Implementing the Civics Bee Focus Group

Introduction to BRI (Grades 6-12)

Introduction to BRI Jr. (Grades K-5)

Bringing Constitution Day to Life: Engaging Resources for Your Classroom

The Bill of Rights Institute’s <a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/civics-innovation-lab/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Civics Innovation Lab</a> recently gathered educators, civic leaders, and technology partners at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, Wash., for an evening centered on one question: How do we make civic education work for the next generation?

core/paragraph

A moderated panel brought together&nbsp;Curtis Pearson,&nbsp;BRI’s&nbsp;Vice President, Innovation Lab; Lisa Crego,&nbsp;Vice President, Government Services Business Development &amp; Strategy&nbsp;at Boeing; Shari Conditt, BRI&#8217;s 2024–2025 National Civics Teacher of the Year; and Amalia Martino, founder and CEO of Vida Agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Panelists opened with the&nbsp;personal experiences&nbsp;that first drew them&nbsp;into&nbsp;civic life. Conditt described&nbsp;witnessing&nbsp;the fall of the Berlin Wall as a child living in West Germany, an image that stayed with her for decades and eventually pointed her toward teaching history. Crego pointed to a family ethos of community service spanning generations. Martino recalled her grandfather writing letters to elected officials, and the permission that gave her to&nbsp;find&nbsp;her own&nbsp;voice.&nbsp;

The conversation&nbsp;then&nbsp;turned to barriers&nbsp;to&nbsp;quality&nbsp;civic education and community engagement.&nbsp;Conditt, who&nbsp;teaches in&nbsp;Woodland, Wash., noted that many of her students have never visited Washington, D.C.,&nbsp;and&nbsp;don&#8217;t&nbsp;expect to, so civics can feel like something&nbsp;that’s&nbsp;happening somewhere else.&nbsp;

The evening closed with a fireside chat between BRI’s&nbsp;Chief Operating Officer,&nbsp;Adam Cushing,&nbsp;and Washington state&nbsp;representative&nbsp;Chipalo&nbsp;Street&nbsp;about artificial intelligence&nbsp;(AI), technology, and civic education. Both agreed that as AI becomes more capable, critical thinking becomes more important, not less. Students and teachers need enough mastery of a subject to evaluate what these tools produce.&nbsp;

A theme that&nbsp;emerged&nbsp;across conversations: civic education must be&nbsp;built with&nbsp;and&nbsp;alongside&nbsp;communities, not just for them. Every community faces distinct challenges, and&nbsp;the&nbsp;solutions need to match&nbsp;those challenges.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/civics-innovation-lab/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Civics Innovation Lab</a>&nbsp;continues&nbsp;this work through ongoing partnerships and community engagement across the country.&nbsp;

Posts

A panel discussion at the Civics Innovation Lab event featuring four speakers on stage.

Categories	BRI in Action
Duration	2 min

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Documents of Freedom

Heroes & Villains

BRI Curricula

Curriculum Components

Educator Opportunities

Student Opportunities

BRI News

Upcoming Events

Implementing the Civics Bee Focus Group

Introduction to BRI (Grades 6-12)

Introduction to BRI Jr. (Grades K-5)

Bringing Constitution Day to Life: Engaging Resources for Your Classroom

Invest In Our Future

Support now

Ways to partner with BRI

About BRI

BRI’s Civics Innovation Lab Hosts Seattle Forum