This NCSS position statement is intended for all audiences who are committed to preparing students for active and engaged citizenship in the 21st century. This includes the general public, the elementary, middle, and high school communities, social studies supervisors and directors, higher education, and all educators, pre-Kindergarten through graduate school. Globalization and rapid technological advancements in the 21st century are profoundly impacting democracy and conceptualization of what it means to be a productive member of society. As schools reorient their goals and procedures for preparing students for success in college and career in the changing landscape, it is vital to the health and future of our democracy that our schools also prepare students for a lifetime of knowledgeable, engaged, and active citizenship. The ability to create and sustain a robust democracy depends on our ability to achieve this goal. The narrowing of the curriculum that has occurred over the past several years combined with the scarce attention to civic learning in a number of state standards and assessment measures has had a devastating effect on schools' ability to provide high quality civic education to all students. The aim of this position statement is to provoke a "call to action" for educators, policymakers, legislators, and the general public to prioritize civic learning as a primary function of America's schools. Introducing policies and implementing programs and practices as described in this paper is key.