Jacksonville, AL – As originally reported by Brett Buckner with JSU’s media department, Jacksonville State University has been awarded a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education through its American History and Civics Seminars Program. The award is among the largest granted nationally and the only one received in Alabama this year. The funding will support enhanced civic education for K-12 teachers, education majors, and citizens across Alabama.
A major component of the grant is the creation of the Center for Leadership and American Principles (CLAP), one of the state’s first academic centers dedicated to civic thought and leadership. The center will focus on improving the quality and reach of K-12 civic education, drawing on successful models implemented in states such as Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas.
“The federal government recognizes that CLAP is in the same league as independent academic civic centers formed by state legislatures in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, Ohio, Utah, and elsewhere,” said Dr. Benjamin Gross, associate professor of political science and director of the grant. “This national recognition puts us in a unique position, as my team at Jacksonville State University has the skills and networks to improve civic education throughout the entire state of Alabama.”
Over the next three years, the center will host three Summer Civics Seminars, offering professional development for at least 525 current teachers and 150 future educators. Sessions will include primary source readings, Socratic-led discussions, expert panels, classroom application workshops, keynote speakers, and field trips to historical sites along the Civil Rights Trail.
“Our goal is to reach as many teachers across Alabama as possible,” said Dr. Russell Hammack, professor in the Department of Teacher Education and co-director of the grant. “I believe the long-term impact will be immeasurable, as supporting teachers in civics education not only enhances their instructional practice but also enriches the learning experiences of their students.”
Co-director Dr. Brandon Gilliland, assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education, helped demonstrate the statewide need for expanded civic education and the capacity of Jacksonville State to lead that effort.
“Jacksonville State’s long record of excellence in teacher preparation, its network of school-system partnerships, and its ability to pair research-informed practice with extensive fieldwork made the university a strong host for a statewide civics initiative,” Gilliland said. “CLAP positions Jax State as a statewide hub for civic education.”
As Alabama’s largest producer of teachers, Jacksonville State’s leadership role aligns with broader national concerns about civic education funding. According to Educating for American Democracy, the federal government currently allocates an estimated $0.50 per student annually for civic education, compared to $50 per student for STEM programs. The need is especially acute in Alabama, where 74.2 percent of public schools receive Title I assistance.
Gilliland, who previously taught social sciences in Talladega County for 16 years, emphasized the ongoing need for practical civic education resources in rural and mixed-resource districts.
“Teachers want structured, standards-aligned civic learning with ready-to-teach primary-source materials, time-efficient formative assessments, and ongoing coaching,” he said. “This grant allows us to support these teachers by providing them with content, experiences, networks, and tools to be successful in teaching the truth of American civics, history, and principles, which will inspire a new generation of leaders.”
Support for Jacksonville State’s proposal came from civic education organizations such as iCivics, Thinking Nation, the Jack Miller Center, and the Center for American Civics, alongside endorsements from the Alabama Council for Social Studies Teachers, Alabama Public Television, the Alabama Department of Education, and multiple members of Congress. Dr. Gross said these partnerships strengthen the center’s role in the growing national network of civic thought and leadership institutions.
“I’m looking forward to carrying this momentum not only into the specific project of this grant, but to fully developing CLAP, as I think all Americans can agree that the honest teaching of American principles, civics, and leadership needs to exist on college campuses,” Gross said. “CLAP’s mission of developing thoughtful American citizens, who can be leaders in their communities, states, and nation, embraces the university’s mission to prepare our students to be competent, ethical, engaged, and responsible citizens.”
