According to the Federal Law-Related Education (LRE) Act of 1978, LRE is defined as "education to equip non-lawyers with the knowledge and skills pertaining to the law, the legal process and the legal system; and the fundamental principles and values on which these are based.” As such, Civics Education (formerly known as Law-Related Education) is provided for adults as well as for youth. One of its greatest benefits is the positive effect it can have on at-risk youth who have an opportunity to interact constructively with resource persons and others who model civility.
Civics Education seeks to help young people become citizens who contribute positively to their communities. Civics education supports the rule of law so youth and young adults may gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be actively engaged in their communities.
The Nebraska State Bar Foundation, through its Civics Education, sponsors the Judge Lyle Strom High School Mock Trial Program, We the People: "The Citizen and the Constitution," Constitution Day Educational Outreach for Students, High School and College Outreach for Oral Arguments, Law Day Job Shadowing for Fifth Graders and the Law Day celebration, as well as emerging civics education programs for youth, law practitioners and the public.
| Nebraska Department of Education | This website houses all information about education in Nebraska. |
| Center for Civic Engagement | The UNL Center for Civic Engagement encourages students to connect curricular and co-curricular learning with opportunities to address critical human need through service, civic-related research and social change leadership. |
| Unicam Focus | UniCAM Focus, a supplementary, online civics curriculum, can help teachers meet these new educational goals. |
| Nebraska Judicial Branch | The Constitution of the State of Nebraska distributes the judicial power of the state among the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, district courts, and county courts. |
| Nebraska State Board of Education | The State Board of Education is an elected, constitutional body that sets policy and ensures that the State Department of Education functions effectively within the framework developed by the state Legislature and the board. |
| Civic Nebraska | Civic Nebraska creates a more modern and robust democracy for all Nebraskans. We do this through youth civic leadership, civic health, and nonpartisan voting rights initiatives. |
| Nebraska Civic Engagement Table | The Nebraska Civic Engagement Table works with nonprofits to increase voting and build an engaged Nebraska. |
| The Office of Civic and Social Responsibility | The Office of Civic and Social Responsibility fosters a lifelong commitment to active community engagement by providing a framework to empower members of the University of Nebraska at Omaha community to identify and address the most pressing challenges and needs both locally and globally. |
| LPS K-12 Social Studies Curriculum Specialist | Social Studies education in Lincoln Public Schools engages all students with the knowledge and skills necessary to be informed and active citizens, while also contributing to our diverse and interdependent world. |
| Omaha Secondary Social Studies Teaching and Learning Consultant | Omaha Public Schools Social Studies has the responsibility to prepare students for life in a complex and evolving world. Students must understand the past, connect with the present, and engage in the future to be ready for college, career, and civic life. |
| Omaha Secondary Social Studies Elementary Supervisor | Social studies curriculum |
| Unicam Kids | A civic education resource produced by the Clerk of the Nebraska Legislature 's Unicameral Information Office. |
| Nation's Only Unicameral | This color booklet provides information about the history of the Unicameral and the lawmaking process, including photos and information about current state senators. The book also explains student programs offered by the Legislature and provides details about visiting the Capitol. |
| Kids Voting Nebraska-ABC (A Ballot Counts) | The objectives of this educational program are to create lifelong voting habits in children, to increase family communication about citizenship and increase voter turnout. |
| Bureau of Justice Statistics | The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), a component of the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice, is the United States’ primary source for criminal justice statistics. |
| Find Law | FindLaw is a portal to the Internet’s legal information. |
| Founding | A Users Guide to the Declaration of Independence. |
| The resource includes statistical information about the number of students who volunteer, explains what action civics is, and details some challenges educators face when teaching civics. In addition, it includes an introductory toolkit to empower educators to begin teaching civics in their own classrooms. | |
| U.S. Presidents | This website, which was developed in coordination with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), will provide teachers and students with exciting tools and resources to learn and discover about a uniquely American idea—the presidency. |
| iCivics | This provides free web-based civics resources designed for middle school students, including lesson plans, interactive modules and online games. |
| National Election Studies | The mission of the National Election Studies (NES) is to produce high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation that serve the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, and policy makers concerned with the theoretical and empirical foundations of mass politics in a democratic society. |
