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Center for Civic Education and Gibbs Smith Education Announce Strategic Partnership to Expand Access to Renowned K-12 Civic Education Programs Nationwide
The Center for Civic Education and Gibbs Smith Education have joined forces to distribute the Center’s nationally recognized We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution and Project Citizen curricular materials for K-12 classrooms. The partnership between the Center, one of the nation’s most trusted civic education organizations, and Gibbs Smith Education, an independent, employee-owned publisher committed to making an ethical difference in the world of public education, will expand access to research-backed, nonpartisan civic education.
“This partnership will allow us to reach more schools and students at a critical time for the nation,” said Dr. Donna Phillips, President and CEO of the Center for Civic Education. “Gibbs Smith Education will provide increased distribution of our high-quality instructional materials in civics, increasing accessibility to impactful civic education. The partnership will allow greater numbers of young people from all over the country to engage in experiential learning to practice the skills needed to become responsibly engaged citizens in their communities. Increased classroom implementation of We the People and Project Citizen is exactly what is needed to renew our democratic republic.”
“This exciting partnership with the Center for Civic Education brings together two organizations deeply committed to advancing civic engagement and social studies education,” said Liz Wallace, President and Publisher at Gibbs Smith Education. “By combining the Center’s decades of expertise and their impactful programs with our educator-created, inquiry-based resources, we’re able to expand access to powerful educational materials that equip students to think critically, engage actively and lead confidently.”
We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is a comprehensive civics curriculum for elementary, middle and high school students that engages young people in immersive study of the history and principles of American constitutional democracy. We the People has been taught nationwide since 1987. The program culminates with simulated congressional hearings, where students testify before a panel of judges acting as members of Congress. In addition to state competitions across the country, every spring, the Center hosts the We the People National Finals and National Invitational, capstone competitions for high school and middle school students held in the Washington, D.C., area.
Project Citizen introduces young people to the process of monitoring and influencing public policy. Participants work as a group to identify and study a problem in their community and propose their own public policy solution. Their final product is a portfolio that is presented to other classes, groups, community organizations or policymakers. The culminating event is the annual Project Citizen National Showcase, where student projects from across the nation are evaluated by panels of judges.
About the Center for Civic Education
For 60 years, the Center for Civic Education has been recognized as a leader in providing civic education to K-12 students and adults, with its research-based curriculum reaching more than 50 million students and 440,000 educators in the United States and in more than 80 countries since 1965. Learn more about the Center for Civic Education, including the We the People and Project Citizen programs, at www.civiced.org.
About Gibbs Smith Education
Gibbs Smith Education creates award-winning educational resources that enrich and inspire. Since its founding in 1969, Gibbs Smith Education has maintained its independence and commitment to quality across its diverse library of social studies programs and resources. Every publication reflects its dedication to accurate content, thoughtful curriculum design and ethical value. As a certified Benefit Corporation and 100% employee-owned publisher, Gibbs Smith Education is committed to making a positive impact on its employee-owners, local communities, the education and publishing industries, and the planet. www.gibbssmitheducation.com.
