This paper explores how PurpleState, a political simulation designed to foster skills and knowledge for informed civic participation, develops students' abilities to counter or resist the effects of political polarization and partisanship. Throughout the simulation, which has been implemented in Virginia and Wisconsin, students are asked to analyze, reason with, and communicate using evidence on a state policy issue (e.g., gun control) with a particular focus on local context. They are also asked to reflect on how what they are learning helps them understand the political information environment and their role in it. Student participants from focus groups (n=32) consistently reported applying the skills and practices from the simulation to other academic and civic contexts, in particular to engage thoughtfully with political messaging as well as the willingness to seek out and the capacity to understand multiple perspectives on controversial policy issues. These behaviors constitute two epistemic ideals, or standards for making sense of the world, that are fundamental to the PurpleState simulation and to countering the effects of polarization. Students also reported valuing and pursuing information to understand different perspectives on policy issues as well as how these issues might impact different communities or regions of their state.