Civic Education Research Lab

What Civic Education Research Lab does

The Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) is an academic research laboratory housed within Georgetown University's Communication, Culture, and Technology program, founded in 2018 and directed by Dr. Diana Owen. With a team of approximately 8 personnel including research specialists and student researchers, CERL investigates the effectiveness of civic teaching and learning for elementary, secondary, and university students, with explicit focus on high-need populations including students with disabilities, English language learners, students of color, and Title I school attendees. The lab's research portfolio spans the James Madison Legacy Project Expansion (JMLPE), Civics that Empowers All Students (CEAS), the Project Citizen Research Program, Integrated Civic Competencies, Project Community media literacy, and Civics in the Digital Age — most executed in close partnership with the Center for Civic Education.

CERL's technical core is survey-based program evaluation methodology, including design-based implementation research (DBIR) used to iteratively refine teacher professional development and curriculum. Notable proprietary frameworks include the Civic SEL Framework (CSELF), which adapts CASEL competencies for K-12 and post-secondary civic learning contexts, and established research protocols for studying misinformation in civics classrooms. The lab has produced longitudinal datasets covering thousands of participants across multiple states (e.g., 180 schools and 5,375 students in the 2020–2023 Project Citizen study, 700 teachers in a media-use study, and nearly 1,900 voters surveyed around the 2024 election cycle) with reported outcome gains such as a 68% civic knowledge increase for We the People students versus 41% in traditional classrooms.

CERL operates on a non-commercial model funded almost entirely through competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education — most notably an $11.65 million SEED grant (2023) for CEAS and a $4.4 million Innovation and Research Program grant (2022) for JMLPE — with additional IES funding for the Project Citizen evaluation. Outputs are disseminated free of charge through peer-reviewed publications, national symposia (e.g., the March 2026 We the People symposium with 160+ educators), APSA and MPSA/WPSA conference presentations, a Substack newsletter, and the cerl.georgetown.edu website. CERL holds no patents, charges no fees for participation or research access, and has no commercial pricing model.

Name

Civic Education Research Lab

Legal name

Civic Education Research Lab

Website

https://cerl.georgetown.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Civic Education Research Lab is an academic research laboratory at Georgetown University that investigates the effectiveness of civic teaching and learning for K-12 and university students, partnering with the Center for Civic Education on federally funded research programs addressing underserved populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Civic education research
• Teacher professional development
• Curriculum effectiveness studies
• K-12 civics assessment
• Educational research laboratory

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: CERL operates as a university research laboratory funded primarily through competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Education, including SEED grants and Innovation and Research Program grants. These grants fund specific civic education research projects, curriculum development, and program evaluation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CERL is an academic research laboratory that investigates the effectiveness of civic teaching and learning for elementary, secondary, and university students through federally funded research grants. The lab conducts program evaluation studies on civic education curricula (such as the We the People and Project Citizen programs), develops teacher professional development assessment frameworks, and produces research publications and symposia that translate findings into actionable policy and curriculum recommendations. CERL partners with the Center for Civic Education to evaluate national civic education initiatives and examine civic engagement in the digital age.

Product overview

Civic Education Research Lab (CERL) is a research organization at Georgetown University that investigates the effectiveness of civic teaching and learning for elementary, secondary, and university students. CERL conducts research on programs and practices in collaboration with partners in the civic education field, examining civic engagement and discourse in the digital age. The organization manages multiple research programs including the James Madison Legacy Project Expansion (JMLPE), Civics that Empowers All Students (CEAS), Project Citizen Research Program, Integrated Civic Competencies (ICC), Project Community, and Civics in the Digital Age. These programs primarily evaluate and support the Center for Civic Education's We the People curriculum through teacher professional development and curriculum interventions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• James Madison Legacy Project Expansion (JMLPE) A nationwide multi-year initiative focused on adapting the Center for Civic Education's We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum for students with disabilities, English language learners, and students of color. The program provides professional development to teachers and conducts research on curriculum effectiveness for high-need student populations.
• Civics that Empowers All Students (CEAS) A federally funded program providing professional development to elementary and middle school teachers to implement an adapted version of the We the People curriculum. The program targets students living in poverty, students of color, students with disabilities, and English language learners, with research evaluation built into the project.
• Project Citizen Research Program (PCRP) A three-year research evaluation of the Center for Civic Education's Project Citizen teacher professional development program and curriculum intervention for middle and high school students. The study measured civic knowledge, dispositions, skills, and engagement outcomes.
• Integrated Civic Competencies (ICC) A civic education program created by the Center for Civic Education that intentionally incorporates social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies into the Project Citizen curriculum, embedding SEL throughout civic learning.
• Project Community (Media Literacy and Public Policy) An innovative civic education program designed by the Center for Civic Education to integrate media literacy into the Project Citizen curriculum, helping educators address misinformation and promote critical media engagement in civics classrooms.
• Civics in the Digital Age A CERL research initiative and resource set focused on how digital transformation affects civic education, examining how students can engage effectively and responsibly using digital technology and how civics addresses the digital transformation of politics and society.
• Presidential and Congressional Academies Immersive educational engagement programs in American history and civics, with the Presidential Academy serving secondary school teachers and the Congressional Academy serving high-need high school students. CERL conducts research on the effectiveness of both programs.
• We the People Curriculum The foundational civic education curriculum developed by the Center for Civic Education that provides instruction on the history and principles of U.S. constitutional democracy, emphasizing Constitutional principles, the Bill of Rights, and Supreme Court cases, and culminating in simulated congressional hearings.

