The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition (MCLC) is a non-partisan coalition of over 60 nonprofits, educators, universities, and other partners committed to renewing our democracy by ensuring that all students gain the knowledge and experience of civic engagement to become thoughtful and active participants in building a better tomorrow. We believe that civic education has a vital role to play in the health of democracy and that everyone has a stake in the civic life of our communities, state, and nation.

In this Issue:

• MCLC Message
• MCLC Action Items
• MCLC Upcoming Meetings
• MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Updates
• MA Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) Updates
• Events, Resources, and Announcements
• Submissions for the Newsletter

Greetings and warm wishes for spring! Powerful messages from Civic Learning Week reverberate as the Coalition advocates for greater public investment in civics education. We’re reminded that civics is not just something you study, but something you study how to do. You do that by participating in democratic society.

MCLC's advocacy campaign is ramping up. This year, the goal is for the legislature to allocate $3 million for the FY27 Civics Project Trust Fund (an increase of $500,000 from last year’s budget). We need help from all members of the MCLC! Please contact your state legislators to make the case for increased funding for civic learning in the state. Thank you for your participation.

Civics Project Trust Fund Advocacy Alert

The Advocacy Subcommittee is organizing a constituent letter campaign to members of the Ways and Means committees, advocating for $3 million for the FY27 Civics Trust Fund. Our asks:

• Does your organization have partners with educators, students, parents, and/or community members in any of the districts Ways and Means legislators represent? Let us know by filling out our crosswalk database here: 2026 MA Legislature - Ways and Means Database



• Encourage your partners who are constituents in those areas to write letters (either email or handwritten) to their legislator. See templates here:
• Teacher Constituent Letter Template
• Student Constituent Letter
• Parent Constituent Letter Template

A key spending priority for the Civics Trust Fund is direct funds to districts supporting K–12 student civic learning. In recent years, DESE was able to fund less than 50% of proposals, often at amounts less than what districts requested. Increased funding would support more districts’ civic education programming needs and also provide DESE resources for media literacy education. For more information, see our 2026 Legislative Fact Sheet.

Have a question or want to get more involved in our advocacy campaign? Reach out to us!

• 2026 Civic Advocacy Fellow Mateusz Kudra mateusz@partnersindemocracy.us
• MCLC Advocacy Subcommittee Chair Katie Giles kgiles@civichistory.org

If you would like to attend one of these meetings, please contact David Buchanan (david.buchanan@icivics.org).

Seeking Community Advisors at Spring Civics Project Showcases

Registration for Community Advisors is still open! Please fill out your information on DESE’s Community Advisor Registration website to sign up for one or more events.

Mark your calendars for:

• May 26 at MassMutual Center in Springfield
• May 29 at UMass Dartmouth
• June 1 at DCU Center in Worcester
• June 5 at Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston

DESE is seeking adults with experience in a variety of roles in their communities to engage with students during the showcases. Building on the success of last year’s showcases, these events will once again feature a dynamic "science fair-style" presentation format for 8th-12th grade students to promote deeper learning and provide real-world, authentic learning experiences.



Teachers wishing to attend for professional development around teaching the student-led civics projects and/or putting on a local showcase are encouraged to register as Community Advisors!

Executive Office of Education

Offer Feedback on High School Graduation Requirements - Survey

• The Healey-Driscoll Administration recently announced a new public survey to help inform the creation and implementation of new high school graduation requirements. Students, families, educators, district leaders, businesses, and community members can complete the survey online, which should take 10-12 minutes. 

Bold Stories, Bright Legacies Education Project - Deadline April 17



• As part of Massachusetts’ 250th Anniversary commemoration, the MA Executive Office of Education’s Bold Stories, Bright Legacies Education Project invites students across the Commonwealth to explore, document, and share diverse perspectives from our past. Projects may take the form of essays, artwork, performances, digital media, or other creative expressions that highlight community voices and civic stories. Submissions are due April 17, 2026. Selected student work will be honored during an event in May.



