Center for middle school civic leadership (c-mscl)

The Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded DePaul University $720,000 on June 1, 2026, through the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program (CFDA 84.215) to establish and operate the Center for Middle School Civic Leadership (C-MSCL) in Chicago, Illinois.

The award funds development and delivery of a unified civic leadership curriculum for middle school students in underserved Cook County communities. DePaul's Office of Innovative and Professional Development will lead center establishment, staffing, curriculum development, teacher professional development, and digital infrastructure support through the three-year performance period ending June 1, 2029.

Barat Education Foundation serves as subrecipient, collaborating on all primary activities. BEF's specific deliverables include creating the detailed project implementation plan and unified curriculum; reviewing existing civic engagement programs and integrating components; developing digitized online program materials and implementation resources; recruiting and conducting pilot tests with five Cook County schools; evaluating pilot results and refining curriculum and materials; and developing and revising online civic leadership materials for statewide distribution. The foundation will secure a license from Indiana University's Center on Representative Government to use the Our American Voice Program within C-MSCL. Sheila Smith, BEF's President, serves as project manager and administrator.