Video highlights from our 2024 Massachusetts Civics Project Showcase in Worcester, one of three regional events that year! See highlights from our 2023 event .
Each spring, DESE celebrates the work of 8th–12th grade civics students across the state! Through "science fair-style" showcases, students have the opportunity to share their civics projects with local community advisors and each other, receive feedback on their work, and be recognized for their civic engagement. In 2026, DESE hosted four regional Civics Project Showcases in Springfield, Dartmouth, Worcester, and Boston. Students from 133 schools participated across the four events, showcasing projects on topics from the environment to educational equity to mental health.
For questions about the Civics Project Showcases, please email Julia Lucas .
DESE will host the Civics Project Showcases in partnership with Generation Citizen in the spring of 2027 . Dates and locations for the events will be posted once they have been finalized.
Civics Project Showcases FAQ
Civics Project Showcases Project Presentation Rubric
Local Civics Project Showcase Planning Worksheet
At each Showcase, volunteer community advisors have short conversations with students about their projects, asking questions and offering feedback based on their own expertise. Given the wide range in project topics, advisors come from a diversity of backgrounds: community organizers, legislators, business and non-profit leaders, educators, healthcare workers, and more. To be notified when we are looking for advisors for next year's showcases, please fill out this interest form .
Commendations represent exemplary student-led civics projects that were presented at our regional Civics Project Showcases. The following project groups received commendations following our four 2026 events based on nominations from participating community advisors.
These project groups conducted deep research into the root causes of their issue, gathered compelling evidence, and made clear and persuasive arguments about why action is needed.
Peabody Veterans Memorial High School, Peabody Public Schools — "Vaping at Peabody High School"
McDevitt Middle School, Waltham Public Schools — "Project Sidewalk"
Foxborough High School, Foxborough Public Schools — "Loneliness in the Elderly: An Epidemic"
Sandwich Middle High School, Sandwich Public Schools — "Missed School Day Alternative"
Herberg Middle School, Pittsfield Public Schools — "Immigration"
Westfield High School, Westfield Public Schools — "Age Discrimination"
Four Rivers Charter Public School, Greenfield — "Housing in Franklin County: What resources do we need?"
New Heights Charter School Brockton, Brockton — "Lack of Voting Within our Community"
Fuller Middle School, Framingham Public Schools — "Affordable Healthcare"
These project groups developed detailed action plans with clear goals that related to the root causes of their issue, logical decision-makers/influencers to target, and a range of tactics.
Hunking Middle School, Haverhill Public Schools — "Let Us Normalize Composting Here"
Tenney Middle School, Methuen Public Schools — "Financial Literacy"
St. Ann's Home and School, Methuen — "Starting a Health Class at St. Ann's"
Apponequet Regional High School, Freetown Lakeville Regional School District — "Improving the Well-Being of Our Educators"
Dartmouth High School, Dartmouth Public Schools — "DHS Food and Clothing Closet"
Berkshire Arts & Technology Charter Public School, Adams — "Mental Health Days at BART"
The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield — "Safe Routes to School"
Lawrence High School, Lawrence Public Schools — "School Lunch"
Hudson High School, Hudson Public Schools — "Teaching Conflict Resolution"
These project groups reached the action stage and put their plans into practice, using a range of tactics to advocate for change and persuade decision-makers to support their goals.
KIPP Academy Lynn, Lynn — "Closet for a Cause: Clothing and Confidence for Our Community"
Kennedy Middle School, Waltham Public Schools — "First Aid Education"
Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District — "Library Funding"
Edmund P. Talbot Middle School, Fall River Public Schools — "Deportation"
Great Falls Middle School, Gill-Montague Regional School District — "AI in Education"
Sci-Tech High School, Springfield Public Schools — "Keep Eyes Open"
Mt. Everett Regional School, Southern Berkshire Regional School District — "Substance Savvy Health Studio"
Leominster High School, Leominster Public Schools — "Bringing Youth to the Table"
Dr. Arthur F. Sullivan Middle School, Worcester Public Schools — "Our School, Our Responsibility: Stop Littering Now!"
Nipmuc Regional High School, Mendon-Upton Regional School District — "Generations Connected"
These project groups did an excellent job across at least four out of five categories on the project rubric.
Manchester Essex Middle School, Manchester Essex Regional School District — "Sustaining the Striper Population for our Future"
Taunton High School, Taunton Public Schools — "Teacher Burnout"
Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, Lynn Public Schools — "Vocational Technical School Lottery System"
Albert Ford Middle School, Acushnet Public Schools — "Maternal and Infant Support"
New Bedford High School, New Bedford Public Schools — "Not Infertile, Still Excluded: The IVF Gap for LGBTQ+ Couples"
Atlantis Charter School, Fall River — "Recycling in Schools"
Dupont Memorial Middle School, Chicopee Public Schools — "Middle School Sports"
Public Day Middle School, Springfield Public Schools — "PAWS (Service/Therapy Animals)"
Stony Brook School, Westford — "Close the Drapes on Vapes"
Westborough High School, Westborough Public Schools — "Lower the Age to Vote"
Robinson Middle School, Lowell Public Schools — "304 Immigration"
Billerica Memorial High School, Billerica Public Schools — "Close the Gap"
Last Updated: June 23, 2026