Title 20, EducationRelease 119-110

§5985 Applications

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

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Groups that want a grant must send an application to the Secretary when and how the Secretary asks and include any information the Secretary reasonably needs. Each application must cover 10 required things, including the learning goals and course plans for each seminar; proof that participating teachers can get graduate or professional development credit under state or local rules; plans to include a wide range of people involved in politics (including major party representatives and other groups); a promise the seminars will be nonpartisan; how the seminars will cover the role of minorities and Native Americans (their history, recent research on how they learn about politics, and their participation patterns); teaching strategies and lesson plans for K–12 teachers of these students; who will run the seminars; for colleges, plans to work with national civics groups; a promise that summer seminar teachers will provide inservice training during the school year with administrator approval; and a description of activities to be funded (such as curriculum and materials development, teacher scholarships, and program evaluation). When deciding who gets grants, the Secretary must give priority to applications that meet five things: serve teachers in schools with many economically disadvantaged students; show national experience running accredited summer civics seminars; plan national or multistate seminars with higher education or experienced organizations; serve more than one minority group and Native Americans; and combine academic instruction in American government, 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)Application required

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)Contents of application

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)Priority

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

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110