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Massachusetts civic-education coalition outlines K–12 programs tied to 250th anniversary
Summary
The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition told the state’s 250th-commission meeting about Civic Learning Week events, a Mass Civic Project Showcase across four regional sites and curricular supports aligned to Massachusetts standards, and invited educators and towns to participate.
The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition told the special commission on the 250th anniversary on a presentation that it is ramping up programs for educators and students ahead of 2026, including a statewide Civic Learning Week, a multi-site Mass Civic Project Showcase, and classroom materials aligned to state standards.
Casey Cullen, of the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies, said Civic Learning Week will focus on the 250th anniversary and is intended for students, teachers, administrators, policymakers and the public. "Civic Learning Week is free, open to all," Cullen said, and he encouraged commission members to connect local teachers with coalition events.
David Buchanan, director of Massachusetts programs for iCivics and director of the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition, described the week as a mix of workshops, film and legislative briefings designed to spotlight civic education. "It's a great mix of people and it's really a great celebration of civic education here in Massachusetts," Buchanan said.
Katie Giles, executive director of the Civics and History Inquiry Partnership, described online educator courses led by Danielle Allen and a year-long eighth-grade civic-engagement unit co-created by the Democratic Knowledge Project and Massachusetts educators. Giles noted the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's "Investigating History" materials for grades 3–7 and said her group supports roughly 60 schools using that curriculum now and plans to add about 70 more next year.
Cullen and presenters highlighted dates and locations for public showcases: May 26 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, May 29 at UMass Dartmouth, June 1 at the DCU Center, and June 5 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston. The coalition also cited partner organizations that provide classroom tools and media resources, including Discovering Justice, Circle (Tufts), GBH/PBS and Education Development Center.
The coalition asked the commission to help spread information to local districts and invited commission members to serve as community advisors for the Mass Civic Project Showcase and other programs. Presentation materials will be distributed to commission members after the meeting.
