The Jack Miller Center Announces Grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York for New National Teaching America250 Awards
These grants will empower teachers from every state to creatively engage K-12 students with the Declaration of Independence.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2025
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Jack Miller Center (JMC) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $450,000 first-time grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to create a new teaching awards program in celebration of the semiquincentennial, recognizing innovative, teacher-led projects across all 50 states.
“We are honored to receive this incredible grant from Carnegie to help teachers across the country share the history and values of the Declaration with their students in new and creative ways,” said Hans Zeiger, president of the Jack Miller Center. “This is a key step towards igniting a civic education renaissance grounded in what unites us as Americans.”
The Teaching America250 Awards invite teachers to design compelling projects that engage students with the history of America’s founding and the ideals of the Declaration. Potential projects include field trips, assemblies, clubs, or community art for up to $5,000 in funding. Applications will be open October 6 through November 21, 2025, and winners will be announced in January of 2026. Details on the awards can be found here.
“The Teaching America250 Awards will enable teachers to create projects that bring their students and local community closer to the history and principles in the Declaration of Independence,” said Lauren Altobelli, director of Founding Civics Initiative and JMC’s K-12 teacher programming. “We are excited to see their visions come to life.”
“Teachers play a vital role in helping young people understand the ideas that have shaped our democracy and the responsibilities that sustain it,” said Ambika Kapur, Education Program Director at Carnegie Corporation of New York. “We’re delighted to support innovative educators who are bringing civic learning to life with projects that engage meaningfully with the experiences, questions, and aspirations of today’s students and communities.”
Select winners will showcase their projects at the Jack Miller Center’s 2026 National Summit on Civic Education and attend the Civic Learning Week National Forum, hosted by JMC partners iCivics and the Democratic Knowledge Project.
This transformative grant adds to the robust slate of activities JMC has planned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, including a series of campus grants and the 2026 National Summit on Civic Education on Independence Mall. To learn more about these activities, visit jackmillercenter.org/America250.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
The Jack Miller Center
Marlee Promisel
703-732-3877
media@gojmc.org
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Angely Montilla
347-360-7803