How Project ACCLaIM from Arizona State University Strengthens Civics Education and Media Literacy in K-12 Schools

K-12 students today encounter a stream of information that is faster, more fragmented, and harder to verify than at any point in history. As these students prepare to participate in civic life, they need more than textbook knowledge of government structures. They need the ability to evaluate sources, weigh competing perspectives, and translate understanding into action. This is why civics education and media literacy have become inseparable priorities in American classrooms, and why Arizona State University developed Project ACCLaIM, a federally funded initiative designed to equip teachers with the tools to teach both effectively.

For educators seeking flexible, research-based professional development in civics education and media literacy, exploring the courses available through ASU’s Professional Educator Learning Hub is a practical first step toward bringing these skills into your classroom.

What Project ACCLaIM Is and Why It Matters for Civics Education

Project ACCLaIM, which stands for Advancing Civics Curriculum Learning through Instructional Microcredentials, was created to address a persistent gap in teacher preparation. Backed by a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the project trained more than 350 teachers across the country, indirectly reaching over 9,000 students before concluding in September.

The project was led by researchers from three ASU units: the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. This cross-disciplinary structure reflected a core premise of the project: effective civics instruction requires historical thinking, journalistic source evaluation, and sound instructional design working together.

The need for this kind of professional learning is well documented. A nationwide survey of district leaders conducted through a research partnership between RAND and ASU’s Center on Reinventing Public Education found that schools consistently ask for civics instruction that is more accessible, student-centered, and connected to real-world issues. The resulting report, titled “A Mile Wide, an Inch Deep: The State of Civic Learning in U.S. School Districts,” identified professional learning for teachers as a critical lever for improving civic education.

“Teachers are asking for guidance on how to make civics relevant and actionable in their classrooms,” says Lauren Harris, ASU professor of history education and one of the project’s faculty leads. “Project ACCLaIM was designed to meet that need so that students can develop a foundation to evaluate information and engage in productive civic dialogue.”

Professional Learning That Puts Civics Into Practice

The strength of Project ACCLaIM lay in its emphasis on practical application. Rather than offering abstract theory, the program guided educators to design classroom lessons, schoolwide initiatives, and community-based civic engagement projects that fit their own contexts.

The range of lessons teachers developed illustrates how adaptable civic learning can be across grade levels and subjects:

• A first-grade research project examining how public participation shaped the evolution of transportation in the United States.
• An eighth-grade mock election planned and run entirely by students.
• An elementary school project in which students researched and developed a plan to engage their school community in installing a cold-water fountain on campus.
• A high school psychology project where students created mental health awareness social media campaigns.

Beyond these examples, participating teachers built lessons focused on evaluating news sources, investigating historical events from multiple perspectives, discussing difficult public issues, and helping students understand how social media and artificial intelligence shape the information they encounter.

These projects share a common thread: they treat students as active participants rather than passive recipients. This participatory approach aligns with other ASU-led work, including an Arizona-wide initiative around student participatory budgeting that connects K-12 students with real school budget decisions, helping them understand how systems work and where they fit within them.

Media Literacy as a Foundation for Civic Participation

One of the most timely aspects of Project ACCLaIM is its integration of media literacy into civics instruction. Faculty from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication contributed expertise in evaluating where information comes from, how it is sourced, and how alternative viewpoints factor into civic participation.

This journalistic lens matters because students cannot engage meaningfully with civic issues if they cannot assess the credibility of the information those issues rest on. Teaching students to trace claims to their sources, recognize framing, and consider what perspectives might be missing gives them the analytical foundation for productive civic dialogue.

The project also addressed the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the information environment. As AI-generated content becomes more common, students need frameworks for questioning what they see online, understanding how algorithms curate their feeds, and recognizing that the information reaching them is shaped by systems with their own incentives.

Educators interested in strengthening their own approach to teaching information evaluation can browse the media literacy and civics courses offered online through ASU’s Professional Educator Learning Hub, which continue to be available after the conclusion of the original grant.

Research-Based Approaches to Preparing Educators

Project ACCLaIM’s design drew directly on the research expertise of its faculty leads, ensuring the professional development was grounded in scholarship rather than convention.

Lauren Harris’s research has long focused on the relationship between historical understanding, civic identity, and classroom discussion. Her scholarship explores how educators approach difficult histories, and she served as primary editor of “Teaching Difficult Histories in Difficult Times: Stories of Practice,” a book collecting educators’ experiences teaching challenging subjects. This insight shaped the project because civics discussions often involve the same complexities as difficult historical topics. In both cases, teachers need guidance on creating space for multiple perspectives while establishing norms that allow students to develop and refine their thinking.

Leanna Archambault, professor of learning design and technology, brought her research on preparing educators for online and blended environments to the development of the course sequence. “We designed the course sequence to support educators and also to deepen our understanding of how online learning can make high-quality professional development more accessible and scalable,” Archambault says.

