Much momentum has been generated in the area of civic learning following the September 2011 release of “Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools.” The report is a community-wide assessment of the challenges confronting civic learning, with cross-sector recommendations to strengthen and improve it for all students.

The report has been cited and discussed in several additional reports and discussion platforms, including the White House convening entitled “For Democracy's Future: Education Reclaims Our Civic Mission” which supported the release of two major publications: “A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future” from AAC&U and “Advancing Civic Learning and Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action,” lead by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Brookings Institution recently hosted a discussion on the topic, “Teaching America: The Case for Civic Education.” Further, the Citizenship program at the American Enterprise Institute released “Strengthening the Civic Mission of Charter Schools.”

NCoC is pleased the report has sparked continued interest. We look forward to being part of these continued discussions, and hope the interest in this area will magnify the importance of creating effective opportunities for civic learning for all American students.