By Satu Felix Pajkos
March 9 - 13, 2026 marks the fourth annual Civic Learning Week, which celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of civic education. This week of action is hosted annually by the nonprofit iCivics, a nonpartisan organization founded in 2009 by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to promote civic learning in the United States.
Civics education encapsulates a variety of areas, each of which are vital in creating a well functioning society, such as history, government, politics, media literacy, and communication. Together, the skills nourished by a proper civics education help protect democracy. For example, if we are able to identify misinformation in the news, we can be better informed about issues impacting our personal lives. Similarly, if we want to create lasting change in our communities, we have to understand the structure of government that defines them. The rewards of a good civics education affect every aspect of life, and unfortunately, its value has been pushed to the side.
In high school, I was one of 30 students from around the country selected by iCivics to participate in their Youth Fellowship. In this role, I conducted research on the current state of civics education in my home state of Arizona. I also conducted interviews with students and teachers to learn more about how students felt on the education they were receiving and how prepared they felt to be active, engaged citizens. I found that the young people I spoke with care about politics and current events; however, many felt unsure of their place in society. This led to doubts about how they could contribute in a system where they don’t feel they belong, as reflected in research by CivxNow, which shows that fewer than half (48%) of all students feel a sense of belonging. This is important because the majority of students (roughly two-thirds) who participate in national elections are the ones who do feel a sense of belonging in their communities. For me, this reveals a strong truth: In order to enact change in a community, one first has to feel they have a community to change.
My passion for civic education continues in my studies and work, but it also shows up in the community I am a part of through the Cisneros Institute. The Institute embodies the values shared in civics education through their mission of nurturing “citizen scholars, ready to engage, lead and make a difference in the world.” It also embodies the goals of civics learning week by creating a strong sense of community for students so that they feel as though they belong and can create real change in society. It takes a village and I’m lucky to have one. It is critical to build strong citizens across communities to effect meaningful and lasting change, and I hope to help create that sense of community moving forward.
This Civic Learning Week, you can honor the spirit of civic education by becoming engaged, giving back, or taking the time to improve your own knowledge on the issues that affect our society and the tools at your disposal to solve them. To learn more about Civic Learning Week, visit: https://civiclearningweek.org/.
Satu Felix Patjos is a Cisneros Scholar majoring in Political Science. Satu's views are his own and not necessarily reflective of the Cisneros Institute.