Students at North Central High School in Spokane, Wash., are aiming to register 90 new voters this year through an event organized by the school's Civic Engagement Club. Last year, the club registered 80 students -- as early as age 16 -- as part of the effort designed to build long-term civic participation and ensure students are prepared to vote when they turn 18.

Students at East Broadway Elementary School in Ohio participated in a mock election to select a mascot for the school's Big Green Garden, with a spider winning the vote. The event, part of the social studies curriculum, aimed to teach students the importance of civic engagement and being informed voters.

Jeffrey Schuh, a social studies teacher at Seaman Middle School in Kansas, has been chosen for the National History Day organization's Silent Heroes program. Schuh is among 61 teachers nationwide conducting research, with 15 of the educators focusing on Vietnam War soldiers.

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia has introduced a three-year pilot fellowship program aimed at enhancing civic education in rural and remote schools. The initiative, expected to launch in 2026-27, seeks to address the limited access rural educators have to professional development opportunities, and aims to foster engagement and civil dialogue among both teachers and students through targeted training on constitutional topics.

AI tools can help teachers efficiently personalize instruction for diverse learners, writes elementary school tech coach Debbie Tannenbaum, describing how to incorporate the technology into the Universal Design for Learning framework. Tannenbaum details how educators can quickly tailor activities and prompts to foster engagement, representation and action.

Ten students from Bay High School in Ohio are participating in the Future of Democracy Program through the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which prepares students to serve as poll workers. The program aims to educate students aged 17 and older about the electoral process and the importance of civic engagement.

A Civil War History Center is being developed in Fayetteville, N.C., to focus on the impact of the war on communities and regions in the state, rather than on battles. The center, expected to open in two years, is a public-private partnership that will become a state museum upon completion, with history professors from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Appalachian State University recently leading discussions with local educators on teaching the causes and divisions of the war.

Attending the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference helps social studies educators share innovative ideas, discuss the best teaching methods and network with colleagues to create lifelong professional connections. Explore the outstanding lineup of authors, activists, academics and entrepreneurs we will be welcoming as featured speakers at our 105th Annual Conference in Washingt