This article, which was completed in January 2020, expands the author's presidential address, which was delivered at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference in Austin, Texas, on November 22, 2019. In her address, Heafner discusses the new ecology of social studies and focuses on concerns over the civic health of our nation, which been exacerbated by evidence suggesting the fragility of democracy, and the failure of systems and institutions to safeguard democracy. Heafner quotes authors Peter Levisky and Daniel Ziblatt in "How Democracies Die" who contend that democracies do not die in darkness; they falter in plain sight with the consent of the governed. Thus, the actions of individuals are key to securing the promise of democracy for all--especially at a time like today, when rising political and social tensions have heightened the fragility of democracies around the world. Heafner defines a sputnik moment as a trigger mechanism, an event that makes people collectively move to do something and set a new course in a new direction. In a time of chronic dysfunction of social studies knowledge which has reached a new critical mass in American schools, Heafner calls for this time to be the sputnik moment in social studies education. Other topics discussed include promoting the culture of equity and inclusion in schools, advocacy of social studies, and civic engagement among youth.