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Initiatives

Ongoing and Past Initiatives

  • Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

    As America approaches its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, the Civic Learning Council supports educational, governmental, and non-profit organizations as they create opportunities and initiatives that give life to this grand experiment in democracy. 

     

    This is a time for a call to action to youth, new Americans, and leaders to design new ways to reimagine the promise of America. This anniversary is the time to rebuild opportunities that prioritize active learning in communities that bring new voices into discussions on how public spaces can be utilized to strengthen our democracy.

     

    This is also an opportunity to invite those who honorably served our country in national military and civilian service to share their insights and experience as important contributors to our democracy.


    We welcome your ideas on ways your community and schools will utilize America250 as an opportunity to engage in democratic participation and strengthen our commitment as a robust and thriving democracy. The CLC will post these ideas so others can learn from your creative efforts.

    Resources

  • Advocating for Civics Education

    The Civic Learning Council has been instrumental in advocating for civics education in the Washington State Legislature.

     

    Once instance of this includes House Bill (HB) 1869, signed by Governor Jay Inslee on March 18, 2018 which required that beginning with (or before) the 2020-21 school year, all districts containing a high school school must provide a mandatory stand alone course on civics for each student.

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    For more information on the CLC's ongoing legislative advocacy, please see the Legislative Committee section on the Committees page. 

  • Providing Meaningful Opportunities for Students to Become Active, Informed, and Engaged

    The Council on Public Legal Education (CPLE) launched the ambitious Civic Learning Initiative (CLI) in January 2017 to bolster civic learning for Washington State students. Led by Margaret Fisher, the CLI kicked off at the 2017 Summit for educators and legislators focusing on identifying civic learning obstacles and solutions to accomplish the goals (see below for more information on the 2017 Summit). 

     

    Initiative Goals

    • Ensure that all Washington youth have access to high quality civic learning both in school and in out-of-school programming — satisfying six proven practices of the Civic Mission of Schools.

    • Foster collaboration between in-school and out-of-school civic learning educators so that opportunities for training, programs, curricula, and professional development are networked and shared.

    • Promote equity by prioritizing civic learning opportunities for underserved youth — especially youth of color, immigrant and refugee youth, and youth in rural communities.

    • Establish local civic learning partnerships.

    • Raise public awareness and support for civic learning.

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    Download the Initiative's Information Sheet (PDF)

  • January 23, 2018

    The Civic Learning Initiative's second summit included a welcome from Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst, a panel discussion and demonstrations featuring a youth court traffic hearing and presentation from Echo Lake Elementary School students. The official launch of iCivicsWA, a new website tailored for educators in Washington, also occurred during the event, as well as a display of civic learning programs taught in classrooms across the state. Attendees included initiative partners, elected officials, civic leaders, community members, educators and administrators, and judicial branch representatives.

    Download the     2018 Summit Agenda (PDF)

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    Summit 2 Recordings:

  • The Civic Learning Initiative's first event kicked off with Summit One on January 23, with educators and legislators working together to identify civic learning obstacles and determining solutions to accomplish initiative goals.

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    During the first summit, attendees examined the nature of civic learning in the twenty-first century, addressed gaps in civic learning in Washington, and discussed how to provide more effective civic learning to all youth in Washington. Summit sessions also focused on the policies, resources, and support necessary for success in K-12 schools and youth development programs.

     

    Participants for Summit One included:

    • State Legislators and Educators

    • State Council on Social Studies

    • Washington Student Achievement Council

    • League of Women Voters

    • Members of the Council on Public Legal Education

     

    Co-sponsors in attendance:

    • Governor Jay Inslee

    • Mary E. Fairhurst, Chief Justice, Washington Supreme Court

    • Ricardo S. Martinez, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington

    • Bob Ferguson, Attorney General

    • Kim Wyman, Secretary of State

    • Chirs Reykdal, Superintendent of Public Instruction

    • Eric Liu, Founder and CEO, Citizen University

    • Ann Murphy, President, League of Women Voters of Washington

    • David Beard, Policy and Advocacy Director, Schools Out Washington

    • Bradley Liebrecht, President, Washington State Council for the Social Studies

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    SUMMIT MATERIALS

    January 23, 2017

  • iCivicsWA is a Google-funded effort to expand the offerings of the national iCivics program to include content specific to Washington State. iCivicsWA has lesson plans comparing the US and Washington state constitutions, initiatives and referenda, county and local governments, and water rights.

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    iCivics was the inspiration of Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. iCivics works to inspire young people for informed civic engagement by providing interactive resources, educational games, and project-based curricula that teach fundamental principles of government, law, and civic responsibility. This approach to learning promotes a deeper understanding of democracy, providing a well-rounded education that prepares them for their roles in the self-governing society. Several of the video games, lesson plans, and resources are also available in Spanish.

  • Honoring Contributions to the Public's Understanding of Law and Democracy

    The Isidore Starr Flame of Democracy Award was created to recognize significant contributions made to the public's understanding of the law, democracy and the legal system. It has been awarded periodically since its inception in 2002.  The recipient may be an individual or an organization. 

     

    Award winners include:

We Need Your Support

America's 250 WA State logo

America 250

How will WA commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence?

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Legislative Advocacy

Judge Marlin Appelwick, Judi Billings, Sarah Clinton (a high school student), with many others testified with former CLC President, Margaret Fisher, in support of a civic learning public-private partnership. January 26, 2017

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2018 Summit

The full council with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor at the 2018 Civic Learning Initiative Summit

Our Work to Promote Civics in Washington State

The work of the Civic Learning Council is broad and deep. Explore our ongoing and past initiatives below.

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