The University of North Florida’s Silverfield College of Education and Human Services has been awarded a three-year $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch a new professional development program.
The program, Cultivating Comprehensive Civics Education Professional Development Program (3C-EPD), was developed in collaboration with Duval County Public Schools and the Lou Frey Institute at the University of Central Florida. The program will train 90 civics teachers from high-need schools on inquiry-driven civics instruction, according to a university press release.
April Slade, director of K-12 social studies for Duval County Public Schools, said in the release that she is thrilled to partner with UNF and the Lou Frey Institute on this program.
“By building a sustainable pipeline of expertly trained civics teachers, we will expand access to rigorous instruction, improve performance on key benchmarks and deepen students’ sense of civic responsibility across every neighborhood we serve,” said Slade.
The initiative aims to deepen teachers’ understanding of civic concepts, enhance their classroom strategies, and boost student performance on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam, a graduation requirement for many university students.
Lessons will focus on analyzing primary sources, like the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, to help students think critically about democracy and citizenship, according to the press release.
UNF education faculty, Diane Yendol-Hoppey, Eric Schoute and Daniel Dinsmore, will lead the project with DCPS partners.
Yendol-Hoppey, a professor in UNF’s department of Teaching, Learning & Cirriculum, said in the release that civics education is about more than just memorizing dates and facts.
“It’s about helping students engage deeply with ideas, texts and issues that shape our democracy,” Yendol-Hoppey said. “This grant allows us to support teachers in creating classroom spaces where inquiry, analysis and civic responsibility are at the forefront.”
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