Amid Controversy, Grants Awarded To Va. Promote New Approaches To American History And Civics

By Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

October 29, 2025

After reframing a federal education grant program to align with President Donald Trump’s policies, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $10 million to five Virginia institutions to advance new and existing strategies to instruct students in American history, civic, government and geography to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.

The American History and Civics‑National Activities Grants program, from which the funds originate, existed before the Trump administration. However, it was later reshaped to align with Trump’s broader vision of “patriotic education.” The approach emphasizes teaching about the founding of America and the key ideas that the country was built upon. Educators have said the administration’s approach fails to provide a balanced telling of history and omits significant historical injustices, while others fear educators teaching anything that makes America infallible is not honest or responsible.

Close Up Foundation in Arlington received the largest award of $2.9 million, followed by William and Mary ($2.8 million), James Madison University ($2.1 million), Christopher Newport ($1.3 million), and Regent University ($980,000), according to the U.S. Department of Education.

“The upcoming Semiquincentennial of America’s founding is more than a commemorative milestone—it is a call to reinvest in the education and cultivation of a citizenry capable of sustaining the American experiment in self-government,” the program’s description reads.

In addition to improving seminars for educators or students, award recipients are required to create and execute innovative seminars commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S., with a focus on the principles of the nation’s founding fathers, and their development of the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence.

The education department said that institutions sponsoring seminars that promote “a deeper understanding of our constitutional republic,” will empower educators or students with the knowledge and character needed to safeguard America’s freedoms.

James Madison announced earlier this month that the funding would help “deepen nonpartisan civic literacy and historical understanding” among students and educators.

Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera congratulated the institution, adding that the “initiative will empower teachers and students to engage in thoughtful conversations about America’s past and its future,” ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary.

Paradigm shift

One of the first steps the Trump administration took to reframe education in the U.S. was an executive order to end “radical indoctrination” in K-12 schooling.

The “patriotic education” term, included in the order, is defined as an “accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational principles.”

The term also involves exploring how the U.S. has progressively aligned itself with “noble principles,” and promotes commitment to America’s aspirations as “beneficial and justified,” while asserting that celebrating “America’s greatness and history is proper.”

Some educators say the term “patriotic education” has created a divide between the administration and educators, with government leaders suggesting educators don’t want to be patriotic, which they deny.

Recently, a study conducted by Education Next through the Harvard Kennedy School found that teachers are “more supportive” than the general public of teaching students about America’s strengths, its demographics and the importance of civic engagement. The study includes results from 1,032 K–12 teachers, 1,280 parents and 2,251 members of the general public collected in March and April 2025.

“Most Americans understand that loving what is good about America does not require endorsing any particular government act or political party,” the authors wrote. “It requires upholding the principles that define our democratic system.”

The U.S. Department of Education’s September announcement of its partner organizations for the 250th anniversary drew scrutiny, because some of the groups were involved in revising Virginia’s history standards two years ago, some of which initially excluded influential figures and events. Some experts said the standards, developed with input from representatives of organizations including conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation and Hillsdale College, reflected political bias and focused on European or Anglo-American ideas while downplaying the contributions of ethnic minorities in white countries.

As for the term “patriotic education,” leaders from the Virginia Social Studies Leaders Consortium (VSSLC) find the term and its suggestions “deeply offensive and wrong.”

Danyael Graham, VSSLC president, said she was concerned that “patriotic education” implies a lack of comprehensive history education and creates unnecessary divisions among educators.

“It’s about teaching the good and the bad, and that doesn’t make you less patriotic,” Graham said. “I think that implication is deeply offensive and if we are raising students to think critically about the world around them, then they need to be able to reflect on the good and the bad. It’s what helps them make better decisions as adults.”

This story was originally published by the Virginia Mercury. For more stories from the Virginia Mercury, visit Virginia Mercury.com.