Who We Are
PA Civics is a statewide coalition formed in 2019 by a bipartisan group of elected officials and nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations invested in the promotion and expansion of civics education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PA Civics is led by Co-Chairs Jim Gerlach and Joe Hoeffel, both former members of Congress.
PA Civics was originally formed in response to Act 35, which requires Pennsylvania students between grades 7 and 12 to take a test on U.S. history, government, and civics. Through a network of partner organizations, PA Civics provides resources, curricula and professional development opportunities for educators and administrators to support civic education. PA Civics also advocates for instruction on active citizenship and civic engagement with an emphasis on improving civic education in Pennsylvania’s schools.
A civically healthy and vibrant democracy depends on individual citizens’ understanding of our nation’s history, its founding principles, the Constitution, and their civic rights and responsibilities. PA Civics is dedicated to amplifying the work of its partnering organizations, providing resources for educators, students, and citizens at-large, and building a collaborative coalition to promote outstanding civic education and engagement in Pennsylvania.
Our Mission
Our Work
Support Public Policies
Support public policies (local, state, federal) that lead to impactful civic education at every level of the educational system through programming, resources, and professional development.
Ensure Quality Instruction
Ensure quality instruction with continuing support for teachers of the three pillars of Act 35: civic knowledge, civic skills, and civic actions. This includes civics and social studies specialists, as well as teachers of other content areas who seek to integrate civics into their instruction.
Bridge the Support Gap
Bridge the support gap in social studies education to ensure that every teacher has what they need to make certain that every student receives an impactful civic education.
Committee Coordinator Sam Forman interviews PA Civics Co-Chairs Jim Gerlach & Joe Hoeffel about the coalition.
Research
Help research the current impact and inform the future of as the state’s official non-governmental partner for civic education. This includes advising the General Assembly, Department of Education, and willing school districts and Intermediate Units in the Commonwealth.
Work Towards Collective Impact
Work towards these guiding principles both through collective impact and uplifting the efforts of our constituent organizations.
PA Civics is supported and staffed by in-kind contributions from partner organizations, along with support from the CivXNow State Policy Grant program. The Committee of Seventy serves as the fiscal sponsor and lead coordinator of PA Civics.