CERL and Center for Civic Education Launch Integrated Civic Competencies Pilot Program 

Posted in News Project Citizen

Innovative Social and Emotional Learning Program to Be Taught in Classrooms Across the Country

Louisville, Ky. – CERL Director Dr. Diana Owen and Research Specialists Dr. Patrick McSweeney and Jamie Joseph supported the launch of the Integrated Civic Competencies (ICC) pilot program at the Center for Civic Education’s inaugural ICC Summer Institute. Passionate Project Citizen educators from California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, and Tennessee gathered at the University of Louisville for a week of professional learning and ICC training.

ICC is an innovative education initiative grounded in Dr. Diana Owen and Donna Paoletti Phillips, PhD’s Civic SEL Framework (CSELF) which seeks to include social and emotional learning (SEL) in civic education programs across classrooms nationwide. ICC builds on the success of Project Citizen by integrating explicit SEL modules into the curriculum, giving educators tools to help students develop civic knowledge and dispositions alongside related social-emotional skills as they complete their hands-on public policy project.

 

CERL supported the launch of ICC by reviewing testing protocols with pilot teachers and state coordinators and sharing findings on the contemporary landscape of SEL in education and the tremendous impact Project Citizen is already having in schools across the country. The team also participated in civic-minded field trips to gain a deeper understanding of how public policy affects family farms and social services in Kentucky. These experiences offered a powerful reminder of the impact of evidence-based public policy, which CERL believes begins with quality civic education.

CERL's Patrick Sweeney addresses educators at ICC workshop in Louisville, Ky.

Special thanks to the Center’s team and KY state coordinators Glenn Manns and Meghan Waters for hosting such a meaningful and energizing institute. And, of course, a huge shout-out to the dedicated educators pioneering ICC in their classrooms this year!

Want to learn more about Civic SEL?
Read Owen & Phillips (2025): Conceptualizing and Measuring Civic SEL