School Programs at Connecticut’s Old State House (grades K-12)
Located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut’s Old State House served as one of Connecticut’s state capitols from 1796 to 1878 and Hartford City Hall from 1878-1915. Beautifully restored and preserved, this museum and civic space was declared one of the first National Historic Landmarks in 1960. Immerse your students in civics and history with a school program at Connecticut’s Old State House! To book a school program, OSHschools@cga.ct.gov.

We offer three admission and bus discount programs for Connecticut students in grades K-12 through grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the Scripps Family Fund.

Tours of the State Capitol (all ages)
Visit the Connecticut State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark and one of the most beautiful capitols in the country. Capitol Information and Tours offers free one-hour tours for children in grades four and above. This is the perfect enrichment activity in conjunction with studies of government, architecture, and history. To book a tour, email Capitol.Tours@cga.ct.gov.

Visit the Museum of Connecticut History at the State Library (all ages)
A visit to the Museum of Connecticut History lets students discover the events, personalities and objects that have helped shape our state, local and national history. A museum staff member, if available, will greet your group in the museum and provide a brief orientation for your group.

Tour the Connecticut Supreme Court (all ages)
The External Affairs Division of the Connecticut Judicial Branch provides tours of the Supreme Court courtroom from Monday through Friday during regular business hours. To request a tour, email external.affairs@jud.ct.gov.

Court Aide Program (grades 9-12)
High schoolers can: learn about the Judicial Branch and the services it provides; complete school-mandated requirements for graduation; contribute to the community; gain valuable experience and references; further explore career interests and vocational skills.

Job Shadow Program (grades 9-12)
The Job Shadow Program is designed to provide an opportunity for high school students to explore career interests and vocational skills by “shadowing” a Judicial Branch employee during a workday. Students are matched with a mentor at a location as near as possible to their school.

Connecticut’s Kid Governor® (grade 5)
The Connecticut Democracy Center’s award-winning civics program for 5th graders, Kid Governor® offers free civics lesson plans, videos, a traveling exhibit, and other resources for learning about state government, elections, and civic participation. Many resources can be adapted for other grades! Email info@CT.KidGovernor.org for access to additional resources including Bitmoji classrooms.

We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution (grades 6-12)
We The People promotes civic knowledge and engagement among upper elementary and secondary students. Utilizing innovative materials developed by the Center for Civic Education, an entire class works in cooperative teams to prepare and present statements on six units before a panel of judges acting as a congressional committee at a state-level competition. The Connecticut Democracy Center is the state affiliate of the We The People program.

Connecticut Democracy Center Debate Tournament (grades 6-12)
Debate Tournament hosts competitive interscholastic team policy debate tournaments for middle and high school students focused on a Connecticut topic. Participants use their research to develop both negative and affirmative arguments, learn to cross-examine their opposition, and listen attentively in order to rebut their opponent’s arguments. Participation improves public speaking skills, ability to analyze issues and resources, and expertise in using evidence to support arguments.

CT History Day (grades 6-12)
An affiliate program of National History Day, CT History engages thousands of middle- and high-school students in historical research, interpretation, and creative expression through project-based learning. Access free student and educator resources!

Civics Academy (grades 4-6)
The Civics Academy is a group of judges and attorneys who have been specially trained to deliver civics education to elementary-aged students. The Academy visits elementary school classes from grades 4 to 6 to present a 50-minute lesson plan that has been developed to help young students understand their role in our society.

Judicial Branch Speakers Bureau (all ages)
The Speakers Bureau maintains a panel of Judges and other court officials interested in speaking to community audiences on a wide range of court-related topics.

Civic Life Project
The Civic Life Project teaches digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking as a tool for civic education, helping students creatively examine how laws, policies, and systems impact their daily lives.

Generation Citizen (grades 8-12)
Through hands-on civic education, legislative advocacy and coalition building, and youth leadership development, Generation Citizen teaches young people how to have a voice and become active citizens in their communities.

Civic Engagement Initiatives and Resources (all ages)
The Office of the Secretary of the State offers free civic engagement and education resources for students and adults of all ages.

Social Studies and Civics Resources (all grades)
The State Department of Education has compiled resources for teaching civics, history, and other social studies disciplines.

Civic Learning Week – Connecticut Resources (all grades)
Civic Learning Week is an annual, national effort to further energize the movement for civic education. The Connecticut Democracy Center is a proud partner and supporter of Civic Learning Week and offered a variety of virtual and in-person civics programs and exhibits for all audiences from March 11-16, 2024.

Connecticut Network (CT-N) (all ages)
CT-N is Connecticut’s source for complete and balanced television and webcast coverage of state government and public policy. Your students can see their state government in action by watching live and recorded legislative sessions, committee meetings, public hearings, press briefings, Supreme Court oral arguments, and more.

Videos about state government (all ages)
The Connecticut Democracy Center and its Connecticut’s Kid Governor® program offer free videos from state officials explaining their roles within state government.

