The Longaberger Family Foundation and the I’m a Child of Appalachia Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio are offering grants to K-12 public school faculty and staff working to strengthen long-term public engagement, civics literacy, and voter participation through civics education for young people.

This grant opportunity is available at www.AppalachianOhio.org/Civics, and applications will be accepted from K-12 public school faculty and staff in the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio until Tuesday, Sept. 29.

This opportunity comes as knowledge of and trust in government has declined. A 2016 Annenberg Public Policy Center survey found that only 26 percent of Americans can name all three branches of government; public trust in government stands at just 17 percent, according to the Pew Charitable Trust in a 2018 study, and voter participation in 2018 was just over 53 percent, according to the US Census Bureau.

An effective civics education provides students with the knowledge, skills and disposition necessary to become informed and engaged citizens. This grant program seeks to support those efforts by providing educators with resources to actively implement civics education opportunities for K-12 public school students.

Projects will engage students in practicing citizenship skills within or beyond the classroom walls, whether education is in-person or remote. Projects might provide opportunities for experiential learning, allow students to apply lessons learned to local problem-solving through local community issues, engage students in community service and service learning opportunities, provide necessary tools, resources, or materials, or otherwise empower students to grow as citizens.

Grant requests must be between $500 and $2,500. More than $30,000 in funding is available. The 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio include Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton and Washington.

To learn more about this opportunity and, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org/Civics.

Submitted by Daniel Kingston, communications and programs, Foundation For Appalachian Ohio.