The Digital Inquiry Group (formerly the Stanford History Education Group) is recruiting high school U.S. history teachers to receive free professional development from the Digital Inquiry Group (DIG) and use new Reading Like a Historian lessons that include digital literacy instruction. Illinois educators will earn 20 FREE PD hours and a stipend.

If you are interested in participating, the program’s application includes more information.

Applications are due May 1, 2024. 



With its historic passage in April of 2021, the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History (T.E.A.A.C.H.) Act amended the Illinois School Code, ensuring every public elementary and high school student in Illinois learns about the contributions of Asian Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States.

The Illinois Civics Hub is partnering with Asian Americans Advancing Justice to offer FREE PD hours to K–12 educators looking to deepen their own understanding of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) history, and to gain classroom resources to support cross-cultural education for all students in Illinois, aligned with the revised social science standards.

Educators can choose from the following webinar opportunities:

For Elementary Level

• May 8, 2024, 4:30–6:30 p.m.

For Secondary Level

• June 11, 2024, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Be sure to visit the Asian Americans Advancing Justice site for more resources to implement the T.E.A.A.C.H. Act and celebrate AAPI month this May and beyond.



The Civics Hive is a NEW podcast that takes you on a journey through the intersection of civics and technology, preparing students for active civic engagement in the 21st century.

In each episode, hosts MJ Warden and Mary Ellen Daneels will explore essential questions with expert guests including leading educators, tech innovators, and passionate advocates, all sharing their wisdom and experiences to empower you with the knowledge you need to make a difference.

Our second episode features Dr. Joseph Kahne from the Civic Engagement Research Group to discuss the question, "What does it mean to educate for a diverse democracy?"

If you missed last month's episode, it's not too late to catch up on our thought-provoking discussion with award-winning author and EdTech Teacher Shawn McCusker who discusses the essential question, "Is AI good for Democracy?"

Follow the Illinois Civics Hub on Facebook and Twitter/X for future episodes that feature:

• Dr. Joel Breakstone from the Digital Inquiry Group
• Dr. Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg from the Center on Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement
• Dr. Leah Bueso from the University of Illinois-Springfield

All high school teachers in U.S. history, civics, and government classes are invited to participate in a special PD program offered by the Case Method Institute for Education & Democracy and Harvard Professor David Moss on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (We also offer a fully asynchronous version of the PD to start at your convenience).

The Institute has partnered with more than 3,000 teachers to bring the case method—the pedagogy used nationwide at leading professional schools to strengthen critical thinking—to more than 200,000 high school students across the U.S., along with original cases from Professor Moss's acclaimed Harvard course, "History of American Democracy." Each case presents students with a historically rich narrative, leading up to a key decision point and posing the perennial question: "What would you do?"

Led by a teacher's use of carefully designed questions, students engage in rigorous, evidence-based discussion and debate to draw out key concepts from the case. Teachers have described the case method as a "game-changer," a "transformational experience," and a "laboratory for citizenship."

The Institute invites high school teachers to learn more and to apply (to confirm eligibility) at this link for either the June 26th workshop or our fully self-paced, asynchronous program.

Looking for service learning opportunties to take informed action this election season and beyond? Check out DoSomethiing.org's The Art of Democracy to find simple ways for student civic engagement.

The Art of Democracy educates and equips the next generation of young voters with the skills to share their civic story and become a force for change in and out of the voting booth.



A new U.S. Department of Education Toolkit for the Promotion of Voter Participation for Students highlights research and recommendations from our partners at CIRCLE about the role of K-12 schools in growing voters and strengthening democracy.

Citing CIRCLE research, the toolkit reads: "Nonpartisan instruction about elections, including about the voting process, is effective but often sorely lacking in K-12 schools. K-12 schools can play an important role in encouraging and supporting voter registration and civic participation.

Explore the Toolkit

Get Smart About News is a free weekly newsletter from the News Literacy Project that offers a rundown of the latest topics in news literacy—including trends and issues in misinformation, social media, artificial intelligence, journalism, and press freedom.

Modeled on The Sift for educators, it also provides a video series that features professional journalists.

Use this link to find out more and subscribe.

In today's world questions of how to best build and maintain democratic societies that are pluralistic, open, and resistant to violence are more relevant than ever and central to the work of Facing History & Ourselves. Workshop participants will study the fragility of democracy in Weimar Germany, the ensuing Holocaust, and the legacies of this history through an in-depth case study. By learning this history, educators will be equipped to teach units or courses that will require their students to wrestle with profound moral questions dependent on ethical reasoning, critical thinking, empathy, and civic engagement—all of which are critical for sustaining democracy.

Who should take this workshop: 

Upper middle and high school humanities educators

Location: St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum

36 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146

Click HERE for more information

Every election is important, and this year's U.S. presidential election will not be an exception. The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research's student-developed, educator resource Campaign Weathervane helps players understand the relevance and importance of polling in global democracy.

...go back in time to win the presidency and change the world for the better! Navigate the winds of public opinion through American history, you’ll answer each question according to how you think the American public would have felt at the time. Your goal is to gain favorability and, ultimately, a seat in the Oval Office!

Campaign Weathervane is part of a larger initiative, years in the making, known as the America's Voice Project. A suite of elements that will help Roper Center disseminate our important data to more people around the world through our member-supported Roper iPoll platform.

Join the Illinois Social Studies Leaders Association (ISSLA) and shape the future of social studies education in our state! As an aspiring affiliate of NSSLA and ICSS, ISSLA offers a platform to connect, collaborate, and advocate for excellence. Enjoy networking, targeted PD, resource sharing, and championing social studies.

Complete our interest form today and be part of this transformative organization!