Briefs & Currents

While you're busy being an amazing educator, we deliver free, bite-sized civics education resources regularly to your inbox.
Whether you're trying to find a bell-ringer activity or a rich data visualization for students to analyze, VPAP's Civics Navigator provides what you need, when you need it.
By signing up, you will receive both Civics Brief and Civics Navigator.
Civics Brief masthead
Civics Brief is a frequent, timely communication that includes bite-sized civics education resources, such as a VPAP data visual and discussion prompts. A typical Civics Brief includes dynamic, skills-focused activities you can share with learners to enhance their understanding of Virginia government and politics.
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📊 Veto Session Today | Free Teaching Resources Year-Round

Update featuring the reconvened session, visual guides to the veto process, interactive bill trackers, and professional development opportunities.

April 02, 2025
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VA General Assembly Updates: Resources for Your Classroom💻

Weekly update highlighting legislative tracking tools and classroom resources, including top bills of 2025, an interactive bills-per-legislator visual, and crossover coming up on February 4th.

January 31, 2025
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Track Top Bills with Your Students! 📋

Help students track key legislation with our curated selection of bills across multiple focus areas, making the General Assembly session both engaging and manageable.

January 22, 2025
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Free, Ready-to-Use Civics Resources for Your Classroom! 💻

Jump into the 2025 General Assembly Session with two classroom-tested resources that will help bring Virginia government and politics to life for your learners! 

January 16, 2025
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📈 Exploring Early Voting Data and Key Election Dates!

VPAP's "Early Voting Dashboard" offers a perfect opportunity for a quick, engaging civics activity - whether you're a teacher looking for a bell ringer or a parent wanting to spark an educational discussion with your child while passing the time.
October 10, 2024
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⏱️Versatile VA Legislation Exploration for Your Classroom

This week marks an important time for civic engagement in our classrooms. House Joint Resolution No. 627 established Civics Education Week in Virginia over a decade ago, aiming to enhance students' understanding of our government and civic responsibilities.
September 19, 2024
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🎉Celebrate Civics Week: Interactive Constitution Comparison

Did you know that in 2007 the Virginia General Assembly designated this week — the third week in September — as Civics Education Week in Virginia? Celebrating Civics Education Week and Constitution Day today, we put together a visual comparing the Virginia and United States Constitutions.
September 17, 2024
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🧭 Too Soon to Think About the VA Governor's Race?

Did you know that some candidates start their campaigns nearly four years ahead of the election? Read on to discover whether this is a winning strategy, how to engage your students in thoughtful discussions around it, and a breakdown of resources tailored for both high school and middle school students.
September 10, 2024
Civics Currents masthead
Civics Currents is a more in-depth, topical digest for educators who want to teach about Virginia civics, delivered to your inbox once or twice a month. It shares instructional guides to Virginia government and politics and is sent more frequently during peak political seasons, like elections and legislative sessions.
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🎬 Session Wrap-Up: Bill Videos, Data Visuals, and Teaching Tools

  • Session Spotlight: Follow the journey of key bills that made it through the legislative process

  • Data Discussions: Using VPAP Visuals to strengthen data literacy skills

  • Civics in Practice: Opportunities for college students to simulate a legislative session

  • Test Your Knowledge: Quiz your students with our end-of-session trivia

  • Civics in Context: Important dates and what's next in Virginia's political calendar

February 28, 2025
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Your 2025 Guide to VA's Legislative Session 🧭

  • Session Made Easy: Essential VPAP tools and discussion prompts for teaching the legislative process
  • Trivia Time: Test your knowledge of Virginia's legislative process
  • Virginia Civics in Context: Key dates and milestones for the 2025 session
January 09, 2025
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📊 VPAP Civics Currents: Your Election Season Guide

  • Election Season Deep Dives: Campaign finance tools, early voting trends, and district profiless
  • Upcoming Opportunities: Three ways to engage in civic education
  • Show Me the Money! Test your campaign finance knowledge
  • Election Timeline: Key dates through certification of results
November 01, 2024
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🍎 4 Quick Ways to Engage Learners in VA Civics

  • A fresh approach to re-engaging students with state and local civics
  • An immersive learning experience for college students across Virginia
  • A bit of fun with civics trivia
  • A visual guide to key voting dates in Virginia
September 12, 2024