Frequently Asked Questions

The Founding Civics Initiative is the Jack Miller Center’s efforts to provide primary source-based professional development and graduate education opportunities to K-12 civics, history, and government teachers across the country.  

The Jack Miller Center’s Founding Civics Initiative offers a range of graduate and professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers. Sign up for our Educator Newsletter to stay informed!

Founding Civics professional development seminars are held across the county on college campuses or virtually, connecting K-12 teachers directly with a network of top scholars. To learn more about our current program offerings, visit our K-12 events page. 

Thanks to our generous donors, many of our programs are offered at no cost to teachers and often include a stipend. Each program is unique, so check out the event page for details, or reach put to us directly at civics@gojmc.org for more information.

Teachers who attend Founding Civics programs will carry a greater understanding of key primary sources in the American story, along with the confidence and skills to teach those sources to their students.

“This program provided a space for content-specific dialogue, which other professional developments do not offer. The insight gained from the seminar sessions on primary sources was immeasurable and significantly improved my understanding and confidence in teaching them. ” – 2026 Jacksonville State University Civics Symposium participant

Professional development (PD) programs are often in-person and designed for local teacher audiences. These programs offer opportunities to learn with scholars, dig into primary sources, collaborate with nearby colleagues, and engage in in-person conversations. Many of these programs offer stipends for participation and certificates of completion.  

Graduate courses offered through the Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium are often virtual and open to teachers across the country. These courses also offer the opportunity to learn with a scholar, dig into primary sources, and collaborate with colleagues. Graduate courses are often longer and more rigorous than PD programs and require additional assignments beyond the course reading. Teachers earn graduate credit upon successful completion of the course. 

The Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium (Consortium) is a group of universities committed to offering content-focused graduate education to K-12 civics and history teachers. All courses are taught by JMC-affiliated faculty.  

Graduate courses supported by the Jack Miller Center are unique because they are specifically designed for working K-12 civics and history teachers. The virtual format makes the courses accessible to participants anywhere in the country, and we plan them around teachers’ schedules. The courses are designed so participants can engage deeply with relevant American politics and history content, while tailoring assignments to fit the practical needs of classroom teachers.  

Universities join the Consortium because they value strong graduate education for civics and history teachers. Membership begins with a Jack Miller Center-affiliated professor who wants to design a graduate course or program specifically for working teachers. Each member university then agrees to work with the JMC to ensure course participants enroll in the university, their tuition is covered, and they receive graduate credit upon completion of the course. 

Consortium courses are official graduate courses offered by a member university. Teachers earn graduate credit from the university upon successful completion of a course. Professional development programs are organized by JMC in partnership with professors on campus, but they do not carry graduate credit and are not an official university program. Graduate courses are more rigorous than professional development programs and require additional assignments beyond the course readings.

Consortium courses are designed for working K-12 educators who teach civics, history, government, or another related subject. We may make exceptions for curriculum supervisors or similar administrators in some cases, but our priority will be K-12 educators whose primary role is teaching students. 

We recommend taking no more than two courses during a single summer session or semester. Each course requires graduate-level preparation, synchronous meetings, and various assignments that take up many hours. You may not take courses with overlapping meeting times, as you will need to fully participate in sessions to receive the graduate credit. 

Each course has an individual application linked to the JMC Course Catalogue. In some cases, applications are hosted by JMC on behalf of our university partners. In other cases, universities host applications. 

A successful application clearly demonstrates that the applicant is a working K-12 educator who is actively teaching social studies, history, government, or another related subject. A statement of interest should thoughtfully communicate why the applicant is interested in taking the course and specifically address how the course will help improve their practice. In cases where applications surpass the number of spots available, we will fill the course with the teachers who write the strongest applications. 

Once your application is accepted, you will enroll as a student at the university hosting the course. Enrollment processes may vary by university as each institution will have its own requirements. By enrolling in the course, you are committing to participating in and completing the course. The Jack Miller Center and our university partners dedicate significant resources to setting up these courses, and we want to ensure that teachers who enroll intend to complete the course. 

When you enroll, the university may ask for:  

• Resume/CV 
• Undergraduate transcript(s)
• Teaching certification/Proof of teaching
• Proof of residency (required by some state schools)

We understand plans change and unexpected obligations arise. If you are enrolled in a course and can no longer participate because of extenuating circumstances, please contact Graduate Consortium Manager Moyra Eaton at meaton@gojmc.org. 

You need the following items to participate in Graduate Consortium courses: 

• A computer with an adequate camera and microphone
• Stable internet to run a Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting
• A quiet space to join meetings
• Headphones if you anticipate joining course meetings from a public space
• Assigned readings provided by the professor
• A word processing software to complete assignments

Faculty expect consistent engagement during discussions and strong efforts on assignments. Given the condensed nature of many of our graduate courses, attendance is essential. You will complete assigned readings ahead of each meeting, and will come prepared with notes, questions, and other points to discuss in class. Each course requires multiple assignments and/or presentations that will be factored into your final grade. Faculty are generally interested in translating course content for the K-12 classroom, so they may integrate that topic into seminars.  

While readings are at the discretion of faculty, you should expect each class meeting to require several hours of reading and preparation. Readings are generally primary sources, though faculty often assign secondary articles, chapters, and books to complement those sources. Faculty will ensure you have access to all of the course readings.

Our hope is that you leave the course with greater content knowledge, more confidence in teaching primary sources, and new ideas for engaging your students. More concretely, upon successful completion of the course and requisite assignments, you will receive graduate credit and access to a transcript from the host university. 

“This course challenged me to view the past through a more analytical lens, and I truly feel like a better teacher and citizen because of it. I intend to elevate the rigor of my instruction and continue to empower my students to tackle primary sources with open-mindedness and confidence” – 2026 Catholic University of America course participant

Yes! If you are interested in taking a graduate course but want to wait until next year, complete our course interest form. JMC will reach out to you when the 2027 Course Catalogue is available.

Yes! The Graduate Consortium partners with the Utah Valley University M.A. in Constitutional Government, Civics, and Law and the Jacksonville State University M.S.E. in Secondary Social Studies Education. Both universities have agreed to accept transfer credits from Consortium member universities. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Graduate Consortium Manager Moyra Eaton at meaton@gojmc.org.