Teach Democracy

What Teach Democracy does

Teach Democracy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic education organization founded in 1963 in Los Angeles as the Constitutional Rights Foundation and rebranded in 2024. The organization provides standards-aligned, non-partisan civic education curriculum and programs to K-12 schools, teachers, and students, with deep penetration across California's 37 counties and broader national reach. Core programs include Civic Action Project (CAP), a project-based learning program; Mock Trial, a trial-simulation competition now expanding into middle school grades; Expanding Horizons Institute (EHI), a paid internship pipeline for first-generation college-bound students; BRIA (Bill of Rights In Action) quarterly curricular magazine; Civil Conversations (CivCon) structured discussions; the California Civic Learning Initiative (CCLI); California Courtroom Connection; and the California Three Rs Project.

The organization's underlying "technology" is its 60+ years of accumulated curriculum content, mock trial case library, and BRIA magazine archive, delivered through a website, online store (selling PDF downloads and print packets priced $5.95–$36.95), teacher workshops, and in-person competitions held at courthouses and university venues. Distribution is reinforced by a network of county coordinators, co-sponsorships with the LA County Superior Court, LA County Bar Association, Daily Journal, ABOTA, and UCLA School of Law, and a volunteer ecosystem of attorneys, judges, and law students.

Teach Democracy's revenue model is a hybrid of donations and grants (the primary funding stream, supporting free programs like CAP and BRIA), curriculum and materials sales through the online store at unit prices of $5.95–$36.95, and program registration fees (e.g., $500 team Mock Trial entry, $35 per artist/journalist, $95 per student for State Finals). Customers are highly distributed across public and private K-12 schools, individual educators, and students rather than concentrated enterprise accounts.

Name

Teach Democracy

Legal name

Teach Democracy

Website

https://teachdemocracy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Teach Democracy is a nonprofit civic education organization founded in 1963 that delivers free, standards-aligned K-12 civic programs—including Mock Trial, Civic Action Project, BRIA magazine, and paid internships—to schools across California and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Civic Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJAFAI

Social Studies & Civics Instruction (School-Delivered)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

Keywords

• Civic education programs
• K-12 curriculum
• Mock trial competitions
• Civic engagement training
• Educational publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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. Program Registration Fees: Some programs like Mock Trial competitions charge registration fees (e.g., $500 team registration fee, $35 per artist/journalist) to offset competition costs.
2. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit organization, Teach Democracy relies heavily on donations and grants from foundations, corporations, and individuals to fund free programs and curriculum for schools.
3. Curriculum and Materials Sales: The organization sells educational materials through its online store including mock trial case packets, textbooks like Criminal Justice in America, Landmarks, Adventures in Law and History, Of Codes & Crowns, and Of Democrats and Dictators. Prices range from $5.95 to $36.95 per item.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Teach Democracy is a nonprofit civic education organization that delivers free standards-aligned, project-based civic education programs and curriculum to K-12 schools, teachers, and students. Its portfolio includes the Civic Action Project (CAP), Mock Trial competition program, Expanding Horizons Institute paid internship program, BRIA curricular magazine, Civil Conversations discussion program, and supplementary textbooks and case materials sold through an online store. Programs are primarily free to schools, supported by donations and grants, while printed and digital curriculum materials are sold at modest unit prices.

Product overview

Teach Democracy is a nonprofit civic education organization offering a portfolio of programs and curriculum products for K-12 schools. The core offerings include the Civic Action Project (project-based civics learning), Mock Trial program (trial simulation competitions), Expanding Horizons Institute (internship program), BRIA magazine (curricular publication), Civil Conversations (structured discussions), and various supplementary textbooks and case materials. Programs are primarily free to educators, while store products include mock trial case materials, textbooks, and curriculum guides sold at low cost.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Civic Action Project (CAP): A free project-based learning program for civics that enables students to apply what they learn in the classroom to examine and address real-world issues.
• Mock Trial
• Expanding Horizons Institute (EHI)
• BRIA (Bill of Rights In Action)
• Civil Conversations (CivCon)
• California Civic Learning Initiative (CCLI)
• California Courtroom Connection
• California Three Rs Project

