Anna Ballard joined the Center for Civic Education as the Coordinator of National Programs and Grants in 2023. Through this role, she manages and coordinates civic education initiatives such as We the People and Project Citizen, collaborates with internal teams and external stakeholders, supports grant-funded projects, organizes and facilitates meetings, contributes to curriculum review, and fosters innovative initiatives to advance the vision of the Center for Civic Education.

With over a decade of rich and diverse experience in education, she has delved into various facets of curriculum design, instruction, and civic engagement. She spent most of her career as a government teacher, where she strove to create real-world experiences for her students. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in shaping civic education by updating curriculum, designing assessments, and guiding educators through professional development sessions in her county.

She has engaged with various programs, from collaborating with researchers to coordinating census education initiatives and facilitating free English language classes. As an Academic Designer at McGraw Hill and a curriculum writer for Goalsetter, she crafted targeted instructional content, fostering critical thinking, literacy, and diverse learning needs.

Her passion for equitable education led her to her master’s program in peace in conflict studies, where she focused on the impact of the school-to-prison pipeline in today’s classroom. Her journey also encompassed roles like a Children's Defense Fund Fellow and a Gaston County Election Board Data Collection Coordinator, where she applied diverse skills in program development, restorative justice practices, and civic initiatives. This multifaceted experience has instilled a passion for advancing equitable and impactful educational initiatives while nurturing a community-oriented approach to learning.