Cyclone Civics offers grants for high-impact experiences, events

The Center for Cyclone Civics is offering grants to co-sponsor lectures, workshops and high-impact student experiences, such as field trips or conferences, that promote civic engagement and free expression at Iowa State. 

Instructors, campus units and student organizations can apply by completing the online request form for events or high-impact student experiences. The co-sponsorship grants range from $1,000 to $3,000 and are supported with university funds dedicated to Cyclone Civics. 

Karen Kedrowski, co-director of the Center for Cyclone Civics and director of the Catt Center for Women and Politics, said the grants allow the Center for Cyclone Civics to expand its impact.

"To address the gaps in civic education, we want to infuse civic literacy and civic skills into the curriculum and programming at Iowa State," Kedrowski said. "Through collaboration with our campus partners, we're finding innovative ways to engage with our students."

Experimental course this spring

In addition to lectures and events, Iowa State will offer an American Civics course (LAS 1780X) this spring. Instructor Cullen Padgett Walsh, a teaching professor in philosophy and religious studies, said the three-credit course will examine people's rights and responsibilities in the context of the U.S.'s republican system of government. 

Students will read original documents from America's founding -- including the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution -- as well as landmark Supreme Court decisions and other influential texts to explore how interpretations of the documents have evolved. 

America at 250

The Center for Cyclone Civics is commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a series of lectures that will run from this fall through fall 2026. In September, former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake presented the 2025 Constitution Day Lecture, and earlier this month, Danielle Allen, who leads a research lab focused on civic education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, spoke on the language of liberty in the Declaration of Independence. 

Several Iowa State faculty members will give presentations in November covering America's founding, the constitution and the role of pirates in the American Revolution. A full list of events can be found on the Cyclone Civics events calendar. Planning is ongoing for spring and fall 2026.