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Civics That Empowers All Students

Educators who teach social studies/American government in grades 4-8 who have not attended a We the People Summer Institute and have not had teams participate in a We the People competition or showcase are invited to apply to participate in CEAS. Participants will need a willingness to learn and the ability to implement the program during the 2025-2026 school year.

CEAS uses the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution curriculum. Please take a look at the table of contents of the curriculum (linked below) and see if what you will teach in the fall will cover a majority of the same content. If it does, your class may qualify. Since the program is an evaluation, it is important that all classes teach the same content.

Requirements:

  • Have at least one class that is composed of 30% or more underserved students. Click here to view a list of who qualifies as an underserved student.
  • Participate in a teacher presurvey and postsurvey.
  • Administer a student online pretest and posttest.
  • Attend free professional development sessions:
    • In-person summer institute from June 9-13, 2025 (includes full days of training)
    • 2 full day in-person workshops on August 2, 2025 and October 25, 2025
    • 1 half day virtual workshop on January 24, 2026
  • Integrate 40 hours of We the People in your classroom instruction.
  • Have students participate in the simulated congressional hearing activity.
  • Invite the site coordinator to observe classroom instruction in the We the People curriculum.
  • Provide anecdotal data from your classes or students.
  • Participate in a virtual professional learning community (PLC) as designed by the site coordinator. (Must participate in at least 4 of the 9 PLCs)

Educators Will Receive:

  • A free classroom set of student textbooks & teacher's guide (worth up to $1,045).
  • Professional development hours and a stipend upon completion of program requirements.
  • Private hotel accommodations for the duration of the summer institute.
  • Limited mileage reimbursement for those who travel 100 miles or more one way to the summer institute.
  • Meals including per diem for dinner.
  • Access to lesson plans and resources.
  • Implementation support throughout the year from expert mentors and Arizona Bar Foundation staff.
  • Access to inspiring scholar guest speakers.

Students Will Receive:

  • An in-depth and interactive study of the foundations and fundamental principles of the U.S. Constitution.
  • The opportunity to develop essential 21st-century skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making, and communication.
  • The knowledge and preparation to become engaged and informed citizens, ready to actively participate in democracy.
  • One of the requirements to receive the Seal of Civics Literacy from the Arizona Department of Education. 

Apply to Participate

If you are an educator who meets the requirements listed above and are interested in applying, click here!

Who Qualifies as an Underserved Student?

An underserved student is in one or more of the following subgroups: living in poverty or served by a school with a high concentration of students living in poverty, student of color, member of a federally recognized Indian Tribe, an English learner, student with a disability, disconnected youth, technologically unconnected youth, migrant student, experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, LGBTQI+ student, in foster care, without documentation or immigration status, pregnant or parenting, impacted by the justice system, or performing significantly below grade level.