Month: November 2021

Unity & GSV Venture Select iCivics Among Top 5 Winners of EdTech Creator Challenge

Posted on by icivics

Today, iCivics was named one of the Top 5 winners of the Unity and GSV Ventures EdTech Creator Challenge, and one of the Challenge’s overall top 30 projects. 

The EdTech Creator Challenge celebrates creators who are leveraging 3D-powering immersive learning platforms and tools to advance the technical skills of the next generation and educational solutions to increase access to high-quality learning experiences.

Read the Official Announcement

iCivics was selected as a top 5 winner by a team of more than 60 internal and external judges, who reviewed and rated 250 submissions based on the following criteria:

  • People: Is the team inclusive, and what populations are supported by this organization? 
  • Product: Does this address a critical need and use real-time 3D technology in a unique way?
  • Potential: What is the traction and impact to date, and does this have global potential?
  • Predictability: What are the near-term milestones (financial and other), and are they achievable?
  • Purpose: What is the organization’s mission and what are the impact goals? 

“We are thrilled to receive this honor,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “We remain committed to offering educators and students across the nation the kind of high-quality civic education necessary for the sustained strength of our constitutional democracy.” 

Along with each of the Top 5 winners, iCivics will receive $100,000 in funding from Unity and $10,000 worth of cloud computing credits from Amazon Web Services EdStart. Learn more about iCivics and the other winners that are empowering creators to change the landscape of education and support all learners.

Unity is the world’s leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and others, use Unity to make their imaginations come to life. We believe creators are changemakers. 

iCivics currently utilizes Unity’s powerful and flexible platform to develop its award-winning games. 

GSV Ventures is the leading edtech investment firm, funding $7+ trillion in the education technology sector across “Pre-K to Gray.” With GSV and the EdTech Creator Challenge, we will empower creators to change the landscape of education to support all learners in expanding their professional and income-earning opportunities by accelerating the critical work of EdTech creators using Unity.

30 Students from Across the Country Join iCivics Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship

Posted on by icivics

Now in its third year, national youth fellowship has engaged students from across the country to build civic leadership skills and explore how civic education can become more relevant to all youth in the United States

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Thirty talented high school students from across the country recently formed the newest cohort of the iCivics Equity in Civics Youth Fellowship (ECYF). The fellows are selected on a competitive basis and must be nominated by a teacher to be considered. 

Now in its third year, the program works with students to research and explore how civic education can become more equitable for all students. Fellows utilize their own lived experiences to become ambassadors for better civic education and to shed light on how civic education can include student voices from every background. 

The program, which is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is part of a broader initiative to explore equity in civic education. Throughout the course of the 2021-22 school year, fellows will engage virtually in group discussions with their peers, as well as in workshops and lectures with experts in the field and in projects designed to strengthen listening and collaborative skills—all centered around ensuring that civic education is available and relevant to all students in the United States. 

“I am very excited for the ways in which this amazing group of students will lend their unique voices to the conversation surrounding equitable civic education through this Fellowship,” iCivics Youth Fellowship Community Lead Michael Reyes said. “They will all be learning from each other and engaging their ideas through various activities throughout the year. Most importantly, I look forward to seeing the ways these Fellows will take their experiences into lifelong civic engagement.”

iCivics is proud to announce this year’s Equity in Civics Youth Fellows:

  • Joshua Adegoke, 11th Grader, Challenge Early College High School, Texas
  • Joshua Anderson, 10th Grader, Leominster Center for Excellence, Massachusetts
  • Marley Best, 12th Grader, Redbank Valley High School, Pennsylvania
  • Georgia Bullard, 10th Grader, Sequim High School, Washington
  • Jasper Chavarria, 10th Grader, Junction City High School, Kansas
  • Elena Correa, 11th Grader, Central High School, Nebraska
  • Jemieka Findlay, 12th Grader, Bronx Collaborative High School, New York
  • Alani Sanchez-Flores, 11th Grader, Normal West Community High School, Illinois
  • Tasneem Ghadiali, 10th Grader, Lexington High School, Massachusetts
  • Stella Haag, 9th Grader, Sandpoint Highschool, Idaho
  • Tianna Hunt, 12th Grader, City Neighbors High School, Maryland
  • Howard Jongkyu, Kim 9th Grader, Conestoga High School, Pennsylvania 
  • Brendan Kaminski, 10th Grader, Baldwin High School, New York
  • Kimtee Kundu, 12th Grader, Bravo Medical Magnet High School, California 
  • Darren McQueen, 12th Grader, Christopher Columbus High School, Florida 
  • Dieudonne Mfaume, 12th Grader, Lindbergh High School, Missouri
  • Diamond Moore, 11th Grader, Jones Senior High School, North Carolina
  • Surya Panyam, 10th Grader, Jesuit High School, Oregon 
  • Tiffany Peck, 12th Grader, Alameda High School, Colorado
  • Pedro Pena, Jr., 12th Grade, Anne Community High School, Illinois 
  • Sarah Rivera Rivera, 11th Grader, South County Highschool, Virginia
  • Rowan Jackson Sanborn, 9th Grader, Orono High School, Maine
  • Sophia Schmidt, 12th Grader, Ocean Springs High School, Mississippi
  • Milan Shah, 9th Grader, Westview High School, California
  • Sean Shelbrock, 12th Grader, Hill McCloy High School, Michigan
  • Amylia Tra,10th Grader, Collingswood High School, New Jersey
  • Leo Veatch, 11th Grader, Agate High School, Colorado
  • Ishta Wabaunsee, 11th Grader, Seaman High School, Kansas
  • Joy Washington, 11th Grader, Florida Virtual School, Florida
  • Elfin Wiriyan, 11th Grader, James Madison Memorial High School, Wisconsin

5 iCivics Election Day Activities

Posted on by Luke O'Connor

Happy Election Day! Today, important local elections will be held around the country. These races and ballot measures are a great way to introduce students to voting, explore how the process works, and talk about the impact casting a ballot can have right in their local communities. If you’re searching for fun Election Day activities for your class, look no further! Check out some of our top resources.

