The Civic Learning Week National Forum came to the West Coast for the first time. Attendees were able to engage with students, educators, policymakers, and leaders from across the country working to make civic learning a national priority on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Hoover Institution, Stanford, CA.
More than ever, civic learning is needed to ensure each and every person across this country has the necessary tools to engage as members of our self-governing republic. As such, your role in civic learning to sustain and strengthen our constitutional democracy is invaluable.
For complete news coverage of the event, click here.
Why Civic Learning Matters: Building America’s Future Together
In this inspiring message from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, iCivics, and the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions, Condoleezza Rice, Brandice Canes-Wrone, Louise Dube, Josiah Ober, and Sharon McMahon reflect on the foundational role of education in American democracy—past, present, and future.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this video reminds us why civic learning must remain a national priority. It’s not just about knowledge—it’s about cultivating civic honesty, civil discourse, collaboration, and a shared story.
Opening Remarks
- Brandice Canes-Wrone, Director of the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions and Maurice R. Greenberg Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Professor of Political Science, Stanford University
- Louise Dubé, Chief Executive Officer, iCivics
Panel | Making the Case for Pluralistic Civic Learning
- Moderator: Louise Dubé, Chief Executive Officer, iCivics
- Jane Kamensky, President, Monticello
- Benjamin Klutsey, Executive Director, The Mercatus Center, George Mason University
- Josiah Ober, Professor, Stanford University; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
Research Talk | What Kind of Citizen Am I?
- Chester E. Finn, Jr., Volker Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Distinguished Senior Fellow & President Emeritus of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Panel | Pluralistic Civic Learning in Practice
- Moderator: Hahrie Han, Inaugural Director, SNF Agora Institute
- John B. King, Jr., Chancellor, State University of New York
- Gen. Jim Mattis, U.S. Marines (Ret.), 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense; Davies Family Distinguished Fellow, Hoover Institution
- Sharon McMahon, Author & Chief Executive Officer, The Preamble
Research Talk | To Teach or Not to Teach?
- Ashley Woo, Associate Policy Researcher, RAND
Research Talk | High School Experiences Can Shape Lifelong Civic Dispositions for Young People
- Sponsor Remarks: Hanna Skandera, President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniels Fund
- Noorya Hayat, Senior Researcher, CIRCLE, Tufts University
Panel | What Youth and Young Adults Gain From and Contribute To Civic Learning—In Their Own Words
- Moderator: Rajiv Vinnakota, President, Institute for Citizens & Scholars
- Sophia Craiutu, Student, Bloomington High School North
- Mahavir Kallirai, Global Quality Engineer, Lam Research
- YuQing Jiang, Student, Stanford University; President, Stanford Political Union
- Ishaan Savla, Student, Dougherty Valley High School; Student Board Member, Contra Costa County Board of Education
The United States at 250: Implications for Civic Learning
- Rosie Rios, Chair, America250
- Sponsor Remarks: Patricia de Stacy Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Panel | Investing in Our Nation's Future
- Moderator: Daniel Stid, Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
- Kathryn Bradley, Director of Purpose of Education Fund, Stuart Foundation
- Dame Louise Richardson DBE, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York
- Hanna Skandera, President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniels Fund
Closing Plenary | Leadership: The Role of Civic Leaders in the Movement for Civic Learning, and Why it Matters
- Moderator: Condoleezza Rice, Tad and Dianne Taube Director & Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy, Hoover Institution
- Spencer Cox, Governor, State of Utah
Closing Remarks
- Sponsor Remarks: Adam Gismondi, Senior Director, Democratic Knowledge Project
- Louise Dubé, Chief Executive Officer, iCivics
