An enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Newark Museum of Art to celebrate the official launch of CivicsNJ, the new non-partisan coalition of dedicated to advancing civic learning and engagement in the Garden State. More than 150 students, teachers, nonprofit and community
leaders, parents and funders filled Engelhard Court and the excitement was palpable. The event provided a unique opportunity for community members, educators, national experts and funders to come together and contemplate the future of civic education in New Jersey.

Some highlights include:

• Althea Ford, vice president of government affairs for the NJ Business & Industry Association, officially launched the coalition, giving a nod to the Broadway blockbuster Hamilton that all gathered ‘were in the room where it happened.’ She remarked that civic learning helps develop critical thinking and other skills essential to a productive workforce and economy.
• Amanda Maher, president of Maher Charitable Foundation, talked about the journey of learning that led to establishing the coalition. She noted the many people and organizations in this state doing critical work in the civic education space and hoped the new effort will enable them to speak with each other, share work, make connections and work together to enhance learning and give voice to issues of importance.
• Professor Danielle Allen, who directs the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Democratic Knowledge Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, emphasized the important role that local communities play in investing in and revitalizing American civic education. Professor Allen shared the roots of her own civic awakening, and the importance of civic education as a foundation for a healthy democracy. She noted the value of cultivating ‘reflective patriotism’ where we combine a love of country with a clear-eyed understanding of our past and future.
• Shawn Healy, senior policy director of iCivics, the civic learning organization founded by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, shared the latest national trends in the civic education movement, highlighting the movement for policy changes to increase civic education offerings in 38 other state coalitions. He applauded the work underway in New Jersey, saying that “CivicsNJ is poised to strengthen civic education in New Jersey, building on the bipartisan successes we’ve seen in politically diverse states and communities across the country.”
• Beth Rubin, Professor of Social Studies Education at Teachers College, Columbia University introduced the group to YPAR – youth participatory action research – and showcased the work of Civically Engaged Districts Project that works with teachers and students throughout New Jersey, noting “CivicsNJ couldn’t come at a better time.”
• Amanda Ebokosia, Founder and CEO of The Gem Project, the youth leadership and organizing nonprofit organization, introduced five Gem Project fellows in high school, college and graduate school, who each shared their experiences of learning and practicing civic engagement to make constructive change – from changes in high school infrastructure to help residents reclaim needed health insurance benefits.
• Plainfield K-12 social studies supervisor Tristan Cox, EdD, highlighted the transformative impact of YPAR on students in Plainfield High School, and showcased five students from Plainfield who shared their successful research project that established Blue Ribbon Classrooms to enhance teacher-student connections.
• Representing higher education, Rutgers’ Eagleton Institute of Politics director Elizabeth Matto and Bryan Murdock, who leads community partnerships at Montclair State University, talked about the important synergies needed between K-12 education, local communities and higher education. They lined up several initiatives – Rutgers’ Democracy Lab and Montclair’s Civic Service Fellowship – aimed at deepening civic understanding among students on college campuses.
• “This coalition is about bringing together the people, organizations, and ideas that will shape the future of civic education,” said Nicholas Chiaravalloti of Maher Charitable Foundation to sum up the plan for CivicsNJ. “We’re excited to unite with organizations across the state to make civics a priority in New Jersey.”
• Closing out the morning, Justin Kiczek, president of the F.M. Kirby Foundation and a CivicsNJ Steering Committee member, encouraged the group gathered to consider the meaning of the United States’ first moNo: e pluribus unum … out of many, one. He shared the hope that out of the many working in the civics learning field, we will be moving as one to build the new stewards of America’s democracy.

The CivicsNJ launch demonstrated the power that resides in communities and organizations across the state when we bridge divides to create new spaces for shared learning.

Are you teaching Civics in an exciting way in your middle school class? Do you have a Civics project you are introducing in your afterschool programs? We want to hear from you about the great work you are leading!

CivicsNJ will begin hosting regular “Lunch and Learns” where you can spend an hour hearing from different colleagues and groups across the state, as they share their project ideas and get feedback from other practitioners in the state.