Two alumni of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) and teacher leaders with the Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP), housed at Catalyst at Penn GSE, will be featured on the opening panel at the Civic Learning Week National Forum, hosted in Philadelphia on March 9, 2026.
Javaha Ross, K–8 librarian at the Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School, and Trey Smith, K–8 digital literacy teacher at Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy in the School District of Philadelphia, will speak about their work with students and teachers to support civic argument writing across the curriculum. Both educators earned their master’s degrees from Penn GSE and remain actively engaged in its broader ecosystem of research, practice, and community partnership.
The opening panel, hosted by the executive director of Educating for American Democracy (EAD), will feature Ross and Smith alongside leaders from national civic education organizations to discuss the importance of the EAD Roadmap and the role of educators in advancing high-quality civic learning.
Since 2021, Ross and Smith have co-led a grant-funded project supported by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program. Through their leadership with the Philadelphia Writing Project—part of the National Writing Project network—they collaborate with educators locally and nationally to support students in using primary sources to investigate historical and contemporary issues. In their classrooms, students develop civic arguments on topics ranging from the use of ATVs on city streets to the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence.
“Students are already deeply curious about the world and invested in the future of their communities,” said Ross and Smith. “Our work is about connecting their existing interests to ongoing civic conversations, while uncovering the historical roots of these important contemporary issues.”
As part of their work in civic argument writing and primary source–based instruction, one or both teacher leaders have facilitated professional learning and presented at convenings hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Council for the Social Studies, the National Council for History Education, the National Science Teaching Association, The Henry Ford, and the Maine Department of Education.
Their participation in the Civic Learning Week National Forum follows a two-year professional learning community organized in partnership between the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders and the Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard University, funded by the Neubauer Foundation. Their featured role at the national forum highlights the leadership of Philadelphia educators—and Penn GSE–connected practitioners—in shaping the future of civic education.
About the Philadelphia Writing Project
The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) is a site of the National Writing Project housed at Catalyst at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. PhilWP is a network of teacher consultants working across disciplines and grade levels to improve the teaching of writing in Philadelphia’s schools and communities.
About the Civic Learning Week National Forum
Civic Learning Week is a national initiative that highlights the importance of civic education in sustaining and strengthening constitutional democracy in the United States. The 2026 National Forum, themed “Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250,” brings together students, educators, and policymakers to prioritize civic learning as a nationwide priority. Learn more at https://civiclearningweek.org/national-forum.
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