U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Joins Board of iCivics, Nonprofit Founded by Sandra Day O'Connor to Reinvigorate Civic Education

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Sonia Sotomayor, has joined the governing board of iCivics, the education nonprofit founded in 2009 by Sandra Day O'Connor.

A recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Award for Creative & Effective Institutions, iCivics has created 19 digital games and 120 digital lesson plans that are available for free to teachers. Designed to place students in civic roles and give them agency to address real-world problems, iCivics games are played by more than 3 million students each year. Over 100,000 teachers use iCivics tools, including 50% of middle school social studies teachers, and 24% of government and history high school teachers.

As a member of the 10-person iCivics governing board, Justice Sotomayor will help guide iCivics content and act as an ambassador for the advancement of civic education.

"My colleague Sandra Day O'Connor founded this organization. I am delighted to support her great work. Civic education has been very important to me in my life. I cannot think of more important work than making these concepts relevant to today's students and ensuring that our democracy remains vibrant." Justice Sotomayor said.

Born to immigrant parents and raised in public housing and working-class neighborhoods, the Justice was famously inspired to pursue a legal career by watching the Perry Mason Show. She earned a B.A. in 1976 from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the university's highest academic honor. In 1979, she earned a J.D. from Yale Law School. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York. She served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1998–2009. President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009.

"We're delighted and honored that Justice Sotomayor is joining iCivics," iCivics Executive Director Louise Dubé said. "Justice Sotomayor's life story embodies the impact that civic education can have -- and is a perfect example of how civic interest can come from nontraditional sources."

"When I started iCivics six years ago, it was my hope that my colleagues would join me in inspiring future generations to learn how our legal system works. We need to teach them better if they are to pick up the mantle from us when it's time to pass down responsibility for this country," O'Connor said. "Nothing pleases me more than welcoming aboard my esteemed colleague."

For more information on iCivics, visit iCivics.org or call (202) 618-9384.

About iCivics
iCivics Inc. is nonprofit organization that empowers teachers with effective and engaging resources to develop the next generation of citizens. iCivics was founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to develop new and innovative approaches to civic education. iCivics' game-centered curriculum provides K-12 students with the tools they need for active participation and democratic action. Today iCivics' innovative resources are used by over 100,000 educators and more than 3 million students nationwide, making iCivics one of the largest classroom-based digital civics educational resources in the country. For more information, visit www.icivics.org.

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SOURCE iCivics