Elevating Civic Literacy in PA for a Bright Economic Future

The downward trend on civic literacy in the US has become downright alarming. Last year, the University of Pennsylvania released a study showing only 47% of American adults can name all three branches of government. Earlier this month, data released by the United States Education Department showed that eighth-grader test scores in U.S. history and civics fell to the lowest levels on record last year. Businesses are concerned that too many young people lack a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the responsibilities of being a citizen.

BFA | Pennsylvania believes that there are a number of solutions to reverse this trend, which will build skills and behaviors that will benefit the workforce and economy. On Tuesday, June 13th at 11amET, we will be hosting a webinar regarding ways you can become involved in civic efforts in PA. We’ll be joined by a panel of partner organizations who are working directly with schools and companies to develop programming to address the dearth of civic education in our schools and communities. We will cover ways the business community can prioritize civic literacy in Pennsylvania that could reap benefits for decades to come.

Continued neglect of civic literacy will weaken the state’s civic and economic strength, putting at risk businesses, supply chains, and investments that will negatively impact employees and communities. This limited education about our democratic system makes people more vulnerable to misinformation and sowing distrust in the electoral process, which are destructive to our country’s social cohesion and economic competitiveness.

Our constitutional democracy and economic prosperity must be driven by an engaged citizenry, which requires civic literacy for our future employees and community leaders. Please join us on Tuesday, June 13th to learn more about how you can make a difference.

Speakers:

Jim Gerlach, Former PA Congressman, CEO, Greater Reading Chamber Alliance

Angelique Hinton, Executive Director, PA Youth Vote

Arielle Jennings, Chief Partnerships & Sites Officer, Generation Citizen

Thank you to our co-hosts for promoting the event!

Committee of Seventy, Fair Districts PA, Generation Citizen, Global Philadelphia Association, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, PA Youth Vote