News from the Center for Civic Education
Donation Establishes Lillian B. and Martin J. Jarvis Director of Development, Remembering Chuck Quigley, Center Names John Lewis Scholarship Classes, New 60-Second Civics Series with Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris Launches, and More in This Month's Newsletter.
Donation Establishes Lillian B. and Martin J. Jarvis Director of Development
Philanthropist Devra Jarvis, Ph.D., recently established the Lillian B. and Martin J. Jarvis Director of Development at the Center for Civic Education. With Dr. Jarvis's generous support, the Center is significantly bolstering its development team with a dedicated leader to ensure the continued long-term strength of the organization. Veteran fundraiser Mara Tolas was named to the position.
"This is a game-changer for the Center for Civic Education," said Center President Christopher R. Riano. "It allows us to continue to diversify our sources of funding and ultimately reach even more people of all ages in our society to prepare them to be informed, engaged, and fully participating members of our democratic republic. We could not be more grateful to Dr. Jarvis for her incredible support."
In Memoriam: Charles N. Quigley, 1929-2022
The Center for Civic Education's founder, Charles N. Quigley, passed away on February 1 at the age of 92. Quigley worked for over 50 years to create informed and engaged citizens committed to democracy and the rule of law. His efforts and those of the organization he founded reached an estimated 42 million students and 440,000 educators around the world since 1965, including at least 30 million students in the United States. The Center family will continue this critical work for many generations to come.
Photo: Charles N. Quigley (right) with former Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger
Center Names John Lewis Scholarship Classes
Canyon Springs High School (pictured) in North Las Vegas, Nevada, and Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon, have been named John Lewis Scholarship classes by the Center for Civic Education. The scholarship in honor of the late member of Congress and civil rights crusader subsidizes the costs for schools with high-need populations to attend the We the People National Finals, which will take place online April 22-26.
New 60-Second Civics Series Featuring Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris Launches
This week, the Center for Civic Education launched a new series of 60-Second Civics podcast episodes with Dr. Vicki Ross-Norris, an educator, actress, and member of the Center's board of directors. The brief episodes will be released every weekday over two weeks, from February 14 to 25, each accompanied by a Daily Civics Quiz accessible at https://civiced.org/60-second-civics. Videos of each podcast will be accessible from the page and on the Center's YouTube channel.
Teachers are invited to use the podcast as a warmup activity in their social studies classrooms during Black History Month. The Vicki Ross-Norris podcasts join the Center's 28-episode Black History Month series, which was launched on February 1. The webpage features classroom-ready tools to support educators' Black History Month teaching, including on-demand videos, transcripts, and Daily Civics Quizzes.
Christopher R. Riano Joins CivXNow Advisory Council
Center President Christopher R. Riano was recently named to the CivXNow Advisory Council. CivXNow, a project of iCivics, is a national cross-partisan coalition of more than 200 organizations focused on improving K-12 civic education. The CivXNow Advisory Council serves as the governing body of CivXNow and is composed of leaders from organizations within the CivXNow coalition who represent a diversity of dimensions of civic education, academia, and philanthropic organizations. They are instrumental in CivXNow's efforts, including research, developing partnerships, thought leadership, and providing feedback on ongoing work.
Outstanding High School Seniors: Apply for the Catherine G. Jurgemeyer Memorial Scholarship!
Do you know an outstanding high school senior who excels at law-related activities, such as We the People or Project Citizen? Encourage them to apply for the Catherine G. Jurgemeyer Memorial Scholarship! The $10,000 scholarship from the American Lawyers Alliance is awarded to a deserving high school senior whose body of work both inside and outside the classroom has demonstrated a special dedication to law-related education with academic excellence. Applications are due May 15.
Quick Quiz! Why is Phillis Wheatley Peters famous?
A. She was the first African American actress to win an Oscar.
B. She was a co-founder of the NAACP.
C. She was the first African American to publish a volume of poetry.
D. She received the Nobel Prize for literature.
Read on to learn the answer!
Attend the We the Educators Virtual Civics Symposium
Educators: You are invited to We the Educators, a free virtual civics symposium from Civic Spirit. This year's theme, "Can we craft a shared national narrative?" will explore nuanced ways to teach the American story and the possibility of a unifying national narrative. Educators who attend three or more symposium sessions will earn a $100 stipend to support their professional development. Explore the sessions schedule here.
Quiz Answer!
C. She was the first African American to publish a volume of poetry. (see episode 4537)
For more quizzes and learning opportunities, check out the 60-Second Civics podcast and daily civics quiz!
