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The National Leadership Council to Advance Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement for All (NLC) brings together national leaders from higher education, policy, and civic learning innovation to strengthen civic learning across higher education and expand the reach of the college civic learning movement.

The National Leadership Council is an action-focused partnership.

Building the collective capacity of institutions, state systems, and national networks, the NLC aims to make civic learning and democracy engagement an integral part of the higher education experience worldwide. The NLC will help to implement civic learning at scale, assess its impact on students’ lives and communities, and build national momentum for change.

The NLC's primary objectives include:

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  • Advancing efforts to embed civic learning in general education, all majors, and co-curricular learning.
  • Coordinating organizational and state-level work (including state higher education systems, institutional associations, and accreditors).
  • Contributing to the development and dissemination of shared assessment tools and civic transcripts.
  • Supporting efforts to align civic learning with workforce readiness and public purpose.
  • Providing national visibility and strategic input to expand the reach and impact of the civic learning and democracy movement. 

At American University, the NLC’s work is aligned with the Democracy Innovation Lab at the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics, the Civic Life initiative, and the Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement Coalition (CLDE).


Join Us

Campus to Country: Strengthening College Civics, Revitalizing DemocracyConstitution Day 2026 (September 17, 2026)Hosted by American University, More Perfect, Lumina Foundation, and the NLC

Bringing together educators, organizational and philanthropic leaders, and policy champions, this action-oriented forum will take place on Constitution Day 2026 and will focus on making college civic learning and democracy engagement a top priority across U.S. higher education. A detailed agenda and registration link will be available soon.