The Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition (MCLC) is a non-partisan coalition of over 70 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

With back-to-school routines in full swing and leaves in full color, you know it’s time to make your plan to vote! It’s also time to plan out professional learning — see below for offerings from MCLC member organizations and mark Civic Learning Week (March 8 – 12, 2027) on your calendar. There’s an array of rich opportunities for civic engagement on the horizon —join in!

The MA Civic Learning Coalition is seeking an Advocacy Fellow to partner with our Steering Committee and Advocacy Subcommittee on efforts to ensure legislative awareness of and support for key MCLC advocacy priorities. The role offers a stipend of $4,500. See the job posting here. The Advocacy Fellow will focus on supporting the coalition’s goal of increasing state funding for FY 28 for the Civics Trust Fund. The Advocacy Fellow will be based within the K – 12 civic education arm at Partners in Democracy Education, the Civics and History Inquiry Partnership. Applications are now open, with a start date anticipated mid-December through June 2027. Reach out to Katie Giles, Civics & History Inquiry Partnership Executive Director, with questions (kgiles@civichistory.org).

MA Civic Learning Week: March 8 – 12, 2027: Hold the Date!

Massachusetts Civic Learning Week is a week-long celebration of civic learning that takes place every year during the second week of March. Civic Learning Week offers classroom/student-facing sessions, such as student interviews with judges, as well as workshops for educators, forums conducted by youth leaders, films, and other events for educators, students, and the general public. Find more information, support from public officials, press coverage, and other background on previous Civic Learning Weeks on the MCLC website. We will share more details for this next event as the planning proceeds, but please hold the date. And we look forward to seeing you at MA Civic Learning Week 2027!

MCLC Seeking Leads for Priority Projects

Our Coalition is as strong as we make it! We have made great progress in just a few short years. Let’s keep it going. To do that, we are actively seeking volunteers for some particularly key roles:

• Steering Committee — seeking new members to oversee our work
• Youth Engagement Lead — to work with youth fellows
• High School Voter Registration Lead(s) — to keep this project moving 
• Civic Learning Week — co-lead planning, with the Director
• Quarterly Member Meeting Coordinator — to plan these meetings
• MCLC Ambassador — to respond to inquiries and speak with prospective new members
• Special Writing Projects Lead — to coordinate occasional communication with officials and lead the drafting of recommendations to DESE and other entities

If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, please contact david.buchanan@icivics.org.

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

Civics Project Showcases: Hold the Dates!

DESE and Generation Citizen will host four statewide Massachusetts Civics Project Showcases in 2027 for 8th – 12th grade students to present their student-led civic projects in an interactive, science-fair-style format:

• Thursday, May 27 at DCU Center in Worcester
• Tuesday, June 1 at MassMutual Center in Springfield
• Friday, June 4 at UMass Dartmouth
• Tuesday, June 8 at Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston

Student benefits: Students will present and celebrate civic projects with community advisors and peers, engage in dialogue emphasizing process over product, receive expert feedback and state recognition, and learn from peers across different districts. Watch video overviews: MA Civics Project Showcase & GC Civics Showcase.

New to attending the Civic Showcases? Register for our webinar on Tuesday, November 17 at 8:00AM or 4:00PM to learn more about what to expect and how to plan a local showcase.

Key Dates & Deadlines:

• Oct 27, 2026: Formal registration opens
• Jan 15, 2027: Priority registration deadline
• Feb 12, 2027: Final registration deadline
• Feb 26, 2027: Showcase location confirmation
• May 21, 2027: Project info due (Worcester & Springfield)
• May 27, 2027: Project info due (Dartmouth & Boston)

New Guidance on Teaching of Current Events Now Available 

DESE recently posted new guidance entitled Incorporating Current Events and News/Media Literacy into History/Social Science Instruction. This guidance is intended to support school and district leaders in communicating regarding the teaching of current events and news/media literacy as well as to support individual educators in planning for instruction. The Department has also posted a public-facing one-pager summarizing the key themes of the guidance.

Register Now for Free Civics Courses

Fall registration for Teaching for Civic Empowerment, DESE's no-cost professional learning initiative for Massachusetts educators is now open. A variety of courses are available through both Generation Citizen and Primary Source, with offerings for elementary and secondary educators.

Visit the Teaching for Civic Empowerment webpage to explore upcoming course offerings and access registration through either provider as courses become available.

