What Happened to Civics Education?

The IMLS asks teens for their take at the National 4-H Conference.

Civics education in public schools has been declining over the past several years, and people are starting to take notice. Though the problem is apparent, finding a solution is an entirely different issue.

That’s why the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) took to this year’s national 4-H Conference to ask the people most heavily impacted by the issue: modern teenagers in public schools.

In light of this, we’ve put together some basic information on the current state of civics education in America, why it matters, and how people are addressing it.

Civics Education Is Lacking

It’s best to state the issue outright: American teenagers don’t have even a fraction of the civics education and resources that we once did. There’s no federal requirement for civics classes anymore, and many states don’t require any form of civics education whatsoever.

To give you some hard data, only six states require a full year of civics education, thirty-one only require half a year, and the remaining thirteen have no civics education requirements at all.

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The Problem with Poor Civics Education

While many don’t see this as a problem, they often fail to realize the implications of civics classes disappearing from American education. These classes allow students to learn about how our government works, what can go wrong, and how to make a difference as an individual by righting those wrongs.

Civics education informs students how to participate in their communities, both as voters and citizens, making them better members of society. Without these lessons, countless American teenagers will lack the knowledge to proactively engage with the world around them.

What Is the IMLS?

The IMLS is an organization dedicated to developing and preserving libraries and museums across the nation. It does so by providing grants to libraries and museums, researching American libraries and museums, and engaging with community members to understand the role of libraries.

The IMLS aims to raise awareness of the library’s many roles in modern American society, encourage the lifelong pursuit of knowledge, and bring communities closer together through their public institutions. Naturally, the gradual decline of American civics education has caught the IMLS’s interest, and to make the issue known, they decided to do some digging.

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How the IMLS and 4-H Are Pursuing a Solution

The IMLS’s research led to collaborating with 4-H, a well-known youth development organization. 4-H held a national conference in April 2024 in which civics education was a hot topic. Both 4-H and the IMLS spoke with a group of American teens directly impacted by the issue, gaining valuable insights that gave them a clear path forward.

Though Americans should continue petitioning their officials to bring civics requirements back to public schools, the IMLS’s work allows for a perfect alternative in the meantime: your local library. As you know, libraries have a near-limitless amount of information under their roofs, covering endless topics, including civics. 

It’s easy to find resources to help your teenagers learn about their nation, how to participate in the political process, ways to effect a change in society, the value of peaceful protest, and so much more. If you live in a state with limited civics education requirements (or no requirements at all), we encourage you to visit your local library to access this valuable information.

If you’d like to learn more about the fight to preserve civics education, feel free to visit our site. We’ll post updates about the IMLS’ work at least once every quarter, so stay tuned!

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries. 

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