CAMBRIDGE, MASS — iCivics, the country’s leading civic education provider, has partnered with custom content publisher XanEdu to help Massachusetts students discover the power of creating positive change. Through the partnership, teachers will be able to purchase materials that will help them fulfill the state’s new civics project requirement, which encourages students to use what they have learned to address problems in their communities.
iCivics, an educational nonprofit, has created a student workbook titled, Civics Projects: A Workbook for Civic Engagement, and an accompanying teacher’s edition that guides students through the six stages of nonpartisan student led civics projects outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to fulfill the requirements of the state’s civic law, The Act to Promote and Enhance Civic Engagement.
XanEdu, which delivers custom content solutions to thousands of educational institutions each year, is teaming with iCivics to ensure that Massachusetts school districts can access and receive the workbooks.
The student workbook answers a question posed by many Massachusetts educators as they prepared to teach the civics unit: “Where do I begin?” The student workbook and teacher’s guide, which was created by iCivics specifically for this project, provide the nonpartisan, high quality information to ensure students fulfill the requirement.
“We’re excited to be working with XanEdu to make our high-quality civics materials widely available to students and teachers in Massachusetts,” said Dave Buchanan, Director of Massachusetts Programs at iCivics. “Young people are often the source of many creative solutions to social problems in our country. This partnership will help them learn how to put what they have learned into action by experiencing the practical aspects of participating in democracy.”
Since it was founded in 2009 by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics has created a library of digital games and hundreds of digital resources that teach every aspect of civic life and engagement — from presidential elections to media literacy to the workings of local and county governments. All of the material is free and nonpartisan. The games are played by more than 7.6 million students every year, and used by more than 120,500 teachers nationwide.
The partnership with XanEdu comes at a time when educators in Massachusetts and across the U.S. are helping students to understand the complex and rapidly changing events in the world. More school districts have turned to iCivics to provide context for students as they attempt to understand news events such as demands for social justice in the summer of 2020, the 2020 presidential election, and the insurgency against the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
iCivics and XanEdu are taking that one step further by empowering students to translate that understanding of national and world events into action. The student workbook provides step-by-step instructions for how to start and successfully complete a civics project, and contains lessons on key content and vocabulary. Since it provides space for students to record research, track their progress and reflect on their accomplishments, the workbook serves as a student’s portfolio.
The teacher’s edition includes all of the pages from the student workbook, plus answers, lesson plans and suggestions for activities.
“Our partnership with iCivics is one of our most exciting and rewarding projects in recent years, because it not only demonstrates to students the power of civic responsibility, it translates it into action,” said Brett Costello, Chief Operating Officer of XanEdu. “The iCivics curriculum shows students how to make an impact in their communities, and we’re proud to have a role in ensuring that they receive this most important message.”
About XanEdu
As the leading provider of custom education materials, XanEdu has been increasing student engagement and enhancing learning outcomes since 1999 by delivering innovative solutions across the education spectrum. Accessibility and engagement for all learners is our mission. Thousands of education organizations work with XanEdu each year to customize and deliver content that is affordable, engaging, and accessible, digitally and in print, for over 1.5 million students. We are committed to advancing the learning tools for tomorrow through innovative products and services that address evolving learning styles, incorporate cutting edge technology, and provide flexibility for customization while maintaining our commitment to affordability and accessibility for all learners. XanEdu is a privately held company headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI.