Teach It CT (grades K-12)
A project of CT Humanities, Teach It helps Connecticut teachers bring Connecticut history into the classroom through inquiry-based activities. The following civics resources were created by the Connecticut Democracy Center in partnership with Connecticut teachers:

Empowering Students’ “Civic Voices” in Local and State Government (Elementary)

Empowering Students’ “Civic Voices” in Local and State Government (Middle/High)

Government is People: Creating a Symposium of Local Government Speakers (Elementary)

Government is People: Creating a Symposium of Local Government Speakers (Middle/High)

Capitol Information & Tours/League of Women Voters Resources  (grades 3-12)
Explore free activities and classroom tools about how a bill becomes a law, contacting state legislators, the three branches of state government, voting rights, and more.

Civic Literacy Resources (all ages)
The State Library’s Division of Library Development supports Civic/Social Literacy so that Connecticut citizens will have the knowledge and skills they need to improve their lives, participate and contribute effectively in their communities, and connect with one another through dialogue.

Elections & Voting resources (adults)
The Office of the Secretary of the State offers elections and voting resources for adults.

iCivics (all grades)
iCivics was founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009 to ensure that all Americans have the knowledge and will to participate in our unique experiment in self-government. Since then, iCivics has become the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider of high-quality, non-partisan, engaging, and free resources to more than 9 million students annually, in all 50 states. iCivics’ first-of-its-kind digital civic library includes more than 260 curricular resources, digital literacy tools, professional learning materials, and educational video games.

Local Civic Health: A Guide to Building Community and Bridging Divides
This document, produced by New Hampshire Listens and designed by Laurel Lloyd at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire, is intended to help you create a plan of action for collecting civic health information, and can be a guiding charter to refer back to. Some of the categories below require deeper conversation, and when they do we have marked this with some tools to help you have those conversations.

Braver Angels
Braver Angels is leading the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the partisan divide.

What Is a Community? – Lesson for Kids
“Communities can be as small as a single family or as big as everyone on the planet. Discover how they are made up of people with things in common, as well as differences, who work together.”

Civics Book Kits
Schools can check out a Kid Governor® Civics Book Kit from the Connecticut State Library to supplement instruction.  Each kit comes with a selection of books that relate to the theme, as well as a discussion guide with questions specific to select titles and general discussion questions for the topic. Books in these kits are appropriate for elementary school-aged children.

Kid Governor® Library (grade 5)
The Kid Governor® Library is a curated list of civics books that enable you to link reading and civics. The books are organized into three topic areas: Government, Elections & Voting – Leadership – Civic Engagement. We also have a bonus section with books by and about Kid Governors. The books have been recommended by Kid Governor® staff and participating teachers.

Civics for Kids (all grades)
The Children’s Trust offers tools – including recommended books – for parents, teachers and caregivers to help children gain the civic knowledge to become effective advocates.

Educate, Empower, Engage: A Conversation on the Lasting Impact of Civic Education
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker, and Connecticut’s first-ever Kid Governor Elena Tipton (2016) explore civic education and engagement in Connecticut and share their own civic journeys.

Connecting with Connecticut’s Leaders – the Three Branches of State Government
State Treasurer Erick Russell, State Representative Hilda Santiago, and Judge Dennis Eveleigh answer student questions about their jobs and how Connecticut’s three branches of state government work together.

Great Citizenship: Building a Better Connecticut)
A Town Hall Meeting at Connecticut’s Old State House featuring nationally-renowned speaker and author Eric Liu. ‘Great Citizenship’ reviews the insights of state residents’ social behavior toward their neighbors, communities, and government, which were revealed in Connecticut’s Civic Health Index Report.

Parents’ Role in Citizenship
Can a parent really make a difference in the community? A town hall-style meeting at the Old State House will explore why the answer is a resounding “yes” and how parents–and any concerned person–can get involved. Graduates of the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI), a civics-training program of the Commission on Children, will tell how they learned the skills needed to be leaders on local school boards, town councils, philanthropic boards and even the state legislature.

Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities
Conversation is the key to building empathy and understanding. It’s one of the most important tools in a teacher’s toolbox when it comes to helping students understand difficult subjects. It can also be one of the trickiest tools for educators to use. Joe Schmidt is a leader in social studies education. In his latest book, “Civil Discourse: Classroom Conversations for Stronger Communities,” he and co-author Nichelle Pinkney share their expertise and guidance to help educators facilitate difficult conversations in the classroom with courage and empathy.

Visit Connecticut’s Old State House! (all ages)
Located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut’s Old State House served as one of Connecticut’s state capitols from 1796 to 1878 and Hartford City Hall from 1878-1915. Beautifully restored and preserved, this museum and civic space was declared one of the first National Historic Landmarks in 1960.

Visit the State Capitol! (all ages)
Visit the Connecticut State Capitol, a National Historic Landmark and one of the most beautiful capitols in the country. Capitol Information and Tours offers free one-hour tours.

