The National Constitution Center's mission is to, "disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis in order to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.”
Learn more about how our education team contributes to that mission by exploring our educational framework.
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Civil Dialogue and Reflection
Once students have the historical background and the constitutional literacy skills to explore constitutional topics, how can they discuss these topics in a meaningful and respectful way? The Center has the civil dialogue support you need for your students this year.
Watch U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer discuss the importance of civil dialogue in the Supreme Court and beyond.
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Join Us For Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities |
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Civics Education: A Pathway to a More Perfect Union
September 9, 2021
3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET
Join colleagues from across Pennsylvania in a panel discussion moderated by the Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell, as we explore civics education in the Commonwealth—past, present, and future.
Panelists include:
- Dr. Jem Spectar, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
- Dr. Regina Clare Speaker, executive director of Montgomery County IU
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Colonel (ret) Charles D. Allen, professor of cultural science at the United States Army War College
- Dr. Kerry Sautner, chief learning officer at the National Constitution Center
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Christian Wrabley, social studies teacher at Greater Johnstown High School
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Joe Welch, 2020 PA Teacher of the Year and teacher at North Hills School District.
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Civil Dialogue Series
September 14, 2021
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ET
From September through December, the National Constitution Center will host 90-minute virtual professional learning workshops for educators interested in developing civil dialogue skills with their students.
Participating educators will:
- Examine the importance of norm creation
- Explore the differences between political and constitutional questions
- Participate in a civil dialogue on a current constitutional topic
- Receive student ready resources
- Collaborate and share with colleagues nationwide
Educators are encouraged to join us for the entire series, or individual sessions as schedules allow.
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With programs scheduled online and at the museum, the National Constitution Center is the perfect place to celebrate Constitution Day with your students on September 17!
Join the National Constitution Center at 11 a.m. ET to wish the Constitution a happy 234th birthday LIVE from our museum on Independence Mall! President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen will be joined by some famous faces from history for a special reading of the preamble to the Constitution. Following the reading, join us for our Kids Town Hall where visitors will have the opportunity to “meet” famous figures from constitutional history and hear about the ways they shaped the Constitution. Register here.
In the Philadelphia area? Join us at the museum for Constitution 101 Overlook shows throughout the day, an opportunity to sign our giant Constitution, and to participate live in our preamble reading and Kids Town Hall event.
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Part lecture and part lively conversation, these weekly classes are accessible to the public so that students, teachers, and parents can join in a constitutional discussion with National Constitution Center scholars, including President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen and Chief Learning Officer Kerry Sautner, on core topics such as the branches of government, landmark court cases, civil rights, First Amendment’s freedoms of speech and press and the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure.
Classes start on Wednesday, September 15. Each week this school year, three classes will be offered:
- Wednesdays at 12 p.m. Introductory Sessions – Seeking Understanding
- Wednesdays at 2 p.m.: Advanced Sessions – Beyond the Basics
- Fridays at 1 p.m.: All-Ages Sessions with Distinguished Guest Scholars
Explore the schedule for the entire school year and register for upcoming sessions here.
Interested in scheduling a session for your class and other classes nationwide? The semi-private Scholar Exchanges promote deeper understandings and enhance opportunities for civil discourse and discussion. Sessions will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from September 2021 – May 2022. Learn more about those sessions, and register for a future session, here.
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In this episode of the We the People podcast, we profile Mercy Otis Warren—a trailblazing woman who was one of the leading thinkers of America’s Revolutionary and Founding period. A poet, playwright, and pamphleteer—Warren’s ideas influenced John, Abigail, and Samuel Adams as well as Alexander Hamilton and others, and even helped shape the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Host Jeffrey Rosen was joined by two biographers of Warren, Nancy Rubin Stuart, author of The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation, and Rosemarie Zagarri, author of A Woman's Dilemma: Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution.
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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.
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