Strong civics education curbs polarization in America

As America grapples with escalating polarization, encouraging signs point toward genuine civic renewal. Philadelphia’s Jack Miller Center, a leading nonprofit group fostering informed citizenship, just released its 2024 annual report. Its findings offer a comforting alternative to the week’s headlines, most notably the meteoric rise of New York City’s self-described socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

This past year, the center reached over 1,300 university professors and 2,800 K-12 teachers, raised $5.4 million in funding, and diverted 77% of this money back to the academic programs it championed. At a symposium last year, it asked, “Can civic education save our institutions?”