Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics in 2009 with a mission: to reimagine civic education through interactive and engaging game-based learning resources. 10 years, 20 games, and millions of plays later, iCivics’ suite of free civics and history learning games remains the most popular game-based learning platform in the world – and we’re proud to have developed nearly every game in their collection!
With back-to-school season finally here, we’re dedicating today’s blog to celebrating and catching up with our longtime partner (and friend!) iCivics. Check out our roundup below, and keep watch on the iCivics Blog to stay informed of future news and announcements! ⤵️
Celebrating 10 Years of Game-Based Civics Learning
Ten years of success in the learning games space is no easy feat – but thanks to the vision of Justice O’Connor and the hard work of dozens of dedicated staff, iCivics continues to flourish, growing increasingly popular with each new school year. In 2019 alone, iCivics reports that their games have been played nearly 19 million times by more than 6 million students across all 50 states. We’re pleased to have been a part of iCivics’ first ten years, and we’re excited to see the many ways the organization continues to grow over the next decade!
Read more anniversary reflections on the iCivics blog from Executive Director Louise Dubé.
Revamping Cast Your Vote and Win the White House
Are you following iCivics on Facebook or Twitter? If so, you’re likely already aware that revamped versions of Cast Your Vote and Win the White House are on the way – currently being developed right here at Filament! These remastered titles will feature upgraded visuals, new gameplay mechanics, and for the first time ever: iOS/Android tablet support. Both games are slated for release later this year – but in the meantime, check out the original versions of both Cast Your Vote and Win the White House on iCivics.org!
Get a behind-the-screens look at Cast Your Vote playtesting efforts in this blog post from iCivics’ Director of Digital Learning Carrie Ray-Hill.
Recognizing NewsFeed Defenders as a Fast Company Awards Finalist
Not only is iCivics revamping their titles and adding content to their catalog – they’re racking up wins on the awards circuit too! Most recently, news literacy learning game NewsFeed Defenders was recognized as a Fast Company 2019 World Changing Ideas Awards finalist. This new award stands nicely among the organization’s many previous accolades, and is further testament to the impact of iCivics – and game-based learning more broadly – on today’s K-12 education paradigm.
Learn more about iCivics’ Fast Company’s 2019 World Changing Ideas Awards nomination on their blog.
Now that you’re all caught up, are you ready to get your game on? Get started today with these free iCivics resources:
🎮 Play iCivics’ suite of civics and history learning games
📚 Explore their collection of standards-aligned teaching resources
🗞️ Learn more about the organization in this article from the New York Times