Shaping the future of democracy
About Us
The Institute for Citizens & Scholars equips young people with the civic skills necessary to navigate a divided country and become effective leaders.
As America approaches its 250th birthday, growing polarization threatens our national unity, democracy, and security. We can’t afford to wait—we must address this divisiveness now. To chart a peaceful path forward, we need citizens who are well-informed, productively engaged, and committed to democracy.
Today’s 14-24-year-olds urgently need the civic knowledge and skills to solve the complex challenges our country faces. Yet, the institutions where they learn, work, and live are not fully equipped to provide them with the tools they need to become effective, collaborative citizens.
We collaborate with leaders in higher education, business, and philanthropy to transform college campuses, workplaces, and communities into hubs for civic development. Our work with young people aged 14-24 focuses on building three critical skills:
- Engaging in difficult conversations (civil discourse)
- Finding and using reliable information (mis/disinformation)
- Collaborating across differences (problem-solving)
What We Do
We collaborate with leaders in higher education, business, and philanthropy to transform colleges, workplaces, and communities into hubs for civic development. In each of these spaces, we develop and implement programs that equip young people with the civic skills needed to address the divisive issues facing our country. Our offerings include co-designed programs, digital products, convenings, trainings, fellowships, and coalition networks—all with clear success metrics to measure real progress.
Mission & Vision
Our mission is to cultivate talent, ideas, and networks that develop young people as effective, lifelong citizens. Our vision is a strong American democracy and a flourishing civil society where all people can thrive.
Values
We are constantly learning and improving. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for all. We are gracious and grateful in all that we do. We are attentive and intentional.
Our Story
Since our founding in 1945 as the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars has prepared new generations of citizens by opening doors to higher education, supporting visionary thinkers, scholars, and teachers, and creating thoughtful innovations in and beyond education.
Our Team
The Citizens & Scholars team brings experiences from Main Street to Wall Street and across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. With support from our board of directors, a large network of ideologically diverse partners, and our community of 27,000 Fellows, we’re developing an effective citizenry that strengthens democracy—together.
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