Logo: Project Citizen

We the People:
National Symposium on Civic Education Research

March 6–7, 2026

The Center for Civic Education and the Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) invite you to join leaders from across the nation for a pivotal gathering at the intersection of research, practice, and policy.
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Symposium Agenda & Slides

Friday, March 6, 2026
Download the Slides for Day 1
8:00 a.m. — Doors Open: Arrivals and Check-In
Livestream will be paused.
8:30–8:45 a.m. — Welcome and Opening: Why Civic Education Matters Now
8:45–9:00 a.m. — Civic Education for All Students
9:00–9:20 a.m. — From Promise to Proof: What JMLPE Tells Us About What Works
9:25–9:50 a.m. — Innovation in Action: Inside We the People
9:50–11:00 a.m. — Learning Democracy by Doing It: A We the People Hearing
11:00–11:15 a.m. — Break
11:15 a.m.–12:10 p.m. — Promising Practices in Civic Education for Students with Disabilities
12:10–1:10 p.m. — Lunch, Interviews, and Informal Discussions
1:10–2:00 p.m. — Promising Practices in Civic Education for English Learners
2:00–2:40 p.m. — Breakthroughs in Civic Education Research
2:40–3:00 p.m. — Break
3:00–3:40 p.m. — Civics that Sticks: The Power of Experiential Civic Learning
3:45–4:30 p.m. — What Drives Civic Learning? The School and the Family in Conversation
4:30–4:40 p.m. — Transition to Hilltop
4:40–6:00 p.m. — The Civic Exchange
6:00 p.m. — Dinner On Your Own
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Download the Slides for Day 2
8:00 a.m. — Arrivals and Breakfast
Livestream will be paused.
8:30–8:40 a.m. — Welcome to Day Two
8:40–9:20 a.m. — Leading With Evidence: Why Civic Education Can’t Afford Guesswork
9:20–9:50 a.m. — That Just Happened: Lesson Demonstration and Debrief
9:50–10:45 a.m. — It’s Elementary: Civics and Literacy
10:45–11:00 a.m. — Break
11:00–11:40 a.m. — What Drives Civic Learning? K-12 and the Academy in Conversation
11:40 a.m.–12:15 p.m. — What Drives Civic Learning? Curriculum and Professional Learning in Conversation
12:15–1:15 p.m. — Lunch, Interviews, and Informal Discussions
1:15–2:00 p.m. — Civic Education Innovation Roundtables
2:00–2:20 p.m. — Who Governs the Algorithm: Civic Education, AI & Democracy
2:20–2:40 p.m. — AI is Here!
2:40–3:00 p.m. — Take it to the Tables: AI in Context
3:00–3:20 p.m. — What We Know. What We Must Do.
3:20–3:30 p.m. — Continue the Conversation!
Funded by a grant from the Education Innovation and Research Program of the U.S. Department of Education.
About

CCE LogoThe 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. Learn more.

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