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Kennedy Institute Newsletter  |  SUMMER 2021
FROM THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Hello friends,

As our country celebrated its 245th birthday this July 4th, I have taken some time to reflect on the foundations of our nation expressed in the Declaration of Independence — liberty, the pursuit of happiness, government based on just powers from the consent of the governed — and how deeply they also inform the Kennedy Institute’s mission.

The Kennedy Institute works to encourage healthy and respectful participatory democracy and engaged citizenship, two of the most important ways we can fulfill the Declaration’s vision of liberty and of just and trusted government that supports the pursuit of happiness and opportunity by all Americans. These are ideals worth celebrating on July 4th, and every day.

At the Kennedy Institute, we have been celebrating the news we will reopen on September 28 for in-person educational groups to enjoy our award-winning civic education programs within our full-scale replica of the Senate chamber. We will also continue to offer our programs virtually so that more students and adults can participate.

I want to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have engaged with us over the past few months, by attending a public program, engaging with us on social media, sharing our virtual educational offerings with your networks, or becoming a Member. We are deeply thankful for your continued support.

Thank you,
 

Sue Heilman
Interim Executive Director
RECENT NEWS | stay informed

Kennedy Institute reopens Sept. 28 for in-person education – teacher reservations now open
 
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate has opened reservations for K-12, college, and adult groups to enjoy civics, history, and social studies educational programs live and in person. Starting September 28, pre-scheduled groups can once again visit the Kennedy Institute's Boston facility that features a full-scale replica of the Senate chamber and award-winning facilitated programming.

The Kennedy Institute will also continue to offer teachers nationwide online versions of its educational offerings, which were developed over the past year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic precautions that required the organization to close its facility to visitors. For the fall semester, both in-person and virtual programs will be offered four days a week, with Friday classes now added to the existing Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday schedule.

Kennedy Institute launches Real Life Civics program for adults
 
The United States' constitutional democracy is defined by its separation of powers and checks and balances among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as by more than 200 years of "traditions and norms" that have long guided the ways a president, legislators, and judges conduct themselves in office.

Helping adult U.S. voters better understand the roles played by both written and unwritten rules in sustaining American democracy is the focus of a new civics education initiative by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, called "Real Life Civics."

Real Life Civics—an hour-long, lively and interactive presentation led by members of our education team – is just one of the ways the Kennedy Institute is seeking to respond to a nationwide call from across the political spectrum for improved and expanded civics resources following the polarizing 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol aiming to overturn Congress's certification of the Electoral College vote.

We would love the opportunity to bring our Real Life Civics program to your local library, community or senior center, or other organization. We invite you to submit a request for a Real Life Civics session, either by zoom or where possible in-person, by visiting https://www.emkinstitute.org/resources/visit-request-form
New Exhibit | learn more
Help us celebrate a landmark voting rights victory with our next exhibit

Fifty years ago, on July 1, 1971, our nation ratified the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering to 18 the voting age for all national and state elections. Senator Edward M. Kennedy was a major sponsor of that Amendment – and of the extensive federal legislation that preceded and laid the groundwork for the 26th Amendment. His tireless work to ensure that millions of young Americans deemed old enough to fight for their country could vote as well was just one of many ways Senator Kennedy played a pivotal role in every major piece of voting rights legislation in this country from the 1960s through his death in 2009.

The Kennedy Institute is looking forward to highlighting these expansions of the voting franchise and participatory democracy in an upcoming exhibit, as a way both to celebrate those historic victories and their impact and to forge a path forward in today’s efforts to secure and protect voting rights for the next 50 years and beyond. We can’t create this important exhibit without your support. Please donate to the Kennedy Institute today to support our efforts to develop, plan, and launch this important new voting rights exhibition. Every gift, of every size, can help inspire the next generation of leaders to continue moving our nation forward on what Ted Kennedy called our “March for Progress.”
 
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RECENT EVENTS | catch up on highlights

New Faces of Congress join Kennedy Institute for first "Across the Aisle" event since the 2020 Election

On Wednesday, April 28, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate hosted a bipartisan Across the Aisle panel featuring new Members of Congress discussing the current state of affairs in Washington as well as opportunities for finding common ground and forging collaboration in the 117th Congress. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04) joined the conversation, moderated by Lisa Desjardins, U.S. Capitol correspondent for PBS NewsHour. In a candid and lively session, the three lawmakers discussed the challenges and opportunities they face as newly elected officials, their early aspirations for their time in office, and what roles they can play to ensure Congress can work together to move America forward.

Getting to the Point with former CIA Director John O. Brennan
 
On Tuesday, May 18, the Kennedy Institute hosted a virtual conversation with John O. Brennan, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and now senior intelligence and national security analyst for NBC and MSNBC, as part of our Getting To The Point program series.

Mr. Brennan spoke with Juliette Kayyem, Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and CNN Security Analyst, on a range of topics including the CIA’s efforts to track Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the growing threat of white nationalism and domestic terrorism in the United States, the January 6th insurrection in the U.S. Capitol, and what Mr. Brennan called the “noble and challenging” intelligence profession and its mission of keeping the country strong and safe.

YOUR SUPPORT | make a difference

Not Yet a Member of the Kennedy Institute? You Should Be!
 
We want to thank you for being a loyal reader of our On The Point newsletter – and encourage you to take the next step of becoming a Member of the Kennedy Institute. Here are three reasons why you should become a Member today:
  1. As a Member, you get advance notice of all upcoming programs and the opportunity to register ahead of the general public. This will be an especially valuable benefit as events return to in-person and should we ever need to cap registration for a specific event because of potential logistical or technical factors.
     
  2. Membership gives you exclusive access to Members-only programs and events. Examples include our Real Life Civics: Traditions and Norms program that explores topics such as the filibuster, seniority in the Senate, traditions that have been broken (or redefined) by presidents, and the independence of the judiciary.
     
  3. Members help ensure that our public programs remain free and open to the public and live as a digital resource on our website for continued use and discussion.
Become a Member today! Our basic memberships start at $25 for students and educators, $47 for individuals, and $75 for households. You can join online or mail payment directly to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, 210 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02125.
 
Join Today
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