The James Madison Legacy Project is a three-year nationwide initiative of the Center for Civic Education that aims to (1) increase the number of highly effective teachers of high-need students through the professional development of 2,025 teachers, (2) increase the achievement of at least 202,500 students in attaining state standards in civics and government, (3) serve the self-identified professional development needs of a minimum of more than 500 participating schools with significant concentrations of high-need students throughout the United States, and (4) evaluate the relative effectiveness of the Center’s research-validated traditional We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution professional development model enhanced with online resources and a new blended-learning variation of the traditional model that also uses online resources.

The project focuses on identifying cost-effective means of providing widely available professional development programs useful in enhancing the knowledge and skills required of teachers to promote high-need and other students' attainment of state standards in civics and government. 

The James Madison Legacy Project is made possible by a generous grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Supporting Effective Educator Development program.

You can stay informed about the James Madison Legacy Project by subscribing to the Center for Civic Education’s newsletter.


Georgetown University’s independent research on the first cohort of 649 teachers demonstrates the program’s positive professional development outcomes. More information on program research is available at jmlpresearch.org. 

Civic Education Washington State

We The People & Project Citizen

James Madison Legacy Project