Get Ready for the Civics Project Data Dashboard Launch 

The Civics Project Data Dashboard launches Monday, November 2, and now is a great time to prepare for access. Available only to districts, this secure dashboard will provide district leaders with their own student-led civics project data for grades 8 and high school, making it easier to: 

• Track civics project completion over time and compare district data with statewide trends
• Identify opportunities to improve data quality and better understand student access across schools and grade levels
• Support local conversations about expanding access to meaningful, high-quality civic learning experiences

The dashboard will be available in Edwin and accessible only to designated school and district staff. Before the November 2 launch, we encourage district teams to review the Civics Project Dashboard Access Guide, which will be linked from our Civics Page, to ensure the appropriate staff have access. You can also find additional information in the Civics Project Participation Data: Reporting Updates for School Year 26-27.

Questions? Contact historycivicsDESE@mass.gov.

MCSS is looking forward to a banner year, growing the programing and building leadership that supports Social Studies educators across the state. If you are interested in getting involved in any of the following projects, as a participant or leader, learn more at masscouncil.org or reach out to Todd Wallingford at president@masscouncil.org.

Join MCSS to support our social studies education and receive our monthly newsletter as well as substantial discounts on programming and conferences.

Professional Learning — Our networks of issue-specific Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) help teachers and leaders solve problems and share high-level expertise. Our PLCs currently include:

• Integrating Literacy Skills in the Social Studies
• Teaching Local History
• AI in Social Studies
• Navigating Polarizing Current Events
• High School Civics Seal
• Benchmark Assessments
• Financial Literacy

Our Annual Educator Awards recognize exceptional educators in a variety of social studies disciplines from across the Commonwealth. Teachers, administrators, and museum educators at all levels are eligible for this honor. 

Our Regional Networks support local networking of leaders across the state.  

Looking for new teaching resources? Check out the new Resource Hub with curated materials and links related to a variety of content areas and pedagogies.

MCSS works with partners like MCLC to coordinate policy positions and advocacy for Social Studies education across the Commonwealth.

Empower Student Civics: Free DESE-Sponsored Professional Development

Fall / Winter 2026 – 2027

Generation Citizen, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), is proud to present Teaching for Civic Empowerment — a free, asynchronous professional development series designed to support, inspire, and equip Massachusetts middle and high school educators to deliver high-quality, engaging civics education. These self-paced courses provide practical strategies, actionable classroom tools, and direct support to elevate student voice across the Commonwealth.

Earn PDPs: Receive 15 Professional Development Points (PDPs) per completed course. Attend and complete one of our in-person sessions this fall and receive $150.

A New Birth of Freedom: The Gettysburg Address

Thursday, October 22 – Thursday, November 19, 2026

How can we take on Lincoln’s “great task” — ensuring that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” — and support others in doing the same?

Explore this question in A New Birth of Freedom: The Gettysburg Address, an upcoming virtual course from the DKP’s Civic Learning Institute. For just $15, engage with Lincoln’s speech and other Civil War–era texts, connect with educators across the country, and develop practical approaches for teaching with primary sources.

Digital Wellness in Out-of-School Time: Helping Youth Thrive IRL & Online 

Thursday, October 29, 2026 from 3:00PM - 3:45PM

How do platforms, media, pressures, and possibilities in young people’s digital lives shape their well-being?

Join the Collaborative for Advancing Healthy Experiences in Out-of-School Time during U.S. Media Literacy Week for a free virtual training to explore youth-centered approaches to digital wellness. Participants will also explore a digital mapping activity that they can adapt for youth to reflect on their digital media experiences. Register here.

Adams Speaker Series: John and Abigail Adams 

Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 6:30PM

Participate in a free public program focused on the civic contributions of John and Abigail Adams and family. Register here.

Mock Trial Program Final Events — Statewide 

Series of events across the weeks starting Monday, December 7 & Monday, December 14 (afternoons and evenings)



Each year, middle school students in Discovering Justice’s Mock Trial Program spend nine weeks learning from and working with legal professionals before presenting their cases in real courtrooms with real judges across Massachusetts. We’re looking for volunteer jurors for upcoming trials in several cities — no legal background required! Volunteers simply listen to student arguments, deliberate with fellow jurors, and deliver a verdict. Click on the registration form to see specific dates and cities and to sign up with Discovering Justice.

Grant Applications Open for DKP Launch and IH Magnify 

Deadlines:

• Wednesday, December 9, 2026
• Thursday, January 21, 2027



MA public schools serving students in grades 3 – 8 are invited to apply for grants to support schools implementing Investigating History (grades 3 – 7) and/or the DKP's Civic Engagement in Our Democracy (grade 8). Applications are now open! The letter of intent for the Investigating History Magnify grant is due December 9, 2026; full applications for both Investigating History Magnify and DKP Launch are due January 21, 2027. Schools applying for both programs can fill out a single joint application. Contact info@civichistory.org for more information.

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