| Street Law | Develops programs and teaching materials that educate people about law and government. |
| Circle-the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement | CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, is a non-partisan, independent research organization focused on youth civic engagement in the United States. |
| Mikva Challenge | Mikva Challenge annually reaches 50,000+ youth with high-quality Action Civics curriculum and programming. We help young people develop civic knowledge, leadership skills, and transform their attitudes about political participation with lifelong impacts on their professional and personal success. |
| Nonprofit Vote | Nonprofit VOTE partners with America’s nonprofits to help the people they serve participate and vote. We are the largest source of nonpartisan resources to help nonprofits integrate voter engagement into their ongoing activities and services. |
| Rock the Vote | Rock the Vote is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people. |
| League of Women Voters | The League of Women Voters of the United States encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. |
| National Council for the Social Studies | The mission of the National Council for the Social Studies is to advocate and build capacity for high-quality social studies by providing leadership, services, and support to educators. |
| Learning to Give | To maintain a strong civil society, we set an expectation early to "do well" and "do good." From kindergarten to twelfth grade, Learning to Give students learn about and address needs while interacting with their community. |
| Youth.Gov | Youth.gov is the U.S. government website that helps you create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. |
| Generation Citizen | Generation Citizen’s action civics curriculum is the crux of our work and of both our Democracy Coach-led and teacher-led models. The curriculum is action-based, aligned to relevant standards, and academically rigorous. |
| Constitutional Rights Foundation | CRF is a non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization dedicated to educating America's young people about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society. |
| United States Courts | Learn about federal courts. |
| ABA Division for Public Education | The Division for Public Education provides reliable information about the law and legal issues, including resources and programs for educators, students, journalists, legal professionals, opinion leaders, and the public to advance public understanding of law and its role in society. |
| The American Legion | The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. |
| Boys and Girls Club | These programs help youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills to participate the democratic process. |
| YMCA Social Responsibility | We are also committed to inspiring a spirit of service by uniting individuals from all walks of life to participate in and work for positive social change. |
| YWCA | YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. |
| Center for Civic Education | The Center is dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy in the United States and other countries. |
| We the Civics Kids | The National Constitution Center is pleased to introduce our new Civics in Literature initiative, a brand new program designed to enhance and build upon current civic education curriculum through children’s literature and other famous historical texts. |
| The Civic Educator | The Civic Educator is a website devoted to those who believe the primary purpose of education is to prepare students to be active and engaged citizens. |
| The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement | The mission of The Rendell Center is to promote civic education and engagement. |
| Florida Joint Center for Citizenship | FJCC works in partnership with Florida teachers, social studies district coordinators and national partners to develop and distribute K-12 curriculum resources to support effective civics instruction and improved civic learning. |
| Kids in the House | Our mission is to provide educational and entertaining information about the legislative branch of the United States Government to students of all ages. |
| Youth Leadership Initiative | The Youth Leadership Initiative at the University of Virginia Center for Politics is dedicated to increasing civic engagement by providing teachers with the best civics education materials and programs. |
| Annenberg Classroom | Free classroom resources for teaching the Constitution. |
| ConSource | The Constitutional Sources Project (ConSource) connects hundreds of thousands of American citizens of all ages annually to our nation's constitutional history by creating a comprehensive, easily searchable, fully-indexed, and freely accessible digital library of historical sources related to the creation, ratification, and amendment of the United States Constitution. |
| PBS Newshour Extra | Government and Civics News for Students and Teacher Resources 6-12 Grade Level |
| National Education Association | Informed Voter Education in the Classroom |
| PJ Library | Teaching Kids About Voting and Election Day |
| Teaching Tolerance | Voting and Elections: Resources for a Civil Classroom |
The Nebraska State Bar Foundation provides these resources as a tool for teaching. The NSBF does not endorse these resources.