Civic Education Research Lab

Full-length view of the U.S. Capitol — Quality Civic Education for All

Investigating the effectiveness of civic teaching and learning
Latest News

About CERL

Formed at the nexus of academia and public policy, the Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) investigates the effectiveness of civic teaching and learning for elementary, secondary, and university students. CERL conducts research on programs and practices with collaborative partners in the field of civic education. We also examine civic engagement and discourse in the digital age.

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Our Projects

James Madison Legacy Project Expansion

Empowering high-need students for informed, thoughtful, and productive citizenship. The James Madison Legacy Project Expansion (JMLPE) seeks to improve professional development and…

Project Citizen Research Program

Project Citizen will reach thousands of students to increase civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Project Citizen is an interdisciplinary curricular program that promotes competent and…

Civics in the Digital Age

Educating students to engage effectively and responsibly using digital technology. The digital transformation of politics and society has substantial implications for civic education. People must…

James Madison Legacy Project

Providing civic education to high-need students. Preparing young people for civic life is an essential task of a democratic society. Civic education gives individuals heightened knowledge,…

Presidential and Congressional Academies

The Academies provide high-quality educational engagement in American history and civics. The Presidential Academy is for secondary school teachers, and the Congressional Academy is for high-need…

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement is a program started by Dr. Diana Owen to educate students about the importance of addressing issues of public concern. Students can take political and non-political actions to…

Latest News

Diana Owen, Georgetown Professor and CERL Director, and Meghan Volcy, Coordinator of National Grant Projects at the Center for Civic Education, stand in front of their joint presentation slides at the October APSA workshop.

CERL and the Center for Civic Education Showcase Collaboration at APSA-NCAPSA Workshop

October 10th, 2024

Diana Owen, Georgetown Professor and CERL Director, and Meghan Volcy, Coordinator of National Grant Projects at the Center for Civic Education, made a joint presentation at the “Connecting…

APSA's Lauren Bell presents Civic Engagement Established Leader Award to Dr. Diana Owen.

Diana Owen Receives Established Leader Award from APSA

September 11th, 2024

September 6, 2024 – Diana Owen, CERL director, received the Established Leader Award from the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) Civic Engagement section at the organization’s…

Table shows WTP students were more likely than students in the comparison group to report that they understood more about American government after taking their class.

New CERL Research on Civic Education for Students with Disabilities

September 2nd, 2024

The James Madison Legacy Project Expansion (JMLPE), a program of CERL and the Center for Civic Education, focuses on civic education for students with disabilities, emerging multilingual learners,…

Australian parliamentary delegation visits Dr. Diana Owen, Director of CERL, and Bradlee Sutherland, CERL Research Specialist, at Georgetown University.

Australian Parliamentary Delegation Visits CERL

July 9th, 2024

A delegation of members of the Australian House of Representatives met with Dr. Diana Owen, Professor and Director of the Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) at Georgetown University, and Bradlee…