At this decisive moment in our nation, two things are clear: civic engagement is essential to addressing the challenges we face, and civic learning is foundational for sustaining that engagement over time. Civic learning equips Americans with the knowledge and skills they need to be thoughtful, effective, and courageous citizens, a necessity for democratic self-governance.

Yet despite its centrality to civic engagement and democratic practice, civic learning remains widely misunderstood and under-resourced. PACE developed the Civic Learning Primer to close this gap, offering an introduction to the field and identifying meaningful opportunities for funders to advance this critical work.

Civic Learning Primer

The Civic Learning Primer aims to:

• – define the core concepts and values of civic learning
• – highlight proven practices for effective civic learning
• – examine the challenges facing civic learning today
• – offer insights into how philanthropy can be part of the solution

At the end of the Primer and in the PDF below, you’ll find three recommendations for philanthropy to further its support of civic learning.

Recommendations for Philanthropy (pdf)

If you have questions, feedback, or suggestions on how we can improve this resource, please email us at info@PACEfunders.org.