jason Anderson, Wright State executive director of the Center for Civics, Culture and Workforce Development.
He said the work is intentionally designed as a multi-year “civic infrastructure” effort.
The three-year program includes:
- 48 in-person civics seminars for up to 8,640 K–12 educators and other school staff, such as principals
- Credentialing of 1,080 teacher-leaders in civics education
- Immersive summer camps for 1,800 students focused on civic knowledge, leadership and civil discourse
- An interactive Civic-Quest online platform projected to serve 920 educators and 500 students annually
- Mentorships, leadership development and certification of 30 Train-the-Trainer fellows
- 12 full-tuition scholarships for exceptional student civic ambassadors
Anderson said the initiative is framed around the U.S.’s 250th anniversary in 2026. It also aligns with Ohio’s renewed emphasis on civics education, he said.
“Wright State’s Center for Civics, Culture, and Workforce Development was created to serve exactly this kind of regional need, and we see this moment as an opportunity to deliver measurable impact while building sustainable capacity that lasts well beyond the anniversary year,” Anderson said.
Ohio legislators included in last year’s budget bill a provision that Ohio institutions of higher education must include a three credit hour civics course.
Educators are the primary audience for the seminar series, he said, including K-12 teachers in both private and public schools and homeschool teachers. It is also meant to include educators and partners who influence civic learning in schools, he said.
The summer camps are meant for students, he said, and there will be student-oriented modules with the Civic-Quest platform.
“Civic education is crucial for fostering informed citizens who actively participate in our system of shared governance and community life,” said Mike Jacobs, deputy director of the Center for Civics, Culture and Workforce Development. “This grant enables us to invest in our local teachers and students to make this happen.”
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