K-State faculty receive $1.8 million federal grant for America's 250th education project
July 21, 2026
Faculty from Kansas State University’s A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, department of political science, and College of Education have begun a project focused on improving the quality of instruction in American history and civics, thanks to a grant from the Department of Education. The project, Educating for the Republic, is being funded by the American History and Civics Education-National Activities Semiquincentennial Grant Program and is expected to impact over 45,000 Kansas students.
The project aims to foster informed patriotism and civic competency through a deep and nuanced understanding of America’s founding principles, key texts, and deliberation as civic practice. By training Kansas K-12 educators to teach the founding documents — such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, or Bill of Rights — as primary texts, supported by evidence-based pedagogical strategies and practices in civil discourse, the project directly supports the program’s aim of improving the quality of instruction in American history and civics.
“Students who engage with primary sources in this way will learn how to ask better questions, find the answers to their own questions, and act upon that new knowledge,” said Nathaniel Birkhead, project lead and associate professor and department head of political science.
“Involving three different academic units (from two colleges) ensures the seminar participants get the best experience that K-State has to offer,” Birkhead said. “From political science, they’ll benefit from experts on primary texts. From the A.Q. Miller School, they’ll have experts in civic discourse. And from the College of Education, they’ll have pedagogical experts who can help them translate the ideas into lesson plans that will work best in their respective classrooms.”
The seminars will be approximately four days long, with a balance between the theoretical and the practical. Teachers will return home with lesson plan packets, book sets, and follow-up support from the project team. These direct benefits to educators will translate into more engaging, accurate, and participatory civic learning for thousands of students — many of whom attend rural and under-resourced schools.
The program is supported by the expertise of two existing campus entities: the Primary Texts Certificate Program and the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy (ICDD).
“To supplement the theories and ideas presented by our colleagues in political science, faculty affiliated with the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy will provide instruction on how to have thoughtful and civil conversations about crucial topics in the classroom and beyond,” said Heather Woods, associate professor and director of the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
Other communication studies faculty involved in the project include Sean Eddington, associate professor of organizational communication and Alex McVey, associate professor of communication studies with expertise in rhetoric, pedagogy, and deliberative practices. McVey is also a seasoned debate coach, with over a decade of experience working with high school and college students on argumentative writing and public speaking.
“It’s tremendously exciting to work with folks with a wide range of experiences and expertise, and together, do something to support teachers and students across the state,” said Birkhead.