Department of Education: American History and Civics Education National Activities (AHC-NA) Program

The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice inviting applications for 2023 for the American History and Civics Education National Activities (AHC– NA) program.

Donor Name: Department of Education

State: All States

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 05/30/2023

Size of the Grant: $1,000,000

Grant Duration: 36 months

Details:

Purpose

The purpose of the AHC–NA program is to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction, learning strategies, and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders, particularly such instruction, strategies, activities, and programs that benefit students from low-income backgrounds and other underserved populations.

Priorities

Absolute Priority: For 2023 and any subsequent year in which they make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority.

• This priority is:
  • Innovative Instruction or Professional Development in American History, Civics and Government, and Geography.
  • Under this priority, they provide funding to projects that are designed to develop, implement, expand, evaluate, and disseminate for voluntary use, innovative, evidence-based approaches or professional development programs in American history, civics and government, and geography. To meet this priority, a project must—
    • Show potential to improve the quality of teaching of and student achievement in American history, civics and government, or geography, in elementary schools and secondary schools; and
    • Demonstrate innovation, scalability, accountability, and a focus on underserved populations.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For 2023 and any subsequent year in which they make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities.

• These priorities are:
  • Competitive Preference Priorities 1: Innovative Activities for Civic Engagement.
  • Under this priority, they provide funding to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative civics and government learning strategies and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders, particularly such instruction, strategies, activities, and programs that benefit low-income students and underserved populations. To meet this priority, a project must include one or both of the following—
    • Hands-on civic engagement activities for teachers and students; or
    • Programs that educate students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights.
  • Competitive Preference Priorities 2: Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources and Opportunities.
  • Under this priority, an applicant must demonstrate that the applicant proposes a project designed to promote educational equity and adequacy in resources and opportunity for underserved students in one or more of the following educational settings:
    • Early learning programs
    • Elementary school
    • Middle school
    • High school
    • Career and technical education programs
    • Out-of-school-time settings
    • Alternative schools and programs
    • Juvenile justice system or correctional facilities

Invitational Priority: For 2023 and any subsequent year in which they make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is invitational priority.

• This priority is:
  • Projects that describe how they will foster critical thinking and promote student engagement in civics education through professional development and/ or student-facing projects using media literacy, digital citizenship, or other activities designed to support students in—
    • Evaluating sources and evidence using standards of proof;
    • Understanding their own biases when reviewing information, as well as uncovering and recognizing bias in primary and secondary sources;
    • Synthesizing information into cogent communications; and
    • Understanding how inaccurate information may be used to influence individuals and developing strategies to recognize accurate and inaccurate information.

Funding Information

• Estimated Available Funds: $18,975,000
• Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000–$1,000,000 per year.
• Estimated Average Size of Awards: $650,000 per year.
• Maximum Award: They will not make an award exceeding $1,000,000 to any, applicant per 12-month budget period. The Department plans to fully fund awards made under this notice with 2023 funds.
• Period of Performance: Up to 36 months, with potential for renewal of up to an additional 24 months.

Eligibility Criteria

• For profit organizations other than small businesses
• Private institutions of higher education
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
• Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

For more information, visit Grants.gov.