The Civic Education Leadership Accelerator is a leadership development program for high school History, Civics, and Government teachers. It is not a curriculum resource and not a path toward administration, but a deep investment in you as a practitioner and leader in your classroom. Over eight days across two consecutive weeks, you’ll immerse yourself in the same kind of learning you want your students to experience: inquiry-driven, discussion-rich, and grounded in real civic issues happening right now.
You’ll practice facilitating difficult conversations, build confidence holding space for competing viewpoints, and develop the kind of civic curiosity that’s contagious in a classroom. Participants leave having worked through Coro’s inquiry and facilitation frameworks, engaged in a live case study, and grown a network of fellow educators who share their commitment.
Every teacher walks away with a concrete lesson plan, ready to bring this approach to students in the fall.
Program Overview
Program Benefits
Ideal Candidates & Eligibility
Core Qualifications
Teaching Qualities
Working Style
Format & Curriculum
Program Structure
Eight-day intensive program held across two consecutive weeks (Monday to Thursday each week). The program combines direct civic immersion, leadership skill development, and practical lesson design, grounded in Coro’s experiential approach to leadership learning. Explore the program calendar for dates and times.
Learning Components
Daily cohort sessions integrate Coro’s leadership development tools with structured civic inquiry and facilitation practice. Civic leader interviews bring participants into direct conversation with elected officials, government staff, and community practitioners across the program. A civic site visit takes participants into the spaces where decisions are made. Individual lesson plan development is supported by peer feedback sessions and facilitator consultation.
Themes Covered
Leadership development focuses on facilitating contested civic learning across political differences, including neutral facilitation skills, inquiry-based discussion design, and how to hold space for perspectives that challenge your own. Civic content focuses on how power and policy operate at the local and state levels, including systems thinking, power mapping, public finance, and live case inquiry across regional issues.
Learning Approach
Coro’s experiential methods center active practice over passive listening. You’ll engage in case discussions, leadership simulations, peer exchanges, and reflective exercises. Facilitators create space for mindfulness, vulnerability, and authentic connection, fostering psychological safety for adaptive collaboration and innovation.
Program Philosophy
Coro’s approach emphasizes three core principles: active leadership practice as lifelong learning, relating productively across differences in identities and perspectives, and embracing curiosity and vulnerability as foundations for authentic leadership and meaningful change.
Cost & Financial Support
Tuition
The program is fully funded by the Koret Foundation. There is no cost to participants.
Expenses and incidentals
Participants may incur expenses or incidentals due to participation, such as parking or transportation costs. Lunch during sessions will be provided by Coro.
Application Process & Key Dates
How to Apply
Complete the online application sharing your teaching background, interest in inquiry-based civic learning, and what you hope to bring back to your classroom. Review the Application Guide for detailed instructions and tips for crafting strong responses. Applications are reviewed holistically with attention to varied perspectives across school types, subject areas, grade levels, and teaching contexts.
Application Note: You do not need to consider yourself an expert in civics to apply. The program is designed for teachers who believe in civic learning and want the tools, the practice, and the colleagues to lead it with greater confidence.
Application Deadlines
Application portal opens: April 2026
First round deadline: May 12, 2026
(priority consideration for cohort selection; cohort space is limited)
Final round deadline: June 2, 2026
Program Launch: June 15, 2026
Selection Timeline
Applications are reviewed holistically considering teaching background, commitment to inquiry-based learning, facilitation interest, and readiness to engage across political differences. Participants are notified of decisions within one week of each deadline.
