Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73not60

§5985 Applications

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

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Groups that want a grant must send an application to the Secretary when and how the Secretary asks, and include the information the Secretary needs. The application must explain the seminars’ learning goals and course content and how teachers will get real instruction in American government. It must promise that teachers who finish the seminar can earn graduate or professional development credit under state or local rules. The plan must show how participants will meet many people active in politics, including balanced representatives of the major parties and other groups, and it must promise the seminars will be nonpartisan. The application must explain how the seminars will cover the role of minorities and Native Americans (history, recent research on political attitudes and learning, and patterns of participation) and describe teaching methods to help teachers reach minority and Native American students. It must name who will run the seminars, say how colleges will work with national civics organizations if involved, promise that summer participants will give inservice training during the school year with school approval, and describe the activities the grant would pay for (for example, curriculum development, instructional materials, teacher scholarships, and program evaluation). When choosing who gets grants, the Secretary will give priority to applicants who serve schools with many low-income students; have national experience running accredited summer civics seminars for K–12 teachers; will run seminars on a national or multistate basis with colleges, state higher education agencies, or experienced nonprofits; will serve more than one minority group and Native Americans; and will offer a mix of academic study of government, firsthand exposure to how politics works, and training in teaching 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 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60