The 2024 Liberty Medal

The 2024 Liberty Medal Honoring Ken Burns

Tuesday, September 24

The 36th annual Liberty Medal will be awarded to America’s storyteller, Ken Burns, for illuminating the nation's greatest triumphs and tragedies and inspiring all of us to learn about the principles at the heart of the American idea. The National Constitution Center will honor the renowned documentary filmmaker at a ceremony overlooking Independence Mall. The video of the event will be available on our website on Thursday, September 26.

The Liberty Medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. The Medal was first administered by the National Constitution Center in 2006 when Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were recognized for their bipartisan humanitarian efforts on behalf of victims of natural disasters in Southeast Asia and the Gulf Coast. The Medal’s roster of recipients includes many of the men, women, and organizations that have shaped and guided the world through the past three decades, including Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O’Connor, Kofi Annan, Malala Yousafzai, and Colin Powell.

Scholar Exchanges

2024-2025 Scholar Exchanges

Our Scholar Exchanges give students the opportunity to discuss constitutional topics with a lawyer, judge, or constitutional scholar and their peers from around the country. In this setting, students gain deeper constitutional understanding and engage in enhanced civil discourse.

Sessions are free and open to classes ranging from elementary school to college.

Select topics are offered at any time throughout the year:

• Constitutional Conversations
• Federalism and the Separation of Powers
• Bill of Rights
• First Amendment: Speech
• 14th Amendment
• Voting Rights

Additional topics are featured on a monthly or seasonal basis.

Sessions are scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, at times that work for teachers and their students. When at all possible, classes are scheduled with other grade-level appropriate groups from around the country to increase opportunities for students to engage with other students of different perspectives.

If you have any questions as you schedule your Scholar Exchange, please feel free to reach out to the Education Team at [email protected].

Upcoming Virtual Museum Experiences

First Amendment: Spotlight on Delano Grape Strike Artifacts

Tuesday, October 1 | Noon ET

Join us for a virtual tour of the National Constitution Center’s newest gallery, The First Amendment. Protecting some of our most cherished freedoms—religious liberty, free speech, a free press, the freedom of assembly, and the right to petition—the First Amendment is a pillar of democracy and the American way of life. In honor of National Hispanic American Heritage Month, the program includes spotlights on artifacts from the Delano Grape Strike, the nationwide boycott of California grapes that sparked labor-rights advocacy and drew attention to the conditions and hardships of migrant farm workers.

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].

Connect With Us

Interactive Constitution | Professional Development | Events Calendar | Online Learning Opportunities

The National Constitution Center's education team is here to help with any of our online resources. Email [email protected] with questions or comments on how we can help you and your students with your remote learning needs.

Update your email preferences by clicking the Update Profile link below to subscribe to other National Constitution Center newsletters and manage how often you hear from us.