History

In the early 1930’s, I had started out working with three groups: officials of today, citizens of today, and the youth of today who would be the officials and citizens of tomorrow.

— Albert Coates
Founder, Institute of Government
UNC-Chapel Hill

In 1995, the Institute of Government convened stakeholders from across North Carolina to participate in a Future Search conference. Search participants agreed on an important theme — the Institute needed to work with young people to help them learn how to participate in democracy, improve their communities, and be responsible citizens.

A year later, the Institute convened a forum of nearly 50 organizations to explore youth civic engagement in North Carolina. Participants agreed that an active coalition of public and private organizations needed to be formed to coordinate an effort to improve youth civic engagement. The group was also aware that the NC social studies curriculum would be reviewed by the State School Board in a few years and believed that a unified voice would provide the best chance for successful reform in that process.

In 1997, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation published a study of high school students and teachers titled Civic Education: Preparing Tomorrow’s Citizens. The report concluded that although the state curriculum required some civic education, many schools did a poor job of preparing students for citizenship. The study uncovered “serious needs, ranging from improving teacher training to expanding access to programs with proven track records.” The report noted “a single overarching issue: the lack of focus in this area of education – inside and outside the schools.”

The NC Civic Education Consortium was founded in 1997 as a result of these separate, but complimentary initiatives. Through a $50,000 planning grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the Consortium established its first Steering Committee, which developed a mission, vision, and goals for the organization. A subsequent start-up grant in 1998 enabled the Consortium to hire its first director and begin the coordinating activities that the Future Search participants agreed were so needed.
Founding Consortium members included:

• 4-H Youth Development
• Center for the Prevention of School Violence
• Kids Voting North Carolina
• Newspapers in Education
• NC Association of County Commissioners
• NC Bar Association
• NC Board of Education
• NC Center for Nonprofits
• NC Center for Public Policy Research
• NC Citizens for Business & Industry
• NC City-County Management Association
• NC Council for the Social Studies
• NC Department of Public Instruction (social studies office)
• NC League of Municipalities
• NC Youth Advocacy & Involvement Office
• National Society for Experiential Education
• Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation