Education CivicParticipation Democracy
We develop and support educational initiatives that give young people a greater voice in shaping the societies they will inherit.
A New Focus on Civic Education
After more than fifteen years supporting educational and community projects, Linley Foundation made a strategic decision in 2018 to concentrate its resources on civic education and participation.
At the center of this work is Civic Portrait, a civic education model and technology platform designed to capture, explore, and connect the aspirations of young people.
Beginning in America, the larger vision is to create Civic Portraits in democratic societies around the world.
The America I Want is ...
A Civic Portrait
Our first Civic Portrait—and the Foundation's principal focus—is The America I Want, a national civic education initiative built around a digital platform that enables students across the country to participate in a shared civic conversation.
Students answer a fundamental question: What kind of country do we want to live in? Their responses are visualized as word clouds, creating a distinctive Civic Portrait of the aspirations of each school and community. Through the platform, these portraits can be explored, analyzed, and compared across schools, states, regions, and the nation.
The platform is what gives the idea its scale. It can connect thousands of classrooms, reveal how civic aspirations differ across communities and change over time, and provide the foundation for discussion and civic learning. Ultimately, the same platform and model can be adapted to create Civic Portraits in other democratic societies.
VISIT THE AMERICA I WANT →
FROM A NATIONAL CIVIC PORTRAIT TO A GLOBAL IDEA
The America I Want is our first Civic Portrait. Once the model is established nationally, it can
be adapted for other democratic societies—giving young people the opportunity to explore the future they want for their own countries and, eventually, compare their aspirations across borders.
At its heart, Civic Portrait is a democracy project—encouraging dialogue, reasoned debate, and greater understanding of different points of view through an experience that is both educational and engaging.
Where We Began
OVERSEAS
Linley Foundation began with modest, hands-on educational and community projects in northeastern Brazil. Over more than fifteen years, the Foundation supported scholarships and vocational education, rural schools, community health, emergency housing,
and programs teaching compassion through the care of animals.