Contact your State Senator TODAY to co-sponsor and vote YES on Amendment 651, Civics Project Trust Fund line item.

The Civics Project Trust Fund provides grants to school districts for professional development and curriculum development as well as funding for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to support schools in implementing non-partisan student-led civics action projects.

The Trust Fund received $2 million in FY23. The Senate Ways and Means budget presently proposes $1.5 million, a reduction of $500,000.

The Senate budget will be debated this Monday, May 22. Please email or call your State Senator TODAY and ask them to co-sponsor and vote YES on Senate budget amendment 651, sponsored by Senator Becca Rausch, to increase the amount allocated for the Civics Project Trust Fund line item 1595-0115 to $2.5 million. Find your State Senator’s contact information here.

Suggested request: “Please co-sponsor and vote YES on Senate budget amendment 651 to increase the Civics Project Trust Fund to $2.5 million. The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts believes civics education is critical to maintaining a healthy democracy. Thank you.” Remember to include your name and complete street address within your email.

LWVMA worked diligently to pass the Civics Education bill in 2018 as part of the MA Civic Learning Coalition under the leadership of education specialist Karen Mazza. From the 2018 press release: "This law will help ensure that students across the Commonwealth will have access to a civic education curriculum that teaches them the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, fundamental knowledge about government, such as the functions of each branch and the electoral process, as well as key 21st century skills such as media literacy.”