Release: Center for Civic Education & the Civic Education Research Lab to Convene National Leaders at Georgetown University for Landmark Civic Education Research Symposium

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2026

Media Contact:
Patrice N. Snow — 803.317.1181
Senior Director of Marketing ande Communications
Center for Civic Education

Washington, D.C. — As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of American independence, more than 150 educators, researchers, policymakers, and civic leaders will gather at Georgetown University later this week for a high-stakes national conversation about the future of civic education and what the evidence says actually works. Hosted by the Center for Civic Education and the Civic Education Research Lab, the We the People: National Symposium on Civic Education Research will spotlight new, independent research showing measurable gains in civic knowledge and skills when students engage in high-quality, inquiry-driven civic learning.

Running full days Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, the event marks the culmination of more than three years of innovation and rigorous evaluation under the James Madison Legacy Project Expansion Program (JMLPE), funded by a grant from the Education Innovation and Research Program of the U.S. Department of Education.

“At a moment when civic learning gaps are widening, evidence of what works matters,” said Dr. Donna Phillips, President and CEO of the Center for Civic Education. “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, this research sends a clear message: when we invest in high-quality civic education, students not only rise to the challenge of self-government but expand skills in other areas such as literacy.”

The James Madison Legacy Project Expansion Program has reached:

• 342+ teachers
• 20,000+ middle and high school students
• 200+ schools
• 16 states nationwide

Dr. Diana Owen, the Civic Education Research Lab’s Director and Principal Investigator said, “The JMLPE research demonstrates that quality civic education can establish a strong foundation for students’ meaningful engagement in community life. We the People students made significant gains in civic knowledge. Their understanding of American history and how government works increased markedly. Importantly, they gained core communication, civil discourse, and teamwork skills, and became more confident in their ability to participate in public affairs.”

Across one pilot year and two full research implementation years, educators participated in sustained professional learning tied to the We the People: The Citizen and Constitution curriculum. Independent randomized controlled trials conducted by Georgetown’s Civic Education Research Lab found:

• Significant gains in civic knowledge compared to students in traditional civics classes
• Measurable growth in civic skills
• Strong positive outcomes across all subgroups studied, including English learners, students of color, and students with disabilities

“This is what happens when research, classroom practice, and long-term professional learning align,” said Alissa Irion-Groth, Director of Program Grants and Innovation at the Center for Civic Education. “We are not just seeing improvement, we are seeing meaningful, measurable gains for students who have too often been left out of high-quality civic learning opportunities.”

The symposium was deliberately scheduled to launch into Civic Learning Week (March 9–13), a nationwide celebration of civic education.

During the symposium, the Center will release nine new inquiry-based lesson plans designed to support diverse learners using the We the People curriculum, along with publicly accessible research summaries.

Participants will engage in:

• Presentations from leading scholars
• Classroom perspectives from teachers and students
• Research and policy roundtables focused on scaling evidence-based civic education
• Collaborative action planning
• National networking across the civic education field

While in-person registration is closed, plenary sessions will be livestreamed nationally via the symposium webpage, expanding access for educators, school leaders, researchers, and policymakers across the country.

“For more than six decades, the Center has been preparing students for the responsibilities of American self-government,” Dr. Phillips said. “This national symposium kicks off Civic Learning Week with the conversation, not only about the need for civic education, but about what works.”

Media are welcome to attend the Symposium and interview participating educators, Center for Civic Education staff, and panelists. For more information, please contact Patrice Snow at 803.317.1181.

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The Center for Civic Education is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating an informed and thoughtful citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy. We do this primarily through our flagship programs, We the People and Project Citizen, but we also provide high-quality, inquiry-driven curricular programs that bring civic learning to life. The Center additionally equips educators with professional learning that builds confidence and capacity to teach civics with depth and relevance, unlocks students’ civic agency by creating opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and share their voices through simulated hearings and other public forums. These initiatives build a national community committed to strengthening civic understanding and participation for all and root everything in decades of research and evidence.