What Section1 does

Section 1 is a Canadian registered charity founded in 2018 by Peter L. Biro, focused on civics education and the defense of liberal democracy. The organization operates from Toronto, Ontario, with a stated team of nine comprising a Founder/President, a Development Director, Senior and Junior Fellows, social media and communications staff, and an Advisory Board of distinguished former public servants, scholars, and jurists. Its core product is the S.I.D.E. (Students In Democracy Education) program — ten short videos on the fundamentals of a free and democratic society paired with guided conversations — currently piloting across Ontario universities and private schools. Section 1 is also developing the Bootcamp for Heroic Citizenship, a multi-module civic curriculum, and has published two edited academic volumes on constitutional democracy and the Canadian Charter's notwithstanding clause.

The organization delivers its mission through an event-driven go-to-market model: three major national conferences convened in 2019, 2022, and 2025 (the latter in collaboration with the Canadian International Council and Massey College), supplemented by public lectures, workshops, townhalls, and high-profile media appearances on CBC Ideas, TVO's The Agenda, and in op-eds for The Globe and Mail and National Post. Distribution is split between direct institutional partnerships with schools and civic organizations (single-country/domestic) and self-serve digital content distribution (global scope). Customers and beneficiaries span K-12 and university students, educational institutions, community and civic groups, and the general public, with adoption signals including S.I.D.E. graduate-to-Ambassador conversion.

Section 1 is funded entirely through charitable donations under its status as a registered charity (CBN: 736845017RR0001) and corporation under the Canada Not-For-Profit Corporations Act. It has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no disclosed institutional investors, and no fee-for-service revenue stream. The books are published through third-party academic presses (Mosaic Press, McGill-Queen's University Press), generating royalties rather than direct revenue to the charity. Geographic operations are concentrated in Canada, with one Senior Fellow's remit extending to U.K., Western Europe, and Israel signaling latent international analytical scope.

Name

Section1

Legal name

Section 1

Website

https://section1.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Section 1 is a Toronto-based Canadian registered charity founded in 2018 that delivers civics education programs, conferences, and publications aimed at defending liberal democracy and educating 'Heroic Citizens,' primarily serving students, educational institutions, and civic communities in Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Civics, Citizenship & Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards Authorities (EDADAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Open Lesson Plans & Teaching Units (K–12) (EDAGAJAI), Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ), Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA)

Keywords

• Democracy education
• Civics curriculum
• Liberal democracy
• Civic engagement
• Constitutional literacy

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Section 1 is a registered charity under the Income Tax Act (Canada) and operates as a corporation under the Canada Not-For-Profit Corporations Act. The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations to fund its operations and mission of promoting civics education and defending liberal democracy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Section 1 is a registered Canadian charity that develops and delivers civics education programming centered on the fundamentals of liberal democracy. Its flagship product, S.I.D.E. (Students In Democracy Education), is a curriculum of 10 short videos with guided conversations on democratic principles; it also produces the Bootcamp for Heroic Citizenship, two published edited volumes on constitutional democracy, and convenes major national conferences for scholars and the public.

Product overview

Section 1 is a Canadian civic education organization offering a portfolio of programs focused on 'Education for Heroic Citizenship.' Its core product is S.I.D.E. (Students In Democracy Education), a flagship program of 10 videos on the fundamentals of liberal democracy with guided conversations. The organization also produces the Bootcamp for Heroic Citizenship (in development), publishes edited volumes on constitutional democracy and the notwithstanding clause, and convenes major annual conferences on democratic governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• S.I.D.E. (Students In Democracy Education): Section 1's flagship program - a 'boot camp for heroic citizenship' consisting of 10 short videos on the fundamentals of a free and democratic society, including equality, pluralism, civil liberties, the rule of law, accountability, and the pursuit of truth
• Bootcamp for Heroic Citizenship

