Illinois Institute of Technology
Project Title
For project support of the Democracy School Network at the Kent College of Law
Date
Mar. 05, 2026
Duration
24 months
Description
Many students lack meaningful civic learning integrated into the school day, particularly in under-resourced communities. The Democracy Schools Network (DSN) addresses this gap by supporting schools to embed nonpartisan civic learning and experiential practices across subjects so that all students engage in deliberation, problem-solving, and real-world civic experiences. Launched in 2006, DSN now serves approximately 120,000 students across 90 Illinois high schools and hasdemonstratedstrong outcomes, including increased civic knowledge, political efficacy, and engagement with diverse perspectives. With Carnegie support, DSN will expand its proven schoolwide civic learning model by inducting 24additionalIllinois high schools and launching 50 middle schools in Illinois, reaching approximately 63,000 new students. The initiative will also expand into Indiana and Wisconsin,building onpilot work conducted during the 2024–25 school year, and will support 10 high schools. In total, the project will extend high-quality civic learning to approximately 73,000additionalstudents and bring DSN’s total reach toroughly 193,000students across three states.