First Woman on Supreme Court Sandra Day O’Connor Will be Remembered as Founder of iCivics
Originally published on iCivics
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — As the nation mourns the passing of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, she will be remembered not just for her seminal work with the Court, but as the founder of a movement to revitalize civic education.
Appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981 by Ronald Reagan, O’Connor was known as a moderate and master of intelligent compromise. When she retired in 2006, O’Connor began work on what she would see as her true legacy—ensuring that millions of young Americans were educated on how our government works and empowered to become informed and engaged participants in our self-governing society.
In 2009, O’Connor founded the nonprofit iCivics with the goal of transforming civic education for every student in the United States. iCivics started this work by creating innovative, engaging online games and resources. All iCivics content is completely free and nonpartisan—and is now used by up to 9 million students and 145,000 teachers annually.
Remembered as a trailblazer for her work on the Court, it was the path Justice O’Connor blazed after she retired from the U.S. Supreme Court—as a pioneer in advancing civic education—that she stated both privately and publicly was what she considered her true legacy.
