Explore Stories of We the People

Live from the Museum: Black Women and the 19th Amendment

Tuesday, February 6 | Noon ET

Run time: 45 minutes

A National Constitution Center museum educator will lead virtual audiences on a live guided tour of our exhibit that traces the triumphs and struggles that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The tour will help students to better understand the long fight for women’s suffrage, and will also highlight some of the many African American women who transformed constitutional history—Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Ida B. Wells.

Live from the Museum: The First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement

Tuesday, February 13 | Noon ET

Run time: 30 minutes

Students are invited to celebrate the First Amendment and the Civil Rights Movement during a virtual tour of the National Constitution Center’s newest gallery, The First Amendment. We’ll take a closer look at how leaders of the Civil Rights Movement used the First Amendment to create constitutional change.  

Live from the Museum: Japanese American National Museum

Wednesday, February 14 | Noon ET

Run time: 30 minutes

Join the National Constitution Center in partnership with the Japanese American National Museum to learn about how Japanese Americans were forced from their homes and placed in concentration camps during WWII. Through analysis of artwork and artifacts from JANM's collection, gain a deeper understanding of how quickly people's rights, and the Constitution, were violated in a time of fear and wartime hysteria.

Image credit: Japanese American National Museum (Gift of Mine Okubo Estate, 2007.62.27)

Civic Stories: Step Inside the White House

Friday, February 16 | 1 p.m. ET

Run time: 30 minutes

Ever wondered why the White House is white? Or why the Oval Office is oval? Perhaps you may have even heard of a pet raccoon at the White House? Or a pony prancing past the president’s bedroom? Join educators from the White House Historical Association for a look inside the halls and history of the White House. 

Optional Prework: 

Explore the virtual and video tours of the White House, and use the accompanying Digital Student Notebooks to enhance learning. Building a basic knowledge of the White House before the program—or taking the time to explore these after—will add greater context to some of the stories and information shared. The White House Historical Association also offers a wide range of K-12 education resources that are available for free online. 

Professional Learning for Educators

The 14th Amendment and the Battle for Freedom and Equality Featuring Valinda Littlefield

Wednesday, February 21 | 6:30–8 p.m. ET

During this session, participants will explore the 14th Amendment and the battles for equality in America. Educators will examine the clauses of the 14th Amendment and the battle over their meaning from Reconstruction to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges. We will also explore America’s first and second civil rights movements, the Constitution and women, and modern interpretations of the 14th Amendment. Professor Valinda Littlefield of the University of South Carolina joins us. 

Now Accepting Applications for Summer Educator Institutes

Join teachers from across the country and engage with constitutional scholars during a weeklong institute at the National Constitution Center in July 2024.

These institutes are open to educators working with grades 5-12 at public, charter, independent, parochial, and other schools. The institute is free to attend, but a successful application is required. Funding is available to cover a significant portion of travel and lodging expenses. Applications close on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Notification regarding application status will be sent by Friday, April 5, 2024.

2024 Summer Educator Institutes

• Building the US Constitution | July 7 - 12, 2024
•  Landmarks of American History and Culture: Exploring the First Amendment | July 14 - 19, 2024 or July 21 - 26, 2024
• Reconstruction and the Second Founding | July 28 - August 2, 2024

Questions can be sent to the education team at [email protected].

More from the National Constitution Center

The Pursuit of Happiness: A Book Launch and Conversation with Jeffrey Rosen and Jeffrey Goldberg

Monday, February 19 | 6:30 p.m. ET

This Presidents Day, join National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen as he launches his new book at the NCC in conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief of The Atlantic, in The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America. Rosen offers a fascinating examination of what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of our democracy.

This program is in partnership with The Atlantic.

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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