Jack Miller Center announces new university partners for Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium
Six new universities joined JMC’s Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium, the nation’s first university network committed to graduate level study for K-12 civics and history teachers.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHILADELPHIA, PA — April 30, 2026:The Jack Miller Center (JMC), an educational non-profit committed to civic education, today announced six new universities joining their Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium, the nation’s first university network committed to graduate level study for K-12 civics and history teachers.
The new members are American University, Catholic University of America, Claremont Graduate University, San Diego State University, University of West Florida, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. They join Arizona State University, the University of Chicago, Utah Valley University, Xavier University, among others in the Consortium.
These universities will offer courses and programs on topics in American civics and history, ranging from the founding era to modern political thought, and focus particularly on reading and understanding primary sources. Throughout Summer 2026, Consortium members will offer 15 different political science and history courses. Enrollment is open now for these tuition-free courses, and interested educators can learn more here.
The Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium is a hub for universities committed to supporting K-12 civics and history teachers with graduate education that is affordable (often free), accessible (with virtual and after school options), and designed specifically for classroom educators. Member universities bring a variety of offerings to the Consortium, from individual courses to graduate certificates and master’s degree programs, giving teachers the flexibility to pursue the graduate education most valuable for them. The Consortium’s programs have particular appeal to teachers who can increase their compensation by earning graduate credit and/or master’s degrees, as well as deepen their subject matter knowledge.
“By creating opportunities for teachers to learn from political science and history faculty, these universities are joining a movement to bolster civics education at the K-12 level,” said Lauren Altobelli, Director of the Jack Miller Center’s Founding Civics Initiative. “Expanding the Consortium means more teachers will have the chance to learn from these experts, strengthen their content knowledge, refine their teaching strategies, and earn graduate credit along the way.”
Through support from the John Templeton Foundation and the Marcus Foundation, more programs will be added over the next two years.
ABOUT THE JACK MILLER CENTER
The Jack Miller Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advancing the work of scholars who teach and study the ideas, documents, and history we hold in common as Americans. We seek to grow the talent pipeline of university educators who teach the American political tradition, to forge new models for university-based training of K-12 civics and history teachers, and to build a diverse coalition of Americans to ignite a civic education renaissance.