Celebrate the First Amendment All Summer Long

This summer, we're highlighting resources for each of the five freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment in celebration of our newest gallery, The First Amendment, opening September 6, 2023.

Follow along as we dive into speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition.

Religion and the Constitution

Religious Liberty at the Founding

In this episode, Professor Vincent Phillip Muñoz of Notre Dame Law discusses his newest book, Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion Clauses. He is joined by Professor Michael McConnell of Stanford Law School to discuss the book, what freedom of religion meant at the founding, and what it means today. They also evaluate the reasoning behind some of the Supreme Court’s major religion decisions and how they comport with history and the founders’ understandings of religious liberty. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Football, Faith, and the First Amendment -Part 2

In April 2022, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. The case is about Joseph Kennedy, a Christian high school football coach in Washington state who regularly prayed before games. Eventually a majority of the players joined in, but one player’s parent complained that he felt pressured to pray as well. Kennedy lost his job after refusing to comply with school district’s orders to stop.

Nicole Garnett of Notre Dame Law School and Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State join host Jeffrey Rosen to discuss the case; the questions raised around the limits of free speech, free exercise of religion, and the separation of church and state in schools.

Church-State Separation: What Does the Constitution Really Say?



Religious freedom advocate Kristina Arriaga and scholar Stephanie Barclay of Notre Dame Law School join constitutional scholars Erwin Chemerinsky and Howard Gillman, authors of The Religion Clauses: The Case for Separating Church and State, to debate what the Constitution says about the relationship between church and state. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

For Students

Federal Judges Association Civics Challenge

Deadline: December 31, 2023



In celebration of Constitution Day, September 17, the Federal Judges Association (FJA) has created an annual “Civics Challenge.”

Students in grades 9 through 12 will have the opportunity to take the same Civics Test given to individuals seeking U.S. citizenship. Each student who receives a perfect score will receive an “Excellent Citizen” certificate for their work and will be invited to attend a local naturalization ceremony.

The Civics Test must be given, graded, and results submitted by the participating high-school teacher to FJA Coordinator Susan DeCourcey ([email protected]) by no later than December 31, 2023. Learn more about the Civics Challenge.

The resources and practice tests for each teacher are available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services site.

Thank you for being part of our community of educators. If you have any questions we’d love to hear from you. Please email the education team at [email protected].

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