Constitutional Seminars
The Bill of Rights Institute holds an increasing number of Constitutional Seminars each year. These seminars intend to educate and train teachers about the words and ideas of America’s Founders. Now these teachers are reaching an estimated one million students annually with concepts that are all too often neglected in our nation’s schools. We are meeting this critical need with a comprehensive strategy to provide training to teachers nationwide.
In 2007, 98% of teachers attending our Constitutional Seminars reported that they increased their understanding of Constitutional issues. 97% said that the newfound knowledge and teaching strategies they gained from the seminar would have an impact on their students. Finally, 99% said they would recommend one of our seminars to their colleagues.
During each program, American History, Government, and Civics teachers from across the nation received crucial background knowledge from a Constitutional Scholar, as well as educational strategies and classroom-tested lesson plans from the Bill of Rights Institute’s Master Teacher.
Summer Institute
The Bill of Rights Institute’s Summer Programs seek to reintroduce teachers to the Founding Fathers. Extended residential and training sessions at historical sites give teachers a more intimate and immediate sense of American history that they will bring back to their classrooms.
Liberty Fund (Co-Sponsored Program)
The Bill of Rights Institute partners with Liberty Fund to conduct a series of residential seminars for teachers. With Constitutional Scholars leading discussions and lectures, teachers engage in a focused, scholarly exploration of landmark periods in the history of American presidents. Each seminar welcomes approximately 20 dedicated teachers who have expressed interest in deepening their commitment to Bill of Rights Institute programs.
Constitutional Academy
The Constitutional Academy engages talented students, helping them to increase their civic knowledge and encouraging them to develop an active, life-long commitment to America’s Founding Principles. It is reserved for young leaders who demonstrate a strong foundation of civic knowledge and a commitment to increasing their understanding of liberty. The week-long summer honors program held on university campuses in the Washington, D.C. area provides students the opportunity to perform an intensive study of the Founding documents and gain three college credits.
During the week, students study constitutional republicanism, property rights, religious liberty, personal liberty, and the Constitution in wartime, and take part in on-site
learning sessions in which students traveled to Mount Vernon, Gunston Hall, Montpelier, and the National Archives. 98% of students indicated each day’s experience would have an impact on their future studies, and 98% of students would recommend each day’s experience to other students.
Being an American Essay Contest
The Being an American student essay contest represents the Institute’s largest single project endeavor, designed to help students gain a deeper understanding of responsible citizenship. This essay contest asks high school students to answer the question, “What civic value(s) do you believe are most essential to being an American, and how can you personally put those values into practice?” In essence, we are asking students to reflect on what being an American means to them.
The winners of the contest are honored with an Awards Dinner. In addition to the cash prizes given to students for their essays, the teacher of each winner is also given an equivalent cash prize. A total of 180 prizes were given, reaching nearly $200,000. Below are some pictures of the 2007 and 2008 Awards Dinners.