By Marilyn Odendahl
The Indiana Citizen
December 10, 2024
In January, sixth graders across Indiana will tumble back into the classroom and commence learning about forming a “more perfect union”; the freedom of religion, speech and assembly; the functions of each branch of government; voting and elections; and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
Indiana is one of just seven states that require middle school students to take a semester of civic education. The roots of that course extend back to 2020, when Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch chaired the Indiana Civic Education Task Force, which was focused on teaching the foundations of American democracy in Hoosier classrooms.
Recommendations from that task force underpinned House Enrolled Act 1384 from 2021, which mandated a semester of civics for all Indiana sixth grade students. From there, the curriculum was developed and approved, so now youngsters around the state study the fundamentals of their government.
“You could tell her passion for civic education,” Tim Kalgreen, director of civic education programs at the Indiana Bar Foundation, said of Crouch’s work on the task force. “She really wants the best for Hoosiers and for the Hoosier youth to understand our government (and) to be an important, engaged part of our government.”
For her leadership in boosting the state’s civic education and in supporting civil legal aid, Crouch was recognized with the 2024 Indiana Bar Foundation’s President’s Award. The honor was presented at a special reception Tuesday evening at Union Station in downtown Indianapolis.
Crouch had a scheduling conflict and could not attend the event. However, in remarks read by Charles Dunlap, president and CEO of the Bar Foundation, Crouch said chairing the civic education task force in concert with the Bar Foundation was “the most rewarding experience during my time as lieutenant governor.”
“I’m honored to be presented with the Indiana Bar Foundation’s President’s Award,” Crouch said. “May we all continue to work together to continue presence and appreciation of civic knowledge in our people for generations to come.”
The Indiana Bar Foundation is an Indianapolis-based nonprofit with a dual mission of improving civic education in the state and supporting civil legal assistance for all Hoosiers. In 2025, the organization will celebrate its 75th anniversary.
Crouch was born and raised in Evansville and received a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University, majoring in political science. She began her public service career as auditor of Vanderburgh County and then continued as a state representative for nine years in the Indiana General Assembly. In 2014, she became the Indiana state auditor before being tapped for lieutenant governor by Gov. Eric Holcomb, who took office in 2017.
Deeply committed to helping Hoosiers with disabilities or who are struggling with mental illness or addictions, Crouch has served as co-chair of the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable, while lieutenant governor. In 2023, she gave rare public testimony for a lieutenant governor to support Senate Bill 1 that provided mental health and addiction services in the state.
Dunlap called Crouch a “true leader in the civic education community, both in Indiana and nationally,” and he described her as someone who “continuously inspires and empowers young Hoosiers to become informed, engaged citizens.”
Dwight Adams, an editor and writer based in Indianapolis, edited this article. He is a former content editor, copy editor and digital producer at The Indianapolis Star and IndyStar.com, and worked as a planner for other newspapers, including the Louisville Courier Journal.
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org.
