New York City Schools Expand Civics Education with Civics for All Initiative

Librarians help facilitate the multi-faceted, scalable program that teaches real-life civic engagement skills

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) has expanded its civics education with the Civics for All initiative, offering various civics programs throughout the year and a dedicated Civics Week each March. The initiative includes student voter registration drives, a civics poster contest, a public speaking competition, participatory budgeting, and the creation of civics-focused comic books. Librarians play a key role in facilitating many of these programs, helping students develop real-world civic engagement skills.

Why it matters

Civics education is crucial for preparing students for active participation in democracy and developing a sense of civic empowerment. The Civics for All initiative aims to make civics learning more engaging and impactful by connecting it to students' real lives and communities. As the largest public school system in the country, NYCPS is setting an example for how comprehensive civics education can be implemented at scale.

The details

The Civics for All initiative includes several programs: a student voter registration drive, an annual civics poster contest, a public speaking competition called SoapboxNYC, a participatory budgeting process where students decide how to spend school funds, and the creation of civics-focused comic books. Librarians assist students with many of these activities, from helping develop Soapbox speeches to facilitating the participatory budgeting process.

  • Civics Week is held each year in March.
  • The Civics for All initiative began in 2019.

The players

New York City Public Schools (NYCPS)

The largest public school system in the United States, serving over 1 million students.

Marc Lapointe

Senior instructional and curriculum specialist with the NYC Schools Department of Social Studies and Civics and Civics for All.

Melissa Jacobs

NYC Schools director of library services.

Cheryl Rizzo

Civics teacher leader at PS/MS 232Q in Howard Beach, NY.

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What they’re saying

“Social studies education, generally, and civics education in particular, prepare students for life beyond school in so many important ways. It is important that the preparation that students can receive in civics education is real life learning.”

— Marc Lapointe, Senior instructional and curriculum specialist (schoollibraryjournal.com)

“In many cases, the librarians have been selected to be instrumental or point person at their school for Civics for All. It's great, because there is a natural connection between the work around civics and the work in school libraries. That extends far beyond just getting the resources into the kids' hands.”

— Melissa Jacobs, NYC Schools director of library services (schoollibraryjournal.com)

“Our civics work is what makes learning truly 'real' as we read, research, and inquire in order to take meaningful action. The students are deeply invested in improving their communities and develop a strong sense of ownership.”

— Cheryl Rizzo, Civics teacher leader (schoollibraryjournal.com)

What’s next

The New York State Seal of Civic Readiness, introduced in 2021, can now act as one of the requirements for graduation in New York City, further expanding the reach and impact of the Civics for All initiative.

The takeaway

The Civics for All initiative demonstrates how comprehensive civics education can be implemented at scale, empowering students to develop real-world civic engagement skills and a sense of ownership over improving their communities. The program's flexibility and librarian involvement make it a model that could be replicated in school districts across the country.