Civics teachers to gather at 2nd Pitt-Johnstown summit

BY JOSHUA BYERS

JBYERS@TRIBDEM.COM

Educators from across Pennsylvania will gather Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown for the second American Civics Education and Literacy Initiative teacher summit.

The day-long event will feature 12 sessions from “organizations that span the political spectrum,” said organizer Mark Conlon, a Pitt-Johnstown professor who is the director of the university’s social studies certification program and the American Civic Education and Literacy Initiative.

The ACE gathering was started in fall 2023 as a way for educators to network and expand their competency in civics at a time when education about that subject is lacking.

“Social studies has kind of been on the back burner ... for so long,” Conlon said.

Conlon has spearheaded the summit alongside colleagues Charline Rowland, Buddy Roth and Ray Wrabley, as well as Greater Johnstown High School teachers Christian Wrabley and John Smith.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for these teachers to learn something new,” Conlon said.

For this year’s summit, which will run from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Conlon said about 100 participants are expected to attend from across the region and Pittsburgh, Erie and Philadelphia. The keynote speaker will be Delaware County social studies teacher and 2025 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Leon Smith.

Presenters will include the Bill of Rights Institute, The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement, Generation Citizen, Classrooms without Borders, the National Constitution Center, Pitt-Johnstown, the Committee of Seventy and Fair Districts PA.

Session topics will include adapting civics for diverse learning, project-based learning, exploring the anti-democratic nature of hate and marginalization, and more.

Conlon said the goal is to convey to educators that civics is “not just book-learning, but showing them they can go out into their communities and their environments” to make a difference with their students.

The professional development summit is a precursor to the second Democracy Bowl for sixth- through 12th-graders offered by Pitt-Johnstown and The Tribune-Democrat. That event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 3.

The Democracy Bowl aims to promote civics knowledge through friendly competition and community involvement.

Student teams will participate in a civics trivia competition, civics project fair, community discussions and more.

More information about the Democracy Bowl or the teacher summit can be had by contacting Conlon at mac699@pitt.edu.

Joshua Byers is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5054. Follow him on Twitter @Journo_Josh.

Conlon