Democracy is neither inevitable nor guaranteed to last. To survive, democracy needs people adequately prepared to enact it. Such preparation for effective citizenship in a complex and plural world requires an adult civic education, one that goes beyond simple knowledge acquisition. It requires a transformative education to help learners become agents and co-shapers of their worlds. This book offers examples of the roles that civic education has played and can play in different communities. In this collection, scholars from around the world report and reflect on civic adult education, examining approaches, paradigms, and concepts that help us to act in culturally, ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse societies.

Tetyana Hoggan-Kloubert is lecturer in Adult Education at the University of Augsburg, Germany. Dr. Hoggan-Kloubert researches migration and civic education in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the United States. She has conducted research as a visiting researcher at various universities, including Harvard University, Tufts University, and Chernivtsi University. She is co-founder of the Civic Reconstruction Project and co-director of the Institute for Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy.

Paul E. Mabrey III is the Communication Center coordinator in the Learning Centers and assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies at James Madison University. Dr. Mabrey has received a “Civvy” award honorable mention for American Civic Collaboration, secured 4-VA and Colonial Academic Alliance grant funding, and published scholarship on the use of debate for civic learning. Previously, he served as the assistant director of Debate at James Madison University and president of the Cross Examination Debate Association.

Chad Hoggan is an associate professor of adult and lifelong education at North Carolina State University and has been co-editor of the Journal of Transformative Education since 2016. Previous books include Transformative Learning in Community Colleges, which won the 2020 Cyril Houle Award for Outstanding Literature in Adult Education. Dr. Hoggan is co-founder of the Civic Reconstruction Project and co-director of the Institute for Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy.