The result of a three year state-led collaborative effort, the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards was developed to serve two audiences: for states to upgrade their state social studies standards and for practitioners--local school districts, schools, teachers and curriculum writers--to strengthen their social studies programs. Its objectives are to: a) enhance the rigor of the social studies disciplines; b) build critical thinking, problem solving, and participatory skills to become engaged citizens; and c) align academic programs to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies. In June 2017, a Religious Studies Companion Document was added as a Supplement to the C3 Framework. [This document is the product of a collaboration among the following fifteen professional organizations committed to the advancement of social studies education: American Bar Association; American Historical Association; Association of American Geographers; Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools; Center for Civic Education; Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago; Constitutional Rights Foundation USA; Council for Economic Education; National Council for Geographic Education; National Council for History Education; National Council for the Social Studies; National Geographic Society; National History Day; Street Law, Inc.; and World History Association.]