Overview

The Center for Civic Education’s Civitas International Programs bring exemplary civic education curricula to students worldwide through partnerships with organizations in the United States and in more than 70 countries. This unique network of educators, civil society organizations, educational institutions, and governmental agencies has worked for more than a decade to develop quality curricular materials and train teachers throughout Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Many countries in the Civitas network collaborate with model civic education programs in U.S. states and in other countries to develop programs that address their specific civic education needs. The objectives of Civitas International Programs are to:

• Assist international educators in creating, adapting, implementing, and institutionalizing effective civic education programs in their countries

• Acquaint international educators with exemplary curricular materials and teacher training programs in civic education developed in the United States and other participating nations

• Create and implement civic education programs for students in the United States that will help them better understand the history and experiences of emerging and established democracies

• Facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences in civic education among educational, governmental and private-sector leaders in the United States and other countries

• Encourage independent research and evaluation to determine the effects of civic education on the knowledge, skills, and character traits essential for the preservation and improvement of constitutional democracy

Funding

Civitas International Programs are directed by the Center for Civic Education and funded by the U.S. Department of Education under the Education for Democracy Act approved by the United States Congress; additional support is provided by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and other sources.