Quantifiable outcome

• We the People students gained 68% in civic knowledge compared to 41% in traditional classrooms
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, supporting and minor.

• Center for Civic EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary strategic partner conducting collaborative research on civic education programs. Joint projects include James Madison Legacy Project Expansion (JMLPE), We the People curriculum research, Project Citizen Research Program, and Co-hosted National Symposium on Civic Education Research (March 2026) with 160+ educators.
• American Political Science Association (APSA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Teaching and Learning Symposium on Civic Education and America's 250th (June 2026) at Georgetown University with nearly 30 scholars, civic educators, and practitioners. APSA Educate platform hosts CERL presentations and resources.
• Institute for Citizens & ScholarsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted convening on Assessing Affective Polarization Among Young People at Georgetown University to explore what's driving political and cultural divides and what can be done about it.
• More Like USsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research implementing and evaluating programs designed to reduce political misperceptions and polarization among young people, referenced in misinformation research publication.
• International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on State of Technology in Global Newsrooms surveys (2017, 2019), first-ever surveys on adoption of digital technologies in news media worldwide, covering journalists in 130-149 countries.
• Educating for American Democracy (EAD)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERL is conducting pilot research for EAD on programs at the elementary school level. EAD is presented to international delegations as a mechanism for promoting excellence in civics and history nationwide.
• Australian ParliamentminorOthersAustralian parliamentary delegation visited CERL to discuss civic education research and how findings might apply to Australia. Delegation included Hon. Milton Dick (Speaker of the House) and Hon. David Littleproud (Leader of National Party).
• Pi Sigma AlphasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERL Director Dr. Diana Owen serves as President of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. CERL supports annual National Student Research Conference.
• Georgetown University Communication, Culture, and Technology ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERL is housed within Georgetown's CCT program. Graduate students assist with research, and seminar courses sponsor original surveys and research projects.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Edward J. Safra Center for Ethics: Harvard-based ethics research center whose work touches on civic life, democratic institutions, and polarization. Comparable as a well-resourced university research center producing scholarship on civic and democratic challenges.

Direct peers

• iCivics: Largest provider of K-12 civics curriculum and games in the U.S., founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Comparable in mission (expanding access to high-quality civic education) and K-12 audience, with broader commercial product footprint than CERL.
• CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement): Tufts University-based research center that studies youth civic engagement and civic education. CIRCLE is the most directly comparable academic research organization operating in the same niche of K-12 and youth civic education research.
• Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life: Tufts University's civic engagement research and education hub. Comparable as a university-based civic education research center with grant-funded programming, graduate involvement, and policy-relevant research output.
• Center for Civic Education: Producer of the We the People and Project Citizen curricula that CERL researches and evaluates. As CERL's core partner, it shares overlapping mission, content, and federal grant portfolio, though it is a curriculum provider rather than a research lab.
• Institute for Citizens & Scholars: Nonprofit focused on developing citizens and cultivating leadership. Comparable in targeting young Americans' civic preparation and partnering with academic institutions on civic education research and convenings.
• Educating for American Democracy (EAD): Cross-organization initiative producing the EAD framework for K-12 history and civics. CERL is conducting pilot research on EAD-aligned programs; the two share K-12 civics curriculum mission and federal stakeholder network.
• Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools: Coalition advocating for high-quality civic education in K-12 schools. Operates in the same civic education policy ecosystem as CERL, with overlapping federal grant advocacy and stakeholder convenings.

Emerging players

• Generation Citizen: Nonprofit working to bring action-oriented civics education to U.S. schools. Comparable in targeting K-12 civic learning and teacher training, with program evaluation and outcome-reporting practices similar to those CERL studies.
• Facing History & Ourselves: Nonprofit providing professional development and curriculum for educators on history, civics, and SEL. Comparable in K-12 teacher PD focus and civic/SEL integration, with broader classroom implementation footprint than CERL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CivicEducationResearchLab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civic-education-research-lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/cerlgeorgetown

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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