This attention to online course design proved significant for the project’s reach. Teachers in different regions, districts of varying sizes, and schools with different resource levels could all access the same high-quality instruction. The nine courses were built with assessments embedded throughout, allowing participants to demonstrate their learning in practical terms rather than through a single final exam.

Documented Results: Teachers Report Greater Knowledge and Effectiveness

The measurable outcomes of Project ACCLaIM point to the value of sustained, research-based professional learning in civics and media literacy.

A post-course survey produced striking results:

• 99% of enrolled teachers reported that they increased their knowledge of the topics taught.
• 91% reported being more effective in teaching history, civics, and media literacy after completing the courses.

For district leaders weighing investments in professional development, these figures suggest that structured programs combining subject-matter expertise with instructional design can produce meaningful changes in teacher confidence and capability.

Teachers who completed the full instructor-facilitated sequence could also apply nine credits toward a Master of Arts degree in education, adding a credentialing pathway to the professional learning experience.

The project’s impact extended beyond participant surveys. Project ACCLaIM received the Mary Lou Fulton College’s 2026 Principled Innovation Faculty Award, and project leads will present an upcoming paper at the annual meeting of the National Council for the Social Studies: College and University Faculty Assembly in Chicago in December, contributing to ongoing research in civics education and microcredentials.

What Educators and Districts Can Learn from Project ACCLaIM

For teachers, administrators, and district leaders considering how to strengthen civics and media literacy instruction, Project ACCLaIM offers several transferable lessons.

Integrate Civics Across Subjects

Civic learning does not need to be confined to a social studies block. The first-grade transportation project, the psychology social media campaign, and the elementary school fountain initiative all show how civic thinking can be woven into subjects where it might not initially seem obvious. Districts that encourage cross-subject civic integration expand the amount of time students spend practicing civic skills without requiring new courses.

Ground Professional Development in Practical Application

The most effective element of Project ACCLaIM was that teachers left with lessons and initiatives they had actually designed for their own classrooms. Professional development that requires participants to produce usable materials, rather than simply absorb content, tends to produce lasting changes in practice.

Address Difficult Topics with Structure and Norms

Civics discussions frequently touch on contested issues. Harris’s research on teaching difficult histories informed an approach that gives teachers concrete strategies for establishing classroom norms that allow multiple perspectives while helping students refine their reasoning. Teachers who feel equipped to manage these conversations are more likely to include them, and students benefit from practicing dialogue across differences.

Use Online Learning to Expand Access

The online, microcredential-based structure made high-quality professional development available to educators who could not attend in-person programs. For rural districts, teachers with demanding schedules, or schools without large professional development budgets, this model removes significant barriers.

Connect Learning to Credentials

Allowing course completions to count toward a graduate degree gave teachers a tangible professional benefit for their investment of time. Microcredentials and stackable credit arrangements are increasingly relevant as educators seek professional growth that fits within existing career structures.

Educators and district leaders who want to adopt these approaches in their own context can organize a district cohort or enroll individually in the civics, history, and media literacy courses still offered through ASU’s Professional Educator Learning Hub.

The Broader Context: Civic Learning in the United States

Project ACCLaIM emerged at a moment when civic learning has drawn attention across the political spectrum. Legislators and education leaders from different backgrounds have called for civics instruction that is accessible, student-centered, and tied to real-world issues. The RAND and CRPE report reinforced this consensus, finding that while many districts offer some form of civic learning, the quality and depth vary widely.

The stakes are considerable. Students who leave school without the ability to evaluate information, consider multiple perspectives, and identify avenues for participation face real disadvantages as citizens. In an environment where misinformation spreads quickly and trust in institutions is uneven, the skills that Project ACCLaIM cultivated in teachers become foundational to a functioning democracy.

“When teachers have the resources and frameworks to guide these conversations, civics becomes much more than an abstract principle and creates the conditions for students and our wider society to thrive,” Harris says.

ASU’s work on Project ACCLaIM also aligns with the university’s broader commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Taking the Next Step in Civics and Media Literacy Education

The conclusion of the federal grant does not mark the end of this work. The courses developed through Project ACCLaIM remain available online, both for individual educators and for districts that want to organize cohorts. For teachers who want to bring stronger civics instruction and media literacy frameworks into their classrooms, visiting ASU’s Professional Educator Learning Hub provides direct access to these resources.

The project’s findings will also continue to shape the field. The forthcoming presentation at the National Council for the Social Studies: College and University Faculty Assembly meeting in Chicago will add to the growing body of research on microcredentials and civics education, informing how professional development is designed in the years ahead.

For educators, the example of Project ACCLaIM demonstrates that effective civics teaching is not about having all the answers. It is about having the frameworks, the confidence, and the practical tools to guide students through complex information and toward meaningful participation. Those frameworks exist, they are accessible online, and the results, measured in teacher confidence and thousands of students reached, suggest they work.

Have questions about bringing civics and media literacy professional development to your school or district? Explore the available courses, share your experiences with civic education in the comments, or pass this article along to a colleague who might benefit.