Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73

§5985 Applications

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 68— - NATIONAL EDUCATION REFORM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VIII— - MINORITY-FOCUSED CIVICS EDUCATION › § 5985

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Groups that want a grant must apply to the Secretary at the time and in the way the Secretary requires and include certain information. The application must explain the seminar goals and course content and how teachers will get real academic instruction about how American government works. It must promise that teachers who complete the seminar can earn either graduate credit or professional development/advancement credit under their State or local rules. The application must show how participants will meet many people active in politics, including equal representation from the major political parties and other groups, and must promise the seminars will be nonpartisan. It must explain how the seminars will cover the role of minorities and Native Americans in politics (history, recent research on political socialization and learning, and participation patterns), describe teaching methods for working with minority and Native American K–12 students, name the organizations that will run the seminars, and, if the applicant is a college, describe plans to work with national civics education groups. The application must also promise that teachers who attend summer seminars will lead inservice training during the school year with their administrators’ approval, and must describe the activities the grant will pay for (for example, curriculum development, instructional materials, teacher scholarships, and program evaluation). When choosing grants, the Secretary will give priority to applications that show the applicant (1) will serve teachers in schools with many low-income students, (2) has national experience running accredited summer civics seminars, (3) will run seminars on a national or multistate basis in partnership with a college, state higher education agency, or an experienced nonprofit, (4) will serve more than one minority group and Native Americans, and (5) will combine academic instruction, real-world exposure to the political system, and training in teaching methods for minority and Native American students.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §5985

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Each eligible entity desiring a grant under this subchapter shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner and containing or accompanied by such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.

(b)Each application submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall—

(1)define the learning objectives and course content of each seminar to be held and describe the manner in which seminar participants shall receive substantive academic instruction in the principles, institutions and processes of American government;

(2)provide assurances that educators successfully participating in each seminar will qualify for either graduate credit or professional development or advancement credit according to the criteria established by a State or local educational agency;

(3)describe the manner in which seminar participants shall receive exposure to a broad array of individuals who are actively involved in the political process, including political party representatives drawn equally from the major political parties, as well as representatives of other organizations involved in the political process;

(4)provide assurances that the seminars will be conducted on a nonpartisan basis;

(5)describe the manner in which the seminars will address the role of minorities or Native Americans in the American political process, including such topics as—

(A)the history and current political state of minorities or Native Americans;

(B)recent research on minority or Native American political socialization patterns and cognitive learning styles; and

(C)studies of political participation patterns of minorities or Native Americans;

(6)describe the pedagogical elements for teachers that will enable teachers to develop effective strategies and lesson plans for teaching minorities or Native American students at the elementary and secondary school levels;

(7)identify the eligible entities which will conduct the seminars for which assistance is sought;

(8)in the case that the eligible entity is an institution of higher education, describe the plans for collaborating with national organizations in American government and civics education;

(9)provide assurances that during the academic year educators participating in the summer seminars will provide inservice training programs based upon what such educators have learned and the curricular materials such educators have developed or acquired for their peers in their school systems with the approval and support of their school administrators; and

(10)describe the activities or services for which assistance is sought, including activities and services such as—

(A)development of seminar curricula;

(B)development and distribution of instructional materials;

(C)scholarships for participating teachers; and

(D)program assessment and evaluation.

(c)The Secretary, in approving applications for assistance under this subchapter, shall give priority to applications which demonstrate that—

(1)the applicant will serve teachers who teach in schools with a large number or concentration of economically disadvantaged students;

(2)the applicant has demonstrated national experience in conducting or coordinating accredited summer seminars in American government or civics education for elementary and secondary school teachers;

(3)the applicant will coordinate or conduct seminars on a national or multistate basis through a collaboration with an institution of higher education, State higher education agency or a public or private nonprofit organization, with experience in coordinating or conducting teacher training programs in American government and civics education;

(4)the applicant will coordinate or conduct seminars designed for more than one minority student population and for Native Americans; and

(5)the applicant will coordinate or conduct seminars that offer a combination of academic instruction in American government, exposure to the practical workings of the political system, and training in appropriate pedagogical techniques for working with minority and Native American students.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 5985

Title 20 — Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73