Civics PlaybookJack Miller Center
- Mission: Solve the crisis of civic knowledge and commitment by teaching America’s founding principles and history.
- Geographic Focus: National
- Audience: Academic scholars who focus on the American political tradition, K-12 civics and history teachers, thought leaders and philanthropists
- Budget: $7.2 million
- Focus Areas and Core Competencies:
- University talent pipeline for scholars of American history and politics
- Innovative training for K-12 civics and history teachers
- Collaboration and movement building
A Network of Scholars Is Key to Revitalizing the Teaching of the American Political Tradition at All Levels of Education
Impact: Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is leveraging its network of 1,100 university professors to drive innovative reforms in higher education through the American Political Tradition Project, to transform professional training for K-12 civics and history teachers through the Founding Civics Initiative.
A Conversation With Hans Zeiger, President of the Jack Miller Center, and Tom Kelly, Vice President of Civics Initiatives
Q: What is the mission of the Jack Miller Center? What problem(s) in civics education is your nonprofit working to solve?
The Jack Miller Center exists to supercharge the educational movement for America’s founding principles and history, starting in our universities. Two decades ago, entrepreneur Jack Miller and an enterprising group of college professors of American political thought and history set out to address the generations-long neglect of the American political tradition in higher education.
The neglect of civics in higher education has consequences in our K-12 classrooms as well, since teacher training primarily takes place in universities. The recovery of civic knowledge and purpose must be the central cause of our generation and the primary rally point for America’s 250th birthday.
Q: How do you describe the big goals the Jack Miller Center is working to achieve? How do you measure impact?
We are intensely focused on four objectives: creating a talent pipeline of scholars who teach the American political tradition, creating a leadership support infrastructure for emerging schools of civic thought in public universities, empowering K-12 social studies teachers to teach the founding principles in their classrooms and forging coalitions of civics-focused organizations and funders to galvanize an enduring movement for America’s founding principles and history.
Our first measure of success is the number of scholars in our network—currently at 1,100. Another benchmark is the number of schools of civic thought at public universities—now 13 centers or schools in eight states. These schools are largely possible because of our strategic support for key scholars and leaders over the past 20 years, including our support for scholar-led campus centers dedicated to the study of the founding.
Our final benchmark is our involvement in the K-12 space through our Founding Civics Initiative, where we’re driving innovation in how K-12 teachers receive their formative training to teach civics and history, with the promise for ripple effects throughout American education. We’re actively working with teachers in 16 states, with the eventual goal of all 50 states by 2030.
Q: What are some of the biggest challenges the Jack Miller Center has experienced in working to accomplish its mission? How did your organization overcome those challenges?
Often when people hear the word “civics,” they picture kids in a middle-school classroom memorizing facts about how our government works. But as George Washington talked about in his first State of the Union address, we need a thinking citizenry that’s grounded in our Constitution, in the ideas of liberty and in an understanding of the dangers of tyranny. So the main problem we’re overcoming is the neglect of civics education broadly, but especially at the higher education level.
Q: What is the Jack Miller Center’s biggest need where philanthropy can help your organization achieve its goals?
In recent months, there’s been a new openness to higher education reform. Donors are making new decisions about whether and how to give money to their alma maters. That’s all important, but we would challenge donors to also consider the talent pipeline investments that need to happen as the next generation of scholars and leaders rises up in our institutions of higher education, especially in key fields like American history and politics. That’s what the Jack Miller Center is all about.
Our theory of change starts with that. If we’re going to change how the American political tradition is taught at every level, we need to invest in the rising college professors and program directors who are going to be teaching in our institutions for years to come. So we’re looking for investors to come alongside us in this work. We have an ambitious strategic plan paired with a fundraising campaign that takes us up to 2026. It’s a $40 million campaign, and we’re about halfway there.
Q: Beyond the Jack Miller Center, where should philanthropists who care about advancing civic knowledge invest their charitable dollars?
We host a National Summit on Civic Education every year. We convene civics organizations and funders from across the nation to foster collaboration, generate new ideas and build a movement for stronger civic education grounded in our nation’s founding principles. The Summit is a great opportunity for donors to think strategically about their giving as they consider investments across the field.
Contact Our Team
Contact the Roundtable’s Programs team to learn more about this investment opportunity.