SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR INSTITUTE RECEIVES $500,000 CARNEGIE CORPORATION GRANT TO EXPAND YOUTH CIVIC EDUCATION

Two-year investment will grow experiential Camp O’Connor USA and the online Ambassadors Civics & Debate Club, with a focus on access, civic participation, and national reach

PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 26, 2026)— The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute—founded by the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court to advance civic education, civil discourse, and civic engagement nationwide—has received a $500,000 grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. The funding will expand two of its proven, nonpartisan youth civic education programs: middle school Camp O’Connor USA and the virtual O’Connor Institute Ambassadors Civics & Debate Club for high school students.

“The O’Connor Institute is offering students structured opportunities to practice democracy across difference,” said Ambika Kapur, program director for Education at Carnegie Corporation of New York. “These programs build the civic knowledge, habits, and confidence essential for meaningful participation in our communities. Especially as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, we are delighted to support that work.”

Carnegie’s investment will support the continued development of a scalable national model for experiential civic education that can reach students across diverse communities at a time when civic knowledge and productive civic participation continue to decline. Through Camp O’Connor and the Ambassadors Civics & Debate Club, students do more than study democracy in theory. They experience it in action through hands-on learning, civil discourse, and leadership development, which not only increases civic education and awareness but also civic practice.

“The programs give students meaningful and practical application opportunities to build civic knowledge, confidence, leadership skills, public speaking ability, and the capacity to engage constructively across differences,” said Sarah Suggs, President and CEO of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute.

A central priority of this work is expanding access for students from underrepresented and underserved communities, including students from Title I schools and other communities that may face barriers to participation. The grant will help the Institute strengthen a more expansive and accessible national pipeline for youth civic education, with the goal of reaching students in all 50 states.

By preparing the next generation to value civility, engagement, and democratic responsibility, the Institute continues Justice O’Connor’s legacy in a way that is both practical and forward-looking. The timing is especially significant as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the United States. This work is not only an investment in youth civic learning today, but also in the future of American democracy.

“This grant reflects our commitment, consistent with Justice O’Connor’s legacy, to ensuring every young person has the tools, knowledge, and confidence to be an active participant in our country and communities.”

— Philip L. Francis, Board Chairman, Sandra Day O’Connor Institute

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About Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace. Learn more at Carnegie.org

About the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute

Founded in 2009 by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute is a national, nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening civic education, civil discourse, and civic engagement. Through innovative civic education programs, research, and fostering an informed citizenry, the Institute works to ensure that every generation is prepared to participate thoughtfully and responsibly in our democratic republic. Its work reflects Justice O’Connor’s enduring belief that democracy depends on informed and engaged citizens. Learn more at OConnorInstitute.org. 

Meg Lewis
Communications Manager
Sandra Day O’Connor Institute 
Post Office Box 66422 | Phoenix, Arizona 85082
Cell: 573-289-3673
OConnorInstitute.org | CivicsforLife.org