"Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom."
  —John Adams

Civic education has languished in recent years in the face of high-stakes testing and increasingly demanding educational requirements. With it, young people’s interest in and understanding of our democracy and justice system has diminished. In 2000, only 5% of young people between the ages of 18-25 said that they regularly followed public affairs. In a recent civics assessment, 75% of high school seniors demonstrated a "basic" or "below basic" understanding of how American government works.

There is also a vast educational achievement gap in our country, which often prevents underserved children from reaching higher education and succeeding (using the most expansive definition of success) in life. Civic education is a frequently overlooked way to address these challenges. Through civic education, students develop the skills and attitudes needed to effectively voice an opinion and act on their beliefs. Students develop a sense of personal responsibility, learn that they can make a difference in their lives and their communities, and become cognizant of the value of their participation.

Civic education must begin early. Research shows that by the end of elementary school, the average student’s sense of civic or political identity has, in large part, been formed. Discovering Justice recognizes this opportunity, providing robust civic education programs for children as young as six.

Effective civic education also has long-term benefits.  Research shows that students who take civics classes are 23% more likely to believe they are responsible for improving society and 14% more likely to vote than those who did not. Civic education can be a powerful motivator to students and an antidote to apathy and disengagement.    

School-based civic education, however, is in decline:

• Today only one civics/government class is required in high school in all 50 states, as compared to an average of three civics classes required in the 1960s;
• Elementary and middle school civics classes are not required in any state in the country.

Discovering Justice addresses this challenge by providing engaging civic education programs that work in concert with state requirements and lessons that teachers are already using. Our programs complement classroom-based learning and help students to understand the relationship between what they learn in school and how they relate to their peers and to society.


*Statistics from the "Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools" (Carnegie/CIRCLE, 2003)