Democracy Schools Network

Monthly Update

May 2025

Registration for the Fall 2025 Illinois Democracy Schools Convening is now open!

Motivating Agency, Sustaining the Republic

Monday, September 22

8:00 AM – 2:30 PM

NIU Conference Center

1120 E. Diehl Rd.

Naperville, IL 60563

Breakout Sessions Include:

• AI for Research and Writing: Or How I Learned to Embrace AI Without Fearing Plagiarism and Losing My Mind
• Bridging Divides Through Civil Discourse: Empowering Students to Find Common Ground
• Can the President Do That?: Resources for Teaching About Executive Power
• Civic Harmony: Navigating Multiple Perspectives in our American Constitutional Democracy
• Civic Virtue and Civil Society: Fostering Informed and Active Citizenship
• Civics Resources for Dialogue and Inquiry
• Legal Precedent in Unprecedented Times
• Methods for Engaging Multilingual Learners in Civic Inquiry
• Model UN: A Civic Learning Powerhouse
• Q&A on the Role of the Courts in Our System of Checks and Balances
• Religious Upstanders in Nazi Germany
• SCOTUS Preview
• Unlock Your Students' Civic Superpowers
• What’s in the Mix for 2026? Looking to the Midterms

Illinois Democracy Schools New Civic Learning Model

The NEW K-12 civic learning model is on our website. Please take a minute to check it out. It incorporates new thinking in the field of civic education, as well as ideas that members have shared with us regarding some gaps and overlaps in the previous model. You’ll note that we now have four elements rather than eleven, but our crosswalk ensures that all the essential information from the former model is indeed there.

We are counting on our team of experts (our members!) to share “examples of the elements in practice” (an assignment, project, activity, program, etc.) that demonstrates one or more of the stakeholder actions. (Please use this Google Doc to describe and share it with Sue (skhalaieff@illinoiscivics.org). Thank you for your contribution!



Illinois Democracy Schools Steering Committee

Many thanks to Logan Ridenour, Jeanne Donaldson, Donald Davis, Jen Burdette, Jamie Nash-Mayberry, and Pat Riley for their energy and expertise in developing bylaws for the Illinois Democracy Schools Network. We will be sharing these bylaws in the coming months. Stay tuned...

A New Tool from Facing History and Ourselves to Help Leaders Facilitate Difficult Conversations

Facing History and Ourselves has published the Facilitating Difficult Conversations in Schools white paper to help educational leaders navigate conversations on polarizing topics with empathy, self-awareness, and critical thinking. Adapted from their popular Fostering Civil Discourse classroom guide, this new resource is intended to help leaders leverage their unique position to promote a culture of healthy, respectful, and productive discourse in their school communities.



In this white paper, you’ll learn to differentiate between civil discourse and debate in order to build shared understanding and communicate more effectively. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll then discover actionable tools to equip your staff with a school-wide approach to civil discourse while refining your conversation skills to have the difficult conversations that we know are so important to bridging difference, forming connections, and fostering a more empathetic and inclusive society. Building a positive school climate creates students who are more likely to succeed academically and less likely to engage in bullying. But when their educational environment empowers students and teachers to actually work through tough moments and consider vital questions rather than brushing them under the rug, research shows that young people gain a newfound understanding of the role they play in a functioning democracy. This means they are more likely to vote, participate politically, and engage in civic-minded behavior.

Case Method Institute

The Case Method's exceptional professional development programs introduce high school history, government and civics teachers to the case method, and the History of American Democracy collection developed by CMI's founder, Professor David Moss of Harvard Business School. Teachers who complete the PD gain access to 22 cases (originally developed for Harvard undergraduates), detailed teaching materials, and ongoing individualized support from our staff. Teachers have used the program successfully in every type of school and classroom. There is no charge.

Interested teachers can apply here for either of the following programs:

• Live Zoom-based workshop

Our summer session will take place on Wednesday, June 18, from 11am to 5pm ET. This interactive workshop features a live case discussion led by Professor Moss and a Q&A panel with experienced partner teachers. To prepare for the live session, participants will complete 3-5 hours of self-paced pre-work.

• Asynchronous program

Available year-round, this fully self-paced option can be started at any time and typically takes 8-10 hours to complete. This program requires 8–10 hours of self-paced work. It is the quickest way to get started with the case method! Upon completion, participants are invited to join an optional live teacher panel discussion.

Earn Your Microcredentials 

Become a Guardian of Democracy Educator

The Illinois Civics Hub has partnered with the Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida to provide educators the opportunity to earn microcredentials in the proven practices of civic education embedded in the middle and high school civics course requirements in Illinois. Courses include:

• Current and Controversial Issue Discussions—Learn from academic experts Dr. Diana Hess & Dr. Paula McAvoy as you explore the purpose, role, and function of discussion strategies as pedagogical tools to equip young people to be engaged citizens. This course will enhance the practice of educators with strategies and resources to create a classroom climate in which there are equitable opportunities for ALL students to engage in dialogue about essential questions across the curriculum.

• Simulations of Democratic Processes—Learn from academic experts Dr. Walter Parker & Dr. Jane Lo as you explore how democratic processes and procedures occur as part of the regular functioning of government, in each of the three branches of government, and at each level of government. This course will guide you through the purpose, planning, and implementation of three simulations: town hall meetings, legislative hearings, and moot courts.

• Informed Action through Service Learning—Learn from academic experts Dr. Joseph Kahne and Jessica Marshall as you explore the purpose, role, and function of informed action through service learning as a pedagogical tool to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be active members of their community. In this course, you will interact with strategies and tools you can use in your classroom to support student-centered informed action through service learning.

• NEW: Constitutional Democracy as Content and Practice—Learn from academic experts Dr. Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, Dr. Shawn P. Healy, and Dr. Bonnie Laughlin Schultz as you explore how the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap can help teach constitutional democracy as both content and practice across disciplines K-12.

Summer courses begin soon! More information and registration is available here. Those who successfully complete the 5-week online course will earn a Bronze Certified Guardian of Democracy Educator badge via Badgr and the University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning.

Participants can earn 15 PD hours through the DuPage Regional Office of Education. Please note that due to changes in our funding, the Democracy School Network is no longer able to offer a stipend to participants.

There are three strands of courses for each proven practice of civics education. Graduate credit is available through the University of St. Francis for completing all three courses. 



Check out our website for PD opportunities, resources and inspiration.

illinoiscivics.org