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Episode 1: All Parenting Is Civic: How Civic Life Begins at Home

Explore how to embrace civic parenting in everyday life with Julie Silverbrook, Lindsey Cormack, and Sarah Vacchiano

In this inaugural episode, Julie Silverbrook, Lindsey Cormack, and Sarah Vacchiano introduce civic parenting as a longstanding tradition rooted in the nation’s founding and explore what it looks like in practice today. Through personal stories and lived examples, they reflect on how civic identity takes shape over time, often in ways that are informal, unplanned, and deeply embedded in family life. They discuss how the habits of self-government are formed not only in the classroom, but at home—around dinner tables, before bedtime, on national holidays, and in everyday moments. These are the spaces where children begin to learn how to listen, reason, ask questions, and see themselves as part of a larger civic community. Civic parenting does not require expertise in history or government—it starts with curiosity, conversation, and a willingness to learn alongside children. By modeling thoughtful engagement, civil dialogue, and a sense of shared responsibility, parents and caregivers can create the “civic sparks” that invite young people into the American story and help to prepare them for a lifetime of participation in our constitutional democracy. 

Follow Civic Parenting, We the People, & Live at the National Constitution Center on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 

This episode was produced and mixed by Bill Pollock. With production support from Charles Sahm. Research was provided by Anna Salvatore, Trey Sullivan, and Tristan Worsham. 

Participants 

Julie Silverbrook is chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center where she leads the strategy, development, and delivery of the Center’s content, public programs, and educational initiatives, advancing its mission of nonpartisan constitutional education and civil dialogue. 

Lindsey Cormack is an associate professor of political science at Stevens Institute of Technology. She has authored two books, How to Raise a Citizen (And Why it’s Up to You to Do It) and Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. She created and maintains the digital database of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters at dcinbox.com. 

Sarah Vacchiano is an entertainment lawyer, author, and founder of Civic EQ, a Substack that empowers parents to raise civically curious, engaged, and emotionally intelligent humans. She is the author of Soft Launch: A Coming-of-Adulthood Novel. 

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