As we approach the 2002 elections, NACE has a special page on voting

Today, young Americans are experimenting with exciting new forms of civic engagement and are volunteering in record numbers. However, young people know less about formal government and politics than their predecessors did at the same age. This lack of knowledge is a barrier to important kinds of civic and political engagement.

» On the NAEP Civics assessment conducted in 1998, 25% of the nation's students performed at proficient or advanced levels. However, the troubling news is that 75% scored at basic (39-48%) and below basic (30-35%).

» More precisely, at the 4th grade level, 74% of students knew that in the U.S. laws must be applied evenly but only 15% were able to name two services that the government pays for with taxes.

» At the 8th grade level, 81% of students were able to identify Martin Luther King as someone who was concerned about the injustice of segregation laws. Yet, only 6% were able to describe two ways that countries benefit from having a constitution.

Find out more ->

"Civic education" means the multiple processes through which children and young adults acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are needed for effective democratic citizenship. Civic knowledge and participation are not passed down through the genetic code - they require that each generation of students learn civic facts, explore democratic ideals and connect such concepts to the responsibility of citizenship.

Find out more ->

Be part of an alliance that combines the energy of diverse groups and individuals in a coordinated effort to help citizens across the country better understand the significance of effective civic education for a well-functioning democracy. By joining forces we can help give civic education its rightful place of honor in our national life.

Find out more ->