The Silverfield College of Education and Human Services at the University of North Florida received a three-year, $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch the Cultivating Comprehensive Civics Education Professional Development Program.
Developed in partnership with Duval County Public Schools and the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government at the University of Central Florida, the initiative will offer 90 in-service civics teachers working in primarily high-need schools in a yearlong series of professional training.
“Civics education is about more than memorizing dates and facts, it’s about helping students engage deeply with ideas, texts and issues that shape our democracy. This grant allows us to support teachers in creating classroom spaces where inquiry, analysis and civic responsibility are at the forefront,” Diane Yendol-Hoppey, professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum, said in an Oct 3 news release.
The program emphasizes lesson design grounded in primary sources, including foundational texts such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. By approaching civics through inquiry and analysis, the program aims to increase student success on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam.
“By building a sustainable pipeline of expertly trained civics teachers, we will expand access to rigorous instruction, improve performance on key benchmarks and deepen students’ sense of civic responsibility across every neighborhood we serve,” April D. Slade, director of K–12 social studies for Duval County Public Schools, said in the release
By combining expertise across institutions and focusing on inquiry-based teacher learning, the program seeks to expand the possibilities of civics education and prepare students to engage thoughtfully in democratic life, UNF said.