Civics Academy Pilot Summary Report
Published
July 16, 2025
Civics Academy is a nonpartisan initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation designed to strengthen democracy and workforce readiness by equipping employees with foundational civic knowledge and essential 21st-century workplace skills. At a time of growing polarization and civic disengagement, Civics Academy offers a timely, trusted resource that leverages the unique position of employers to foster civic awareness, respectful dialogue, and community engagement.
In the spring of 2025, the U.S. Chamber Foundation launched a pilot program following a small beta test. Over 175 employees across more than 40 organizations—including chambers of commerce, nonprofits, and businesses—participated in the pilot. The program featured a five-module self-paced online course, opportunities for experiential learning through Civic Day of Action, and an optional Civics Academy Championship trivia competition. To incentivize learning and recognize achievement, digital badges were issued to participants who completed key milestones.
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80%
of pilot respondents rated the content, delivery, and experience favorably.
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63%
of pilot participants also participated in Civic Day of Action.
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94%
of Civic Day of Action participants reported feeling more connected to their community and workplace.
Feedback from the pilot affirmed the demand for accessible civic education in the workplace and informed key improvements to content, delivery, and structure. Looking ahead, the U.S. Chamber Foundation will introduce tiered course offerings (Basics, Core, and Leadership), transition to a more robust learning platform, and conduct long-term studies to measure impact.
Civics Academy is now seeking corporate partners and philanthropic support to scale this innovative program nationally and help ensure civic literacy is a workplace standard, not an exception.
