Of course, education equips students with the technical and professional tools needed to succeed in today’s economy. These standards encourage students to examine the rise and fall of ancient empires, the Enlightenment, and the intellectual foundations of the American experiment. Yet civic education cannot be limited to a single course in high school. It should be reinforced in middle school, where students can start applying those ideas through classroom discussions, mock elections, and service projects. As we commemorate America 250, let us commit to making civic education a cornerstone of Idaho’s educational system from kindergarten through college.