Aruna Patel is the Center for Civic Education’s Senior Director of Civic Education. She is responsible for supporting her colleagues at the Center in developing and implementing high-priority strategies, goals, and objectives to ensure ongoing success, spur innovation, and lead growth of the Center for Civic Education’s national civic education programs, curriculum, research, and innovations.

Aruna launched her career in social studies education as a high school teacher in Philadelphia School District. Building on her classroom experiences and passion for adult learning and curriculum development, Aruna supported social studies teachers, principals, and district leadership throughout New York City and New York State as the Lead Curriculum Development and Professional Learning Manager in Social Studies at New Visions for Public Schools. She also served on the New York State Task Force for Civic Education and Equity, spearheading an effort to develop the innovative Seal of Civic Readiness diploma seal. She followed up that experience by supporting civic education programming across New York City to ensure students were able to earn the distinctive diploma seal.

She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young children, where they enjoy hiking, reading, and visiting beaches.