JMU awarded historic federal grant to advance civics education ahead of America’s 250th anniversary
Harrisonburg, VA, Oct. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- James Madison University has received more than $2.1 million from the U.S. Department of Education – one of the largest competitively awarded grants in the university’s history – to expand its national leadership in civics education.
The funding is part of a historic $153 million federal investment in American History and Civics education and will support the work of grant recipient, the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement, in collaboration with JMU’s College of Education and JMU CARE.
The funding, awarded through the American History and Civics Seminars Program, will support JMU’s efforts to deepen nonpartisan civic literacy and historical understanding among students and educators across the commonwealth and beyond.
The grant recognizes JMU’s longstanding commitment to civic engagement and its leadership in promoting informed, active citizenship. Through this initiative, JMU will host a series of expert-led seminars focused on America’s founding principles, constitutional study, and civil discourse. These seminars will be offered in collaboration with local school districts and community partners, providing immersive learning experiences rooted in understanding the nation's primary documents through deliberative dialogue.
“There is a growing need for robust civic education in our country, and James Madison University continues to lead nationally in meeting that need,” said JMU Vice President and Chief of Staff David Kirkpatrick. “I am proud of the Madison Center for Civic Engagement team and the innovative work of our College of Education. We are also grateful to the U.S. Department of Education for prioritizing this critical mission and to Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera for her support. This grant will have an immediate impact across our region and will help shape civic understanding and engagement nationwide for years to come,” added Kirkpatrick.
“The James Madison Center for Civic Engagement has consistently demonstrated excellence in developing evidence-based civic discourse training and skill-building opportunities,” said Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera. “Their work is both timely and essential—providing PK–12 educators with the tools, training and coaching needed to foster meaningful deliberative dialogue in classrooms grounded in our founding documents. This initiative will empower teachers and students to engage in thoughtful conversations about America’s past and its future, especially as we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation,” added Guidera.
"As James Madison himself believed, deliberation is the cornerstone of democracy. With America’s 250th anniversary on the horizon, we have a responsibility to ensure that young people not only learn about our history but also practice the skills of civic dialogue and democratic decision-making when shaping what they want our next 250 years to look like,” said Kara Dillard, the project’s director and executive director of the Madison Center for Civic Engagement. “The Madison Center's national recognition as a premier, nonpartisan center for civic engagement and civil discourse makes JMU uniquely positioned to support students and teachers practicing the kind of democratic and deliberative talk that shaped our country 250 years ago," added Dillard.
Program objectives include:
- Updating and distributing nonpartisan deliberation materials, including the National Issues Forums Institute’s (NIFI) Historic Decisions Issue Guides (Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution), a new “What’s Next America?” guide for deliberating about the next 250 years, and a facilitator kit tailored to different K–12 grade bands.
- Delivering high-quality professional development through place-based and virtual seminars and providing continued implementation support through individualized coaching and professional learning communities.
- Expanding student access to ongoing deliberation experiences tied to foundational moments in U.S. history, including an America 250 Student Civic Fellows program.
This initiative is an outgrowth of the Madison Center’s Better Conversations Together program, which supports students building 21st century skills for talking across divides about difficult, complex issues. The program features civic discourse and deliberation workshops for all incoming first year students, a conversational dinner series, inter-and multifaith dialogues, a civic discourse student leadership certificate program, and faculty professional development in partnership with the Center for Faculty Innovation.
JMU is proud to partner with James Madison’s Montpelier, NIFI, and school districts locally and across the country to train the next generation of students in civic discourse and deliberation. The Madison Center also serves as the campus lead for JMU’s VA250/America 250 efforts, aligning with statewide and national commemorations of the nation’s founding.
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Chad Saylor James Madison University saylorcx@jmu.edu
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