America’s Civic Education Gap: What Can Business Do?

Many people do not have a basic understanding of how the government works, the Bill of Rights, and the responsibilities of being a citizen. This limited education about our democratic system can lead to distrust in government, polarization, and an openness of some Americans to authoritarianism which is destructive to our country;’s social cohesion and our economy. As a result, business has a vested interest in supporting civics education.

Businesses can play a role in promoting civics education by supporting greater investment in civics education in middle and high school, and in engaging lawmakers. Today for comparison, we invest 5 cents pers child, vs. nearly $54 for STEM.

Join us January 26th for a discussion about the future of civics education with leaders from the civics and business communities. Jerry Zimmerman from Allstate will describe how the company is championing civics education and how you and your business can make an impact in your state and communities. We’ll also hear from Louise Dube about state based civics education efforts, and Kristen Cambell on public perceptions about democracy and civic education.

The conversation will focus on recent developments in Congress and current efforts at the state level to increase funding for civics education. We’ll also focus on initiatives that Business for America and its business partners are developing to mobilize support and action.

Speakers:

Chris Conner, Director of Political Advocacy, Allstate

Louise Dube, Executive Director, iCivics

Kristen Cambell, CEO, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement