Albany, N.Y. - Members of the DemocracyReady NY Coalition - including educators, parents, students, youth advocates, and civic leaders - met with state lawmakers today to press for meaningful investments in civic education as part of the FY 2027 state budget.

As New York approaches the nation's 250th anniversary, and in recognition of the seventh annual National News Literacy Week presented by the News Literacy Project, coalition members warned that civic learning has been increasingly sidelined. Without decisive action, too many students will continue to graduate unprepared to participate fully in civic life.

"Every student who walks across a graduation stage doesn't just leave as a graduate; they leave as a citizen," said NYSUT President Melinda Person. "At a time when misinformation spreads faster than facts, investing in civics and media literacy is an investment in our future. These resources will help students understand how government works, their rights and responsibilities, and how to evaluate information so they can participate fully and thoughtfully in civic life."

NYSUT is also launching its Classroom to Community Civic Readiness Grants, an initiative designed to help local unions bring civic learning to life. The grant will support hands-on, meaningful civic learning experiences that expand or establish Seal of Civic Readiness programs by embedding engagement, critical thinking, media literacy, and community collaboration with local school-based projects.

"Every student in New York has the right to an education that prepares them to participate fully in our democracy," said Nan Eileen Mead, Co-Executive Director of DemocracyReady NY. "As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States later this year, New York has a historic opportunity to strengthen civic learning from the earliest grades through graduation. Together, New York's educators, students, and civic partners are advancing a shared call to action: strengthen policy, invest in professional learning, and modernize civic learning for a rapidly changing world."

The coalition is calling for targeted, strategic investments that reflect both the urgency of this moment and the scale of the challenge:

• $2.5 million to strengthen elementary civic learning, supporting pilot programs, professional development, and evidence-based instructional models, and enabling the State Education Department to better integrate civic competencies across the early grades.

"It is now more important than ever, for the future of our democracy, that we instill in our young people the understanding that their voices matter," said State Senator Shelley Mayer. "That civic engagement is both a right and a responsibility. It is critical that New York State provides the education, resources, and support necessary so students can develop lifelong habits of participation. I am committed to fighting to ensure that the final New York State budget includes the funding our schools and students need to accomplish this."

"My 27 years as an elementary classroom teacher can be distilled into a single mission: to facilitate the creation of engaged citizens, armed with the information, strategies, and skills needed to participate in their communities," said Gail Sider, a retired 4th-grade teacher from Pelham Union Free School District. "Educators of younger children need, now more than ever, resources to support our teaching of civics."

• $5 million to expand access to, and professional learning around, the State Education Department's Seal of Civic Readiness. Currently, only about 26,000 of New York's 172,000 graduates earn the Seal each year - a gap that reflects access barriers, not student potential.

"Civic readiness and student and parent engagement have never been more important," said Kyle Belokopitsky, NYS PTA Executive Director and parent of a high school student. "Students are navigating uncharted and complicated waters. Guiding them toward meaningful civic skills and engagement, enabling their self-thought, lifting their voices, and preparing them for a global economy are all critical for their success in career, college, and beyond."

"A healthy democracy is fueled by young people who understand how power works and how to use their voices," said Charles Johnson, NYS NAACP. "Civic readiness and media literacy give students the tools to engage critically, responsibly, and effectively. New York must invest now to ensure the next generation is ready to actively shape their future."

"The New York State Council for the Social Studies urges state leaders to move from rhetoric to reality by providing the necessary funding to implement high-quality civic education for every student in the state," said Lisa Kissinger, President of the NYS Council for the Social Studies. "By investing in DemocracyReady NY's foundational elements - the Civic Readiness Diploma Seal, professional development, digital literacy, and elementary civics instruction - New York State empowers students from elementary school through graduation."

• $15 million to advance media and AI literacy, including funding for certified library media specialists in every school, creation of a statewide Media & AI Literacy Task Force, support for pilot programs and professional learning, and the inclusion of Media and AI Literacy as a required instructional topic by NYSED. In an era of misinformation, algorithmic influence, and rapid technological change, media literacy is inseparable from civic readiness.

"New York State must ensure that all students receive media and AI literacy education to prepare them for informed and meaningful civic engagement in the digital age," said Kelly Wetherbee, NYS Advocate for Media Literacy Now.

"Funding for media and AI literacy is especially urgent," said Chris Kobara, a 12th grader from New York City. "Gen Z gets most of our information online; it is easy to confuse what is popular with what is actually true. Investing in media literacy and certified library media specialists isn't extra: it is essential for protecting our democracy and helping students participate thoughtfully."

These investments would strengthen civic learning statewide and ensure that all New York students - regardless of ZIP code - are prepared to participate thoughtfully and responsibly in civic life.

"The semiquincentennial is not only a moment of commemoration-it is a call to action," said Jessica R. Wolff, Co-Executive Director of DemocracyReady NY. "By investing in civic learning from early childhood through graduation, New York can strengthen democracy, elevate student voices, and prepare the leaders of the next 250 years."

DemocracyReady NY is a nonpartisan, multigenerational statewide coalition working to ensure that high-quality civic learning reaches all students and empowers the next generation to participate fully and responsibly in public life.

For more information, visit https://www.democracyreadyny.org.

View and download the full video of today's event HERE.

View and download the information sheet for our civics readiness and media literacy proposals HERE.