American History and Civics Education (84.422)
American History and Civics Education (Assistance Listing 84.422) is run by the Department of Education. It awarded $181 million in 112 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.6 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.5 million. Half of the 112 awards fell between $1.1 million and $2.1 million, and they ranged from $19,937 to $3.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$181 million
- Grant awards112
- Typical award$1.5 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$136 million
- Size rank634 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants (discretionary)
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $4.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $136 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 634th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 48% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 36 states and territories.
What the program funds
The program supports two types of grants: American History and Civics Academies grants and National Activities grants. American History and Civics Academies grants support the establishment of: (1) Presidential Academies for the Teaching of American History and Civics that offer workshops for both veteran and new teachers to strengthen their knowledge of American history and civics (Presidential Academies); and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics that provide high school students with opportunities to develop a broader and deeper understanding of these subjects (Congressional Academies). National Activities grants promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction, learning strategies, and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, and other school leaders, particularly for low-income students and underserved populations.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Institutions of higher education and nonprofit educational organizations, museums, libraries, research centers with demonstrated expertise in historical methodology or the teaching of American history and civics are eligible to apply for Academies grants. Institutions of higher education and other nonprofit and for-profit organizations with demonstrated expertise in the development of evidence-based approaches with the potential to improve the quality of American history, civics and government, or geography learning and teaching are eligible to apply for National Activities grants.
What the money can and cannot pay for
American History and Civics Academies funds are to be used to provide intensive workshops for teachers and students. Funds must be used to provide stipends to participants and may be used for a range of other activities including providing salaries for project staff including project directors, evaluators, core teachers and support staff, as well as rental expenses at the academy sites. Funds may not be used for construction. Competitions are announced in the Federal Register. Specific limitations and restrictions for each competition are provided in the Federal Register notice. National Activities funds must be used to develop, implement, expand, evaluate, and disseminate for voluntary use, innovative, evidence-based approaches or professional development programs in American history, civics and government, and geography that: (i) show potential to improve the quality of student achievement in, and teaching of, American history, civics and government, or geography, in elementary schools and secondary schools; and (ii) demonstrate innovation, scalability, accountability, and a focus on underserved populations. Funds may be used for: (i) hands-on civic engagement activities for teachers and students; and (ii ) programs that educate students about the history and principles of the Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights. Funds may not be used for construction. Funds are subject to supplement, not supplant provisions.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
The anticipated range of awards is $300,000-$1,000,000.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, American History and Civics Education (84.422) awarded$181 million across 112 grant awards, an average of $1.6 million per award.
Who usually wins
Colleges and universities received 58% of the money, nonprofits 25% and state and local governments 5.2%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | 69 | $105 million | 58% |
| Nonprofits | 27 | $45.3 million | 25% |
| Other | 8 | $15.4 million | 8.5% |
| State and local governments | 6 | $9.4 million | 5.2% |
| Businesses | 1 | $2.9 million | 1.6% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 1 | $2.7 million | 1.5% |
By state
34 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 13 | $27.4 million |
| Florida | 11 | $18.8 million |
| California | 10 | $15.3 million |
| Texas | 7 | $10.7 million |
| Virginia | 5 | $10.3 million |
| Ohio | 6 | $10.0 million |
| New York | 5 | $9.7 million |
| Arizona | 5 | $6.9 million |
| Indiana | 4 | $4.7 million |
| Alabama | 2 | $4.5 million |
| Wisconsin | 5 | $4.5 million |
| Georgia | 3 | $4.4 million |
| Illinois | 4 | $4.1 million |
| Alaska | 3 | $3.9 million |
| Louisiana | 2 | $3.7 million |
| South Carolina | 2 | $3.7 million |
| Nebraska | 2 | $3.6 million |
| Mississippi | 1 | $2.7 million |
| Maryland | 2 | $2.7 million |
| Montana | 1 | $2.7 million |
| Missouri | 1 | $2.6 million |
| North Carolina | 3 | $2.5 million |
| Massachusetts | 2 | $2.3 million |
| South Dakota | 1 | $2.1 million |
| Tennessee | 1 | $2.1 million |
| Kansas | 1 | $1.8 million |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $1.7 million |
| New Jersey | 1 | $1.7 million |
| Hawaii | 1 | $1.7 million |
| Utah | 1 | $1.6 million |
| Michigan | 1 | $1.3 million |
| Iowa | 1 | $1.2 million |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | $1.1 million |
| Washington | 1 | $1.0 million |
| Wyoming | 1 | $908,991 |
| Colorado | 1 | $751,600 |