Products and services

• S.I.D.E. (Students In Democracy Education) Section 1's flagship civics education program consisting of 10 short videos on the fundamentals of a free and democratic society (including equality, pluralism, civil liberties, the rule of law, accountability, and the pursuit of truth), with each video followed by a guided conversation. Designed for K-12 and university classrooms, leadership development programs, extracurricular settings, and dinner-table discussions.
• Bootcamp for Heroic Citizenship An intensive, multi-module core curriculum for liberal democratic citizenship intended for teachers, students, and anyone interested in arming their civic immune system against the forces of democratic backsliding. Currently in development.
• Constitutional Democracy Under Stress: A Time For Heroic Citizenship (Book) An edited volume of essays probing the sources and malaise confronting constitutional democracies and providing road-maps for a cultivated response, including the concept of civic serum necessary to inoculate free citizens against anti-democratic populism and authoritarianism. Published by Mosaic Press and edited by Peter Biro.
• The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter: Rights, Reforms, and Controversies (Book) A comprehensive collection examining the notwithstanding clause (Section 33) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, analyzing who should have the last word on matters of rights and justice — legislatures or the judiciary. Published by McGill-Queen's University Press and edited by Peter Biro.
• National Conferences on Constitutional Democracy (2019, 2022, 2025) Full-day national conferences convening the country's leading scholars, jurists, political scientists, and democracy experts to examine constitutional democracy, the notwithstanding clause, and the future of democratic governance in Canada. Three conferences have been held: 2019, 2022, and 2025.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Massey College (University of Toronto)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassey College serves as a key institutional partner, hosting Section 1's conferences and providing intellectual leadership. Peter Biro is a Senior Fellow of Massey College. The 2025 conference 'Liberal Democracy in the Rearview Mirror?' was held at Massey College, Toronto.
• Canadian International Council (CIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 2025 conference was organized in collaboration with the Canadian International Council. Nicolas Rouleau serves as CIC co-Chair and moderated panels at the conference.
• TVO (Television for the Ontarians)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerTVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin featured Peter Biro and contributors discussing the state of democracy and Section 1's work. TVO provides media platform for public education on democratic issues.
• CBC Radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPeter Biro was featured on CBC Ideas with Nahlah Ayed discussing democracy and heroic citizenship. This high-profile media appearance helps reach a broad Canadian audience.
• McGill-Queen's University PresssecondaryOthersPublisher of Section 1's book 'The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter: Rights, Reforms, and Controversies' edited by Peter Biro.
• Mosaic PresssecondaryOthersPublisher of Section 1's book 'Constitutional Democracy Under Stress: A Time for Heroic Citizenship' edited by Peter Biro.
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerS.I.D.E. has been endorsed by the Director of Education for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. CCLA representatives participated in the 2022 conference on the notwithstanding clause.
• Samara Centre for DemocracysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSabreena Delhon, Executive Director of Samara Centre for Democracy, participated in the 2025 conference and provided insights on online toxicity and abuse in elections.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Samara Centre for Democracy: Canadian nonpartisan organization producing research and programming on democratic engagement and political participation. Directly comparable as a Toronto-based democracy research/education nonprofit with shared government and academic partnerships (e.g., Samara representatives appear at Section 1 conferences).
• iCivics: U.S.-based nonprofit providing free civics curricula, games, and lesson plans to K–12 classrooms. The closest international analog to Section 1's S.I.D.E. and Bootcamp programs, with a similar model of pre-partisan civic education content delivered through schools.
• Generation Citizen: Nonprofit bringing civics education and action-based learning into high schools and colleges. Comparable mission of building civic engagement among students through structured classroom programming and trained ambassadors.
• CIVIX: Canadian nonprofit focused on civic and voter education for youth, running programs like Student Vote. Direct Canadian peer operating in the same civic education category with K–12 school deployment.

Emerging players

• Braver Angels: U.S. nonprofit running workshops and dialogues to bridge political division among Americans. Comparable in its pre-partisan framing and emphasis on cross-ideological conversation, mirroring Section 1's "guided conversation" model after each S.I.D.E. video.
• More in Common: International nonprofit (US/UK/France/Canada) building research and programs to reduce polarization and strengthen democratic cohesion. Overlaps with Section 1's mission of combating democratic backsliding through civic education and dialogue.
• Living Room Conversations: U.S. nonprofit providing structured conversation guides for citizens to discuss divisive topics across ideological lines. Comparable to Section 1's model of guided civic conversations built on foundational principles.

Broad incumbents

• National Constitution Center: U.S. nonprofit institution dedicated to constitutional education and civic dialogue, producing curricula, publications, and public programming. Comparable in its constitutional-law focus and thought-leadership publishing model (akin to Section 1's books).

Others

• Educating for American Democracy: Cross-ideological initiative producing a roadmap for K–12 civic and history education in the U.S. Thematically adjacent as a standards/curriculum-setting effort in civics education, though it operates as a coalition rather than an ongoing nonprofit.

Regional players

• Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA): Canadian civil liberties and human rights organization running public education campaigns. Overlaps with Section 1 on Charter-focused civic education, and the CCLA Director of Education has endorsed S.I.D.E.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Section1