Visit the Museum of Connecticut History at the State Library! (all ages)
A visit to the Museum of Connecticut History lets students discover the events, personalities and objects that have helped shape our state, local and national history.

Visit the Connecticut Supreme Court! (all ages)
The External Affairs Division of the Connecticut Judicial Branch provides tours of the Supreme Court courtroom from Monday through Friday during regular business hours.

Court Aide Program (grades 9-12)
High schoolers can: learn about the Judicial Branch and the services it provides; complete school-mandated requirements for graduation; contribute to the community; gain valuable experience and references; further explore career interests and vocational skills.

Job Shadow Program (grades 9-12)
The Job Shadow Program is designed to provide an opportunity for high school students to explore career interests and vocational skills by “shadowing” a Judicial Branch employee during a workday. Students are matched with a mentor at a location as near as possible to their school.

Connecticut’s Kid Governor® (grade 5)
The Connecticut Democracy Center’s award-winning civics program for 5th graders, Kid Governor® offers free civics lesson plans, videos, a traveling exhibit, and other resources for learning about state government, elections, and civic participation. Many resources can be adapted for other grades! Email info@CT.KidGovernor.org for access to additional resources including Bitmoji classrooms.

We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution (grades 6-12)
We The People promotes civic knowledge and engagement among upper elementary and secondary students. Utilizing innovative materials developed by the Center for Civic Education, an entire class works in cooperative teams to prepare and present statements on six units before a panel of judges acting as a congressional committee at a state-level competition. The Connecticut Democracy Center is the state affiliate of the We The People program.

Connecticut Democracy Center Debate Tournament (grades 6-12)
Debate Tournament hosts competitive interscholastic team policy debate tournaments for middle and high school students focused on a Connecticut topic. Participants use their research to develop both negative and affirmative arguments, learn to cross-examine their opposition, and listen attentively in order to rebut their opponent’s arguments. Participation improves public speaking skills, ability to analyze issues and resources, and expertise in using evidence to support arguments.

CT History Day (grades 6-12)
An affiliate program of National History Day, CT History engages thousands of middle- and high-school students in historical research, interpretation, and creative expression through project-based learning. Access free student and educator resources!

Civics Academy (grades 4-6)
The Civics Academy is a group of judges and attorneys who have been specially trained to deliver civics education to elementary-aged students. The Academy visits elementary school classes from grades 4 to 6 to present a 50-minute lesson plan that has been developed to help young students understand their role in our society.

Civic Life Project
The Civic Life Project teaches digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking as a tool for civic education, helping students creatively examine how laws, policies, and systems impact their daily lives.

Generation Citizen (grades 8-12)
Through hands-on civic education, legislative advocacy and coalition building, and youth leadership development, Generation Citizen teaches young people how to have a voice and become active citizens in their communities.

Civic Engagement Initiatives and Resources (all ages)
The Office of the Secretary of the State offers free civic engagement and education resources for students and adults of all ages.

Connecticut Network (CT-N) (all ages)
CT-N is Connecticut’s source for complete and balanced television and webcast coverage of state government and public policy. See your state government in action by watching live and recorded legislative sessions, committee meetings, public hearings, press briefings, Supreme Court oral arguments, and more.

Videos about state government (all ages)
The Connecticut Democracy Center and its Connecticut’s Kid Governor® program offer free videos from state officials explaining their roles within state government.

Capitol Information & Tours/League of Women Voters Resources  (grades 3-12)
Explore free activities and classroom tools about how a bill becomes a law, contacting state legislators, the three branches of state government, voting rights, and more.

iCivics (all grades)
iCivics was founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009 to ensure that all Americans have the knowledge and will to participate in our unique experiment in self-government. Since then, iCivics has become the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider of high-quality, non-partisan, engaging, and free resources to more than 9 million students annually, in all 50 states. iCivics’ first-of-its-kind digital civic library includes more than 260 curricular resources, digital literacy tools, professional learning materials, and educational video games.

Kid Governor® Library (grade 5)
The Kid Governor® Library is a curated list of civics books that enable you to link reading and civics. The books are organized into three topic areas: Government, Elections & Voting – Leadership – Civic Engagement. We also have a bonus section with books by and about Kid Governors. The books have been recommended by Kid Governor® staff and participating teachers.

Civics for Kids (all grades)
The Children’s Trust offers tools – including recommended books – for parents, teachers and caregivers to help children gain the civic knowledge to become effective advocates.

Educate, Empower, Engage: A Conversation on the Lasting Impact of Civic Education
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker, and Connecticut’s first-ever Kid Governor Elena Tipton (2016) explore civic education and engagement in Connecticut and share their own civic journeys.

Connecting with Connecticut’s Leaders – the Three Branches of State Government
State Treasurer Erick Russell, State Representative Hilda Santiago, and Judge Dennis Eveleigh answer student questions about their jobs and how Connecticut’s three branches of state government work together.