Center For Civic Education

What Center For Civic Education does

The Center for Civic Education is a national, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1965 and headquartered in Calabasas, California. It develops, publishes, and delivers the most extensively researched civic education curricula in the United States, anchored by two flagship programs: We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, which covers the history and principles of constitutional democracy through textbooks, enhanced ebooks, and simulated congressional hearings at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; and Project Citizen, a portfolio-based program in which middle, secondary, and post-secondary students identify, research, and propose public policy solutions to community problems. Supporting these programs are digital content products (the 60-Second Civics daily podcast, the Constitution EXPLAINED video series, Civics Inquiry Lessons, Civil Discourse Toolkit, Media Literacy Lessons), the American Legacy publication containing foundational U.S. democratic documents, and free self-paced online courses hosted on the Center's Moodle-based learning management system at learn.civiced.org.

The Center monetizes through a hybrid nonprofit model: textbook and publication sales distributed exclusively through Gibbs Smith Education, paid professional learning partnerships customized for schools and districts (the Essential and Continuous series), merchandise sales through its Bonfire Store, and significant grant and donation revenue including a $1 million Andrew Carnegie Foundation grant (2024) and federal funding from the Institute for Education Sciences for programs such as CEAS, the James Madison Legacy Project, and the Project Citizen Research Program. Distribution leverages a national network of state coordinators covering all 50 states and D.C., research partnerships with Georgetown University's Civic Education Research Lab, and coalition affiliations including the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap, CivX NOW Coalition, and Civics Renewed Network. The organization's go-to-market is event-driven, anchored by annual We the People National Finals and National Invitational competitions in Washington D.C. and supported by professional learning webinars, the Civics Mentors community, and the upcoming Teaching250 national curriculum timed to America's 250th anniversary in 2026.

Name

Center For Civic Education

Legal name

Center for Civic Education

Website

https://civiced.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Civic Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1965 that develops and delivers research-validated civic education curricula, primarily the We the People and Project Citizen programs, to K-12 schools, students, and educators across all 50 U.S. states through textbooks, professional learning, and a state coordinator network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Studies & Civics Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Civic education
• Constitutional literacy
• Democracy education
• K-12 civics curricula
• Civic engagement programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Calabasas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Textbook and Publication Sales: The Center sells textbooks and publications through its distribution partner Gibbs Smith Education. Print textbooks, enhanced ebooks, and the American Legacy pocket Constitution are sold to schools and educators.
2. Professional Learning Partnerships: Paid professional learning services customized to school or district needs, including the Essential series and Continuous series programs for educator development.
3. Donations and Grants: The Center operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, generating revenue through individual donations, major donor contributions, employee-matched gifts, planned giving, and foundation grants including a $1 million grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise through the Center's Bonfire Store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

A nonprofit organization that develops and disseminates civic education curricula and instructional programs for K-12 schools and educators, including constitutional literacy and democratic engagement programs such as We the People and Project Citizen.

Product overview

The Center for Civic Education is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of civic education programs and resources. The core offerings consist of two flagship curricular programs: We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution (covering constitutional democracy history and principles with simulated congressional hearings across elementary, middle, and high school levels) and Project Citizen (promoting student participation in public policy through portfolio-based learning). Supporting the flagship programs are digital content products including the 60-Second Civics podcast, Constitution EXPLAINED video series, and free self-paced online courses. The organization provides professional learning services through partnerships, grant-funded programs (CEAS, James Madison Legacy Project), and webinars. Additional products include the American Legacy publication, topical lesson plan collections (Civil Discourse Toolkit, Media Literacy, Constitution Day, Bill of Rights, Voting and Elections), and the Teaching250 curriculum for America's 250th anniversary. All products and services are distributed primarily through Gibbs Smith Education for textbooks and the Center's own learn.civiced.org Moodle-based platform for online courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 42% increase in students' civics content knowledge and significant improvement in civic dispositions and skills (Project Citizen Research Program Year 1)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, key, supporting and minor.

• Georgetown University - Civic Education Research Lab (CERL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year research partnership studying the efficacy of the Project Citizen curriculum and professional development program. Georgetown's CERL conducts randomized control trials examining civic knowledge, dispositions, and skills among teachers and students across five regions.
• Educating for American Democracy (EAD) RoadmapcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter participates in EAD Roadmap initiative providing educators with crosswalk and pedagogy companion aligned to We the People curriculum. Part of broader coalition advocating for civic education.
• Civics Renewed NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter is a partner in the Civics Renewed Network, collaborating with other organizations to advocate for and advance civic education nationwide.
• CivX NOW CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCenter participates in the CivX NOW coalition working to improve civic education across the nation.
• National Constitution CenterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Teaching250 National Curriculum for America's 250th anniversary, including the official launch webinar on July 9, 2026 and the National Gathering in Philadelphia.
• Colonial WilliamsburgsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for professional development webinars on civics content, including Stories of Civil Disobedience webinar series.
• Gibbs Smith EducationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partner for Center textbooks and publications. Educators and schools order through Gibbs Smith Education's online contact form.
• State Coordinators NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of state coordinators across all 50 states and D.C. who work with members of Congress, business leaders, and local educators to implement We the People and Project Citizen programs.
• Thinking NationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Cultivating Civic Dispositions webinar series, supporting professional development for educators.
• ShopRaiseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopRaise program allows supporters to shop at partner retailers with a portion of proceeds going to support the Center.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Pearson Education: Major K-12 textbook and curriculum publisher with social studies/government offerings, competing with CCE at the district adoption level through broader product portfolios.
• IXL Learning: Large K-12 supplemental learning platform with social studies offerings, representing a broader digital incumbent competing for civics instructional minutes and budgets.
• Discovery Education: Large K-12 digital curriculum provider with social studies/civics modules, competing for the same district textbook and digital curriculum budgets but at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• National Constitution Center: Nonpartisan civic education institution delivering constitutional literacy programming and educator resources, recently partnering with CCE on Teaching250 for the America250 initiative.
• iCivics: Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics is the largest civic education provider in the U.S., offering free games and curriculum directly competing for K-12 civics adoption and teacher professional development.
• Street Law, Inc. Nonprofit delivering law and civic education programs to schools, with comparable curriculum-based offerings and educator professional development targeted at civics and government classrooms.
• Bill of Rights Institute: Nonprofit providing constitutional and civic education resources to schools, with overlapping textbook, lesson plan, and professional development offerings directly competing for the same K-12 budget lines.
• Facing History and Ourselves: Nonprofit providing K-12 curriculum and professional development on history, civics, and ethics, with overlapping teacher training and classroom resources targeting similar educator buyer personas.

Emerging players

• Newsela: Edtech company offering leveled nonfiction content including civics and government topics for K-12, competing for teacher attention and supplemental curriculum dollars.
• Civics Renewed Network: Coalition of civic education organizations in which CCE participates; a coordinating/advocacy body with partial overlap on K-12 civics advocacy and resource distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/civiceducation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CenterforCivicEducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Center-for-Civic-Education/29983098458
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-civic-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/centerforciviceducation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center For Civic Education