• To support educators, classroom handouts are available with prompts and guidance to help integrate the project into history, civics, and ELA instruction. Resources and submission guidelines are posted at Massachusetts250.org. 

Tackling the Challenges of Teaching in These Times - Join a PLC!

Teaching and leading social studies today is increasingly complex. Often, the specific answers and support educators need aren’t available within their own districts. Massachusetts, however, is home to incredible expertise and curiosity. The Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies (MCSS) is creating networks of professional support through issue-specific Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that help teachers and leaders solve problems and share high-level expertise.

Join MCSS!

Districts and organizations should join today! Enjoy membership benefits, which include discounts for PD and the annual conference. Simply complete this Membership Form.

iCivics Grade 8 We Declare Challenge

• Cash prizes/$2500 scholarships
• Deadline: May 15

Join the celebration! As the birthplace of the American Revolution, Massachusetts has a unique opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution through a statewide contest that will engage students with the text that began it all, the Declaration of Independence.

iCivics is excited to invite all 8th grade educators and students to participate in the high profile We Declare Challenge—to perform a dramatic reading of this essential founding document. We aim to engage more than 6,000 8th grade students across more than 250 classrooms to bring the words of the Declaration to life in short and creative school-managed video submissions. The challenge will culminate with public recognition at the 2026 Boston Pops July 4th Fireworks Spectacular in Boston and a generous scholarship for the winning class ($2500/student). Each class that enters earns a $100 gift card. Check out the Challenge!

Civic Engagement Art Project - Deadline October 1

In celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary, a youth-driven art and civic engagement campaign, MY AMERICA, seeks to honor the country’s past, reflect on its present, and inspire its future. Students in grades K–12 across all 50 states are invited to reflect on what unity, democracy, and being in the U.S. means today by creating a large mosaic of an American flag made up of thousands of individual tiles with messages, drawings, and poems. Upon its completion, the flag mosaic will likely be more than half the size of a football field. Educators are encouraged to sign their classrooms up to receive free kits to participate. Completed kits are due Thursday, October 1, but schools are encouraged to send their submissions as soon as their kits are completed. Please email any questions to flagkit@empowerpeace.org.

Deepening Civic Learning through Community Connections

Civic Learning Institute, Democratic Knowledge Project

April 15, 2026 at 7:30-9pm ET

Interaction with the local community is at the heart of civic participation. This workshop presents practical strategies for helping students of all ages cultivate community connections that support their civic learning and involvement. You will explore how students can meaningfully engage with others in their neighborhood, town, or city to deepen their understanding of history and current issues and build their participatory skills in scaffolded ways. You will leave with personalized ideas about how your students might engage with their community to strengthen their civic learning.

Help Shape Climate Change and Civics Education with Mass Audubon

Mass Audubon

Spring 2026-onward

Mass Audubon is conducting interviews (stipends available) with classroom teachers (social studies/civics, science, Career & Technical Education, and Innovation Pathways) of grades 8–12 in Massachusetts public schools to help us shape free, open-source curricular materials that support student civic engagement around climate change. Please help us spread the word by sharing this flyer with teachers in your network (signup form linked in flyer). Feel free to reach out to Sarah Kacevich (skacevich@massaudubon.org) with questions. Thank you!

MA History Day - Judges Needed

Winchester High School

8-11am Saturday April 11, PDPs available

The organizers of Massachusetts History Day need 25 more judges for the State Contest this Saturday, April 11th at Winchester High School. Not familiar with MHD? Think science fair, but for history. Judges spend a morning talking with passionate students in grades 6-12 about their favorite topics in history, and review documentaries, websites, performances, essays, and exhibits. The time commitment is 8 AM ~ 1 PM. Breakfast, lunch, and training provided. No experience with history or MHD is needed, just adults who will encourage and respect the work of student historians.

Earn 10 PDPs for participating! See the website for more information on judging and register at this link.

Questions? Email nhd@masshist.org.

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Deadline: 1st Monday of the month.