Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): American History and Civics Education National Activities-Seminars; Assistance Listing Number 84.422C

The American History and Civics Education National Activities—Seminars for America’s Semiquincentennial (AHC-Seminars) program is a discretionary grant opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of Education through its Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. This program is being launched in recognition of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, with the aim of reinvigorating instruction in American history, civics, government, and geography through evidence-based seminars. The initiative supports projects that explore and promote the foundational principles of the American constitutional republic and the development of informed citizenship. The purpose of the AHC-Seminars program is to provide support for seminars directed at educators and students that center around American historical and civic principles. These seminars must use innovative or existing evidence-based approaches and must focus specifically on the American political tradition, foundational documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and their evolving impact over time. The program seeks to cultivate civic competence and patriotism by engaging participants with both historical challenges and the ideals that define the American experience. Applications for this opportunity open on June 23, 2025, with a deadline for intent to apply on July 8, 2025, and the final application deadline on July 23, 2025. Applications are to be submitted via the Department of Education’s Common Instructions portal. An intergovernmental review period will extend through August 22, 2025. Webinars for interested applicants will be held approximately two weeks after the application opens, with more information provided on the Department’s official grants site. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement for this grant, although funds must supplement and not supplant existing non-Federal funding. Applicants must be institutions of higher education or nonprofit/for-profit organizations that have a record of using evidence-based strategies to improve education outcomes in civics, history, government, or geography. Awards will range from $500,000 to $1,000,000 annually, with a total estimated funding pool of $14.2 million for fiscal year 2025. The expected number of awards is between five and ten, and the project period may extend up to 36 months. Subgrants are not allowed under this opportunity. To strengthen their application, institutions of higher education with independent academic units focused on civic thought, American history, or constitutional studies may earn a competitive preference, potentially receiving up to 10 additional points in the evaluation process. Applications are evaluated based on project design, significance, management quality, and adequacy of resources, with each category scored for specific criteria such as alignment with program goals, logic models, and budget feasibility. Interested applicants may direct questions to Orman Feres at the U.S. Department of Education via email at Orman.Feres@ed.gov or by phone at (202) 453-6921. The Department will issue grant award notifications by the end of fiscal year 2025. All deliverables must be openly licensed, and grantees will be required to report outcomes based on participant pre- and post-assessments measuring increased understanding of civics-related content.

Applicants are encouraged to include pre- and post-assessment strategies and alignment with civic education goals. Institutions with independent civic institutes may gain a competitive edge.