Products and services

• Civic Action Project (CAP) A free project-based learning program for civics that enables students to apply classroom learning to examine and address real-world issues. Combines research-based instructional practices with civic engagement projects for middle and high school students. For K-12 schools and teachers.
• Mock Trial Program Simulation of criminal trials using hypothetical cases based on California law. Students compete as prosecution or defense teams with real judges and attorneys scoring and presiding over trials. Includes county and state-level competitions across 37 California counties, involving over 2,500 high school and middle school students.
• Expanding Horizons Institute (EHI) A partnership program with Los Angeles businesses placing first-generation college-bound students in paid internships with mentoring and skill-building workshops. Provides exposure to professional workplaces including law firms such as Latham & Watkins LLP.
• BRIA (Bill of Rights In Action) Magazine Quarterly curricular magazine featuring timely texts and activities on current events, U.S. history, world history, and government. Available in electronic or printed formats. Decades-long archive of issues used by teachers and students.
• Civil Conversations (CivCon) Structured small-group discussion program where students engage in discussions on controversial or complex issues with close reading and text analysis of multiple perspectives. For K-12 students and educators.
• California Civic Learning Initiative (CCLI) A partnership of organizations and coalition agencies providing California educators support for implementing the California State Seal of Civic Engagement. For California K-12 educators and districts.
• California Courtroom Connection Program providing opportunities for Los Angeles area legal professionals to visit classrooms and for students to visit courthouses, teaching about the Constitution and justice system.
• California Three Rs Project Project focusing on rights, responsibility, and respect related to learning about religion and the First Amendment in California public schools. For K-12 educators and students in California.
• Mock Trial Case Materials (E-Books) Downloadable PDF mock trial case materials including hypothetical cases, witness statements, legal authorities, trial instructions, and procedural guidelines. Sold individually or in sets of 10 print copies. For teachers and Mock Trial teams.
• Criminal Justice in America (5th Edition) Textbook Comprehensive secondary criminal justice textbook covering criminal law, procedure, and criminology with directed discussions, role plays, mock trials, and cooperative exercises. Available in print and digital editions. For secondary schools.
• Landmarks: Historic U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Textbook Student text focusing on important U.S. Supreme Court cases with historical background, decision outlines, and significance explanations. For grades 9-12.
• Adventures in Law and History (Volumes I & II) Textbook Upper-elementary curriculum taking students through American historical eras to learn about law and civic education through interactive lessons, role plays, and simulations. For upper elementary grades.
• Of Codes & Crowns (3rd Edition) Textbook World history standards-linked textbook covering legal history from ancient civilizations through the Renaissance, including Hammurabi's Code, Roman Law, Islamic Law, and the Magna Carta.
• Of Democrats and Dictators Textbook World history standards-linked textbook covering political systems from Elizabethan England to modern age, including common law, Enlightenment philosophers, and international law.
• People v. Meadows (Classroom Mock Trial) Classroom mock trial designed for grades 6-12 featuring a case about aggravated assault with a privacy rights focus. Includes student handbook and teacher's guide. For teachers running mock trials in the classroom.
• People v. A. Wolf (Mini-Mock Trial) Two-part mini-mock trial simulation for grades 3-6 based on The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, teaching jury selection and trial procedures. For elementary teachers and students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Educators report positive impacts on civic learning and student engagement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Los Angeles County Board of SupervisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Los Angeles County Mock Trial Competition. Provides support and recognition for the annual competition involving over 2,500 students.
• Los Angeles County Superior CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Los Angeles County Mock Trial Competition. Provides courthouse facilities and judicial participation for the competition.
• Los Angeles County Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Los Angeles County Mock Trial Competition. Provides attorney volunteers and professional expertise.
• Daily Journal CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Los Angeles County Mock Trial Competition. Provides support for the annual event.
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the California Mock Trial Competition. Supports the program with legal professional involvement and resources.
• UCLA School of LawflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for California Mock Trial Junior Division State Finals (April 2026). Provides facilities for the inaugural middle school mock trial competition.
• Alameda County CourtsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for California Mock Trial High School State Finals (March 2026) at Rene C. Davidson Courthouse and Alameda County Administration Building in Oakland.
• Oakland Marriott City CenterminorOthersOfficial hotel for the 2026 California Mock Trial Finals. Provides accommodation for teams, artists, and journalists with negotiated room rates.
• Constitutional Rights Foundation Orange County (CRF OC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate organization managing Mock Trial programs in Orange County. Contact: Michelle Antenesse (949-679-0730).
• California County Offices of EducationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of county coordinators managing local Mock Trial programs. Includes Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Ventura, and 24 other California counties.
• Latham & Watkins LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal firm that has hosted Expanding Horizons Institute interns. Provides paid internship opportunities and mentorship for first-generation college-bound students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iCivics: Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics is the most direct peer: a nonprofit providing free, standards-aligned civics curriculum and digital games to K-12 schools nationwide. Competes for the same teacher adoption dollars and foundation funding.
• Center for Civic Education: Runs the flagship 'We the People' and 'Project Citizen' K-12 civic education programs. Direct competitor for state-level civic education contracts and teacher professional development, with overlapping mission and curriculum categories.
• Street Law, Inc. Nonprofit providing law-related and civic education programs for K-12 schools, including teacher professional development and classroom-based mock trial/模拟 components. Strong overlap with Teach Democracy's Mock Trial and Courtroom Connection programs.
• Generation Citizen: Nonprofit focused on action civics programs for middle and high school students, working directly with schools and teachers. Closely comparable to the Civic Action Project (CAP) model and competes for the same action-civics foundation dollars.
• Facing History & Ourselves: Provides K-12 curriculum and professional development focused on history, civics, and ethical reasoning, including structured classroom discussion resources similar to Civil Conversations (CivCon). Competitor for teacher PD budgets and humanities curriculum adoption.
• Close Up Foundation: Nonprofit providing civic education programs, including Washington D.C.-based student programs and classroom curriculum. Comparable in mission and direct-to-school distribution model, though more focused on government immersion experiences.

Emerging players

• Mikva Challenge: Chicago-based civic engagement nonprofit running youth civic action programs in schools. Overlaps with CAP and CivCon but operates in a more concentrated regional footprint; comparable model and age group served.
• National Constitution Center: Nonprofit charter-based civic education organization producing K-12 constitutional education content, programs, and teacher resources. Comparable curriculum and museum-style educational mission; partial overlap with Teach Democracy's constitutional focus.

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Education: Large K-12 digital content provider with a broad curriculum library including social studies and civics modules. Incumbent competitor for district-wide curriculum adoption budgets and digital instructional platform contracts.
• Newsela: K-12 instructional content platform with a large library of leveled social studies and civics texts. Indirect competitor for teacher adoption and district content budgets; provides a digital, data-rich alternative to Teach Democracy's print-heavy curriculum distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 Teach Democracy