A
AI Classroom simulation
Every Student - Every Voice
High school students across America share their vision of the kind of country they want to live in — creating an authentic portrait of the hopes and values of the next generation.
Experience Democracy by Practicing It
CIVIC EDUCATION · NATIONAL PLATFORM
From one classroom to
High school students choose two words that describe the kind of country they want to live in. They then invite members of their communities to do the same. The results allow participating schools across America to compare what their students value, where they agree, where they differ, and what they can learn from one another.
a national conversation.
FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Your voice joins a national conversation — starting here.
Choose two words. Take the question into your community. See how your school’s and community’s responses compare with those from across the country.
Participation is anonymous. No student names or emails are collected.
FOR DONORS & FOUNDATIONS
The platform is built. Schools have tested it.
Now we're ready to take it national.
Years of development and investment have created and tested the platform in schools across the country. Students and teachers have embraced it. What's needed now is the investment to bring it to schools nationwide.
HOW IT WORKS
One question. Two words. A national picture.
Students and communities speak. Their words build a living picture that teachers use to spark real civic discussions and that allows participating schools to compare what their students and communities are saying across the country.
In the classroom, students also explore how the words they choose connect to the Constitution — its principles, rights, and responsibilities.
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Students choose two words
Every student chooses two words that describe the kind of America they want to live in. Students then take the same question into their communities, interviewing adults and gathering their words and perspectives.
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Words become Civic Portrait
Student and community responses feed into the platform, creating Civic Portraits in which the words chosen most often appear larger. The results can be compared by school, state, region, and demographic group — revealing what students and their communities want for America.
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Teachers connect with the class
Teachers use the Civic Portraits to start classroom discussions and explore the meaning behind the words students choose. They can then connect their students virtually with classes in other parts of the country — comparing perspectives, asking questions, and beginning a national conversation among young Americans.
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Watch how a real civics teacher uses the national word cloud to spark discussion — and how students respond when they see their own words on screen.
The Teacher's View
ONE QUESTION. TWO PERSPECTIVES.
Simple to ask. Powerful when thousands take part.
Question 1 - The Student’s Voice
“What kind of America do you want to live in?”
Students choose two words that describe the kind of country they want to live in. There are no right or wrong answers — the words are their own.
Question 2 -The Community’s Voice
The same question. A wider conversation.
Students take the question into their communities. Together, the responses create a Civic Portrait of what students and their communities want for America.
VOICES FOR THE PLATAFORM
Teachers, students, and press speaking up.
Hear directly from the people this platform is built for — and the people who've seen what it does in a classroom.
HOW IT BEGAN
The question that started everything.
Before there was a platform, there was a question — asked of young adults, politicians, community leaders, and influential voices across America:
" What is the America you want? "
These videos are where the project started.
Their answers showed the power of a simple question —
and helped inspire
what The America I Want has become.
THE FUNDING PICTURE
We’ve shown it works. Now we need to scale it.
The platform is live, classrooms are engaged, and students and teachers love it. What we need now is the infrastructure to take it national — and keep it free for every school.
PHASE 1* — BUILT & TESTED
Phase 1 Completed
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Concept and program development
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Digital platform development
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Beta testing in schools
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Student and community participation tested
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Student privacy and data protection
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Civic Portrait and comparison tools
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Program curriculum
* Underwritten by Linley Foundation Inc.
PHASE 2 — SCALING THE PROGRAM
Taking a tested program into schools across America
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Build the national team
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Launch the 50-State Founding Partner Program
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Expand curriculum and teacher resources
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Platform refinements
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Continue developing word-based lesson plans
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Connect classrooms across the country
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Expand national PR and social media
INVEST IN THE PLATFORM
Two phases. One goal:
a voice for students across America.
Phase 1: Linley Foundation Incorporated has underwritten the conception and development of The America I Want, the creation of its digital platform, and its testing with students, teachers, and communities.
Now we are scaling the program. We are seeking philanthropic partners to help us build the national team, launch the 50-State Founding Partner Program, expand curriculum and teacher resources, connect classrooms across the country, and introduce The America I Want to schools nationwide.
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School outreach & onboarding
Dedicated liaisons who work with districts, civics departments, and state education offices to get schools onto the platform.
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Platform infrastructure & translation
Engineering, hosting, and multilingual support so every student — regardless of language — can participate.
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Curriculum & teacher resources
Standards-aligned lesson plans, discussion guides, and professional development — all free, all built around students' own words.
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Civic data research & policy pipeline
The infrastructure to turn hundreds of thousands of annual submissions into research-grade data available to universities, foundations, and legislators.
Testimonial
“This was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had. It was the first time anyone had asked us what we actually think about the country we’re inheriting. It matters that someone is listening.”
Olive Estrin
Twinfield Union High School, Vermont
Help take The America I Want nationwide.
We don’t offer preset giving levels — every partnership is shaped around what a donor can do and what they care most about.
Your support can help bring
The America I Want to students and schools across the country — and build a national conversation that grows with every participating school.