Delaware Center for Civics Education at IPA
FOSTERING HIGH-QUALITY CIVICS AND SOCIAL STUDIES K–12 EDUCATION
The Institute for Public Administration's Delaware Center for Civics Education provides resources and support for teaching and learning aligned to Delaware's civics standards so that preservice and professional educators are well-equipped to prepare their students for college, career, and civic life.
The Delaware Center for Civics Education staff also teach an undergraduate course titled Civics and Economics for the Elementary Teacher. This course is required for all elementary education majors at the University of Delaware.
Featured projects
The Democracy Project Institute for Teachers brings together teachers (K-12) and leaders in government and education to discuss the importance of civic participation for the future of our democratic society and collaborate on ways to inspire active youth citizenship.
Governor's Award in Excellence in Civics Teaching Award
The Delaware Civics Education Coalition seeks nominations for K-12 classroom teachers to be recognized for excellence in teaching civics. Any K-12 teacher who meets the criteria and is selected by the awards committee is eligible to be recognized. The recognition is not limited to a single person per year.
- The nominated teacher must have at least three years of classroom teaching experience and be teaching civics during the 2023–2024 academic year.
- Nominees must be planning to teach for at least one year following the award year.
Governor's School Award for Excellence in Civics Education
- The Delaware Civics Education Coalition seeks nominations for K-12 Delaware schools that excel at advancing the mission of civics education. Awardees will be chosen in the spring of 2024 and recognized with a banner that can be hung at the school.
- To be eligible for this award, nominees must:
- Be a K-12 public, charter, parochial, private, or independent school in Delaware.
- Provide evidence showing that they have met or exceeded the criteria established for the award (see here).
- Review the criteria, then fill out the nomination form. Applications will be accepted from the list of those nominated following the nomination deadline. The nominated teacher must have at least three years of classroom teaching experience and be teaching civics during the 2023–2024 academic year.
- Nominees must be planning to teach for at least one year following the award year.
The CEAS program invites Delaware teachers of social studies courses to apply for a weeklong Summer Institute at the University of Delaware. Selected teachers will receive free materials, stipends, and professional development, including attendance at a conference, to deepen their understanding of civics education through the We the People program.
Each year, state coordinators of the Project Citizen program send one outstanding student portfolio to the Project Citizen National Showcase, where evaluators officially judge each portfolio's achievement level.
Mission Statement
The Delaware Civics Education Coalition is a nonpartisan coalition of groups in Delaware engaged in civic education activities that are working to elevate civic education and engagement as a state priority in order to protect and strengthen America's constitutional democracy. This includes building a shared commitment to ensure that all young people are prepared to assume their rights and responsibilities to participate in civic life and address the issues facing students, their families, and communities in our increasingly dynamic and digital society.
To achieve this mission, the Delaware Civics Education Coalition promotes nonpartisan policies that support engaging K–12 civic learning, both in- and out-of-school.
Program Goals
- Establish and institutionalize the Delaware Civics Education Coalition
- Conduct an environmental scan of civics education policies, achievement, and opportunities in Delaware
- Raise awareness of (or create) civics-related opportunities that deepen students' understanding of content and duties
- Provide professional learning that supports Delaware's civics standards, especially for grades 4, 7, and 11
- Lay the groundwork for the establishment of school and teacher recognition programs (e.g., Centers for Excellence in Civics Education, and Teachers of Excellence as Civics Educators)
Member Organizations
American Constitution Society of Delaware
Norm Monhait:
American Legion Auxiliary's Girl's State Program
Lisamarie McCarley:
Delaware American Legion Boy's State Program
Charles Michel:
Delaware Center for Civics Education
Ed Freel: efreel@udel.edu
Fran O'Malley: fomalley@udel.edu
Scott Abbott: sabbott@udel.edu
Delaware Department of Education
Michael Feldman:
Delaware Department of Elections
Rebecca Argo: rebecca.l.argo@delaware.gov
Rebecca Fay:
Michele Anstine:
Delaware Law Related Education Center
Pat Quann:
League of Women Voters of Delaware
University of Delaware Department of Political Science & International Relations
David Redlawsk:
YMCA Delaware Youth in Government
Anesha Truesdale:
Partnerships
The Delaware Center for Civics Education also provides a range of activities through partnerships with:
- Delaware Department of Elections
- Delaware Department of Education
- Delaware Social Studies Coalition
- Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (UD)
- The Delaware Geographic Alliance (UD)
Meet our Team
Fran O’Malley is a Policy Scientist at IPA serving as Director of the Delaware Center for Civics Education. Fran’s current projects include developing civics curricula and assessments for Delaware schools, facilitating professional learning, and serving as a state coordinator for the National Center for Civics Education and in advisory roles for the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB). He also helps prepare future teachers by teaching a Civics and Economics for Teachers course and serves on the Boards of the Hockessin 107c Colored School and the Delaware Law Related Education Center. Fran earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s University (Philadelphia) and his Master’s and ED.D. from the University of Delaware.
Ed Freel is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Public Administration, where he provides expertise in civic education, political management, and early childhood education. Prior to retiring as a University of Delaware professor and IPA Policy Scientist in 2017, Ed co-founded The Democracy Project with Fran O'Malley. He also started the Semester in Washington, D.C. Program, connecting UD students with internships on Capitol Hill. Prior to joining Congressman Thomas R. Carper as Chief of Staff in 1982, Ed was the first Director of the National Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program under President Carter. From 2001 to 2021, Ed worked as Senior Adviser to U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del). Ed was appointed Delaware Secretary of State from 1994 to 2001, during which time he oversaw the development of the new Delaware Public Archives building in Dover.
Scott Abbott is Assistant Director of the Delaware Center for Civics Education (DCCE) at IPA and he supports civics education by teaching current and future teachers, writing curriculum and assessments, developing policy, and coordinating authentic civic learning experiences for students. Scott earned a BA in History and MAEd in Secondary Social Studies Education from Wake Forest University, and an Executive Masters in Leadership from Georgetown University.
Engaging Students in APPLIED Research
Alexis Oppong earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy at the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. In 2023 and 2024, Alexis worked with the Institute for Public Administration through the Undergraduate Biden School Summer Fellows Program and the Public Administration Fellow Program. During her placement at IPA's Delaware Center for Civics Education (DCCE), Alexis developed skills in research, project management, and public speaking. She presented her research at UD's Undergraduate Research & Service Scholar Celebratory Symposium, compiled an extensive database of K–12 teachers within Delaware, edited and organized elementary and middle school lesson plans, and attended/organized professional development seminars and conferences for educators.
Alexis will continue her education at Duke University pursuing an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. She hopes to connect her experience within public policy to help innovate and elevate the healthcare system.