1. Cast Your Vote Game

Cast Your Vote demonstrates the value of becoming an informed voter. In this game, students will research candidates, identify issues important to them, and then participate in a simulated local election.

The Extension Pack explains concepts and vocabulary that may be new to students and turns many parts of the game into teachable moments. The game offers English language learner (ELL) support and a pre/post-game assessment quiz, which will help you gain insight into what students learned during gameplay.

2. Voting Rights Lesson Plan

Even though your students may not be old enough to vote, they still can have major influence on elections. From registering voters to contacting elected officials, young people have many opportunities to participate in this democratic process. This resource guide – designed to be used independently – gives students tools, ideas, and guidance for engaging in elections outside the ballot box.

4. The Spectrum of State Election Laws Infographic

The rules for voting can vary greatly from one state to another. Keeping track of the differences can be difficult, but this interactive infographic lays out the various options and allows students to pinpoint which laws apply to their state. From registration to IDs to recounts, this infographic truly covers the election law spectrum.

5. Got Ballot? Lesson Plan

One of the best ways for students to understand how voting works is to see a ballot themselves! This lesson takes students to the voting booth and explains what they could see on a ballot. From referendums to recalls, students will get a better understanding of how voters have the opportunity to initiate change in state and local government.

These just scratch the surface of iCivics’ options for Election Day activities. Check out our Election Headquarters and Politics and Public Policy curriculum unit for more!

Head to the Election Headquarters!

Department of Defense and National Defense Education Program Move to Prioritize Civic Education With $2 Million Grant to iCivics

Posted on by icivics

The grant will fund the Civics, Service and Leadership program, designed to teach K–12 and JROTC students the foundational knowledge and skills needed to be engaged civic participants in a diverse United States.

Washington, DC — The Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Defense Education Program (NDEP) have awarded $2 million to iCivics, the country’s largest civic education provider, to build content and curriculum to teach civics to K–12 and Junior ROTC students. 

The grant will fund the development of iCivics’ Civics, Service and Leadership (CSL) program, a two-year pilot through which iCivics will build upon and refine its existing award-winning curricula to meet the specific needs of students in the military’s K–12 education system. It is the first grant awarded under the Enhanced Civic Education grant program developed by the DoD.

The initiative has the potential to ultimately reach the more than 60,000 students and 8,000 teachers—as well as the JROTC programs that operate in more than 1,700 public and private high schools, military outposts, and correctional centers throughout the United States and overseas.

The iCivics CSL program includes the development of new resources for elementary, middle and high school students, the creation of professional development for teachers designed specifically for NDEP, as well as the development of a technology portal for participating teachers and instructors. iCivics will also create a volunteer manual for military service members and families. All of the content will be aligned to state standards and benchmarks. iCivics will work with partners in this endeavor, including Blue Star Families, Makematic, National Council for the Social Studies, and a number of professional development providers. 

Section 234 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Department of Defense to implement a pilot program on enhanced civic education in collaboration with the DoDEA and/or JROTC. Enhanced Civics Education awardees will receive $4 million over two years to prepare the next generation to better understand the U.S. Government and their role as citizens in civic engagement.

This includes an expansion of the DoDEA and JROTC civic education programs, working to get military-affiliated youth more civically engaged and teaching critical civic knowledge and skills, such as voting, public service, collaboration, compromise, and media literacy. The DoD also awarded a civic education grant to the Education Development Center.

“iCivics couldn’t be more honored to be entrusted with this important work. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the military community and families for whom civic duty is already a central component of everyday life,” said iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé. “We are thankful for the opportunity this partnership with the Department of Defense and National Defense Education Program presents for iCivics to play its part in ensuring the highest quality civic education possible for these students tied in such a unique and meaningful way to the civic life of our country through their DoDEA or JROTC education.”

In iCivics, the DoD has found a partner that is trusted by schools across the country. Founded in 2009 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics has more than 300 digital educational resources used by more than 145,000 teachers and 9 million students annually. iCivics resources, which teach the fundamentals of American constitutional democracy by engaging students in a first-person perspective of civic life, are nonpartisan and free to use at www.icivics.org. 

“Our military families and young people interested in serving in the armed forces deserve the best possible civic education, which will ensure a full understanding of the constitutional democracy service members pledge to protect,” said Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04). “In Congress, we recognized the importance of K-12 civic learning by funding a Department of Defense grant to create a civic education program for the Department of Defense Education Activity. iCivics is the national leader in providing students the tools needed to learn the fundamentals of engaged citizenship, and I am proud to champion iCivics for this program.”