JACKSONVILLE, AL — Nearly 100 elementary educators from across Alabama participated in Jacksonville State University’s inaugural Summer Civics Seminar, a six-day professional development program focused on strengthening civic education in classrooms statewide.
Held June 14-19 and hosted by Jax State’s Center for Leadership and American Principles, the seminar brought together teachers from 74 public and private schools for presentations, discussions and experiential learning centered on American history, government and constitutional principles. Participants collectively earned 5,446 hours of professional development credit during the event.
The seminar is part of a three-year initiative funded through a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s American History and Civics Seminars Program. Jacksonville State is the only institution in Alabama to receive funding through the program.
During the week, educators participated in sessions led by 23 speakers representing 18 organizations and institutions from across the country, including iCivics, the National Constitution Center, Thinking Nation and the Center for American Civics.
Faculty from universities including Arizona State University, the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Missouri and the University of Tennessee presented research, instructional strategies and classroom resources designed to support civic education.
The seminar also included visits to sites along Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail, including the Freedom Riders National Monument in Anniston and the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, allowing participants to connect historical events with classroom instruction.
In addition to in-person programming, Jacksonville State livestreamed 13 seminar sessions through Zoom, providing more than 21 hours of online content and generating more than 107 hours of participant engagement. Organizers also conducted more than 20 interviews for a documentary being produced in partnership with Longleaf Studios.
Dr. Benjamin Gross, director of Jax State’s Center for Leadership and American Principles, said the seminar exceeded expectations.
“What we accomplished in a week is going to provide years of dividends for the civic spirit and health of Alabamians across the state,” Gross said. “I had teachers tell me this was the most meaningful professional development in their lives. Content experts, who plan their own academies, told me our event is the new gold standard. We are leading the civics renaissance in Alabama; with further support, my team could be a national leader.”
Olivia Novak, program specialist for the Center for Leadership and American Principles, said participant feedback highlighted the impact of the program.
“It was a tremendous blessing to witness the first Summer Civics Seminar come to fruition,” Novak said. “Even more rewarding than seeing our hard work come to life was hearing the gratitude of our participants and learning about the impact the seminar had on them. Throughout the week, many people shared how much they enjoyed the content, how personally meaningful it was, and how excited they were to bring what they learned back into their classrooms.”
Alexis Paige, program coordinator for the center, said the response demonstrated continued interest in civic education.
“So many of our attendees shared that this was among the best conferences they had ever attended and that they felt reinvigorated as they prepared to return to their classrooms,” Paige said. “The success of the seminar shows the real hunger our community has for civics education and the meaningful role Jacksonville State University can play in strengthening civic learning for teachers and students across Alabama. The 2026 Summer Civics Seminar may have come to a close, but the work we are doing is just beginning.”
Jacksonville State plans to continue its summer civic education programming with a Summer Civics Symposium for middle and high school educators, expanding the university’s efforts to support civic learning across Alabama.
