In 2009, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics to reverse Americans’ declining civic knowledge and participation.
The website iCivics.org now boasts 16 games that help kids learn about government, processes, responsibilities and rights.
According to O’Connor, securing our democracy requires teaching the next generation to understand and respect our system of governance.
Today iCivics is made up of a national leadership team of state supreme court justices, secretaries of state, educational leaders, and a network of committed volunteers.
The site also has a special section for teachers so they can put iCivics to use in schools in a way that engages kids to learn. iCivics is now used in 50 states and in an estimated 55,000 classrooms.
Young people spend an average of 40 hours a week in front of a screen, so a couple of hours having fun and learning how to be a responsible citizen is time well spent.
One game that is getting a lot of attention lately is Win the White House where you manage your own presidential campaign by raising funds, polling voters, planning media campaigns, and making personal appearances.
Other games involve learning about county government processes, branches of government, the legal system, and advocating for a cause.
If you have a grammar or middle school student in the family, thjis is a great website to share with them — it’s fun for adults also.