Ed Dept invests $153M in American history and civics seminars to promote patriotic education
The Dept. of Education announced it awarded over $153 million in grants to support civics and American history education rooted in the nation’s founding values.
The grants will fund "expert-led seminars," classroom-ready civics materials, state-aligned curriculum, and events that promote civil discourse.
The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday it awarded over $153 million in grants to support civics and American history education rooted in the nation’s founding values.
The funding, distributed through the American History and Civics Seminars Program, will support civics institutes at colleges and universities, as well as nonprofit organizations.
The grants will fund “expert-led seminars” built around the nation’s founding documents, civic engagement, and American history. The awards will also fund the development of new classroom-ready civics materials, state-aligned curriculum, and local and school-based events that promote civil discourse.
”These grants reflect the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to educate and inspire youth toward informed and patriotic citizenship in the lead-up to America’s 250th birthday,” Under Secretary Nicholas Kent wrote in the press release.
”We are focused on restoring civics education and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles and rich history in schools across the Nation. To know this great country is to love and cherish it,” Kent continued.
Some of the programs will be delivered in partnership with local K–12 school districts. One highlighted initiative includes a statewide Civics Literacy Teaching Toolkit that will provide “classroom-ready instructional strategy briefs,” seminar recordings, primary source documents, and student civics engagement projects.
The Department framed the investment as part of its mission to “cultivate citizen competency and informed patriotism” through “an accurate and honest account of American history.”
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With the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding approaching in 2026, the Department stated the goal is to “prepare the next generation to carry forward the principles of liberty, limited government, and dedication to the doctrine of equality that define our nation.”
Applications for the American History and Civics-National Activities Grants opened June 23 and closed July 23. The grants were open to institutions of higher education, nonprofits and for-profit organizations.
Campus Reform has contacted the Department of Education for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
