The 2025 Summer Civic Learning Academy (SCLA) brought over 30 educators together for a week of immersive, interdisciplinary learning, with powerful takeaways they’ll carry back to classrooms across Indiana.
From the Statehouse to the History of Muncie
Teachers walked in the footsteps of civic leaders on a GIS-powered history tour of Muncie. They mapped sites of suffrage speeches, anti-Klan journalism, and local ERA organizing, turning the city into a living civics classroom.
Teachers also traveled to Indianapolis, where they stood in reconstructed historical moments at the Indiana Historical Society and toured the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, exploring how these sites bring civic narratives to life.
Civics Meets the Courtroom
Through We the People and Mock Trial workshops with the Indiana Bar Foundation, educators practiced courtroom simulations, built inquiry-based units, and reflected on civics and justice.
A hands-on session with the Muncie Police Department explored community policing and restorative justice, bridging civic identity and public trust.
Voting Simulations, Student Voice, and Opera Secrets
Educators experimented with student voting simulations and learned how ballot design, debate, and post-election reflection teach more than procedures, they foster empathy and engagement. Sessions on media literacy exposed misinformation in real time, while voice and civility training led by Anne Fuchs of the Indiana Court of Appeals (and opera singer!) showed how tone and presence are civic tools in the classroom.
Teachers gained in teaching and embedding civics in their classrooms. New tools like Civic Clue, Hexagonal Thinking, and custom Muncie women’s history timelines left teachers excited to launch projects this fall.
Student Perspectives & Community Power
Perhaps most impactful, teachers heard from students themselves --from the YMCA Youth & Government program-- who shared how writing bills, debating peers, and standing at the Indiana Statehouse shaped their civic identity.
“This isn’t just professional development,” one teacher said. “It’s rethinking the soul of public education.”
Explore the full story, daily highlights, and educator insights: Full SCLA Recap