Summer of Civics: Students Tackle Civil Discourse at Constitutional Academy

<p>They came from California, New York, and all points in between.</p>

<p>And for six days they sharpened their civics skills, immersed themselves in American history, and engaged with policymakers who help shape our government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Bill of Rights Institute’s prestigious Constitutional Academy was held from July 10-15 on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. </p>

<p>Seventeen high school students from every region of the United States converged on our nation’s capital for six days of seminars, dialogue, and visits to some of the most important and historic sites in America. </p>

<p>The theme of this year’s Constitutional Academy was “Civil Discourse in a Republic.” Students participated in educational sessions that discussed the role of civil discourse in American society, and the impact of civil discourse on everything from journalism to social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For their capstone project, students wrote opinion articles for their local newspapers about issues they are passionate about. They learned to research and carefully craft their arguments while addressing counter-arguments in a civil manner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One student, Jacob Johnson of Norfolk, VA, even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/opinion/columns/vp-ed-column-johnson-0731-20220730-gyjo24ab6baw7f46g2e5a2aebe-story.html">had his op-ed published by the&nbsp;<em>Virginian-Pilot&nbsp;</em>network of newspapers.</a></p>

<p>Of course, traveling to Washington, D.C. also gave students the opportunity to explore some of the capital’s most significant sites. </p>

<p>Students visited the National Archives, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and more. </p>

<p>Even elected officials rolled out the red carpet for the Bill of Rights Institute Constitutional Academy students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska introduced the students at the Nebraska Congressional Breakfast, and Senator Angus King of Maine spent an hour fielding questions from the students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Do you know a student who would like to participate in Constitutional Academy next year?&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/constitutional-academy">Just bookmark this page</a>&nbsp;and we will update it with information on the 2023 Constitutional Academy as soon as it becomes available.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Interested in learning more about civil discourse? You can find a variety of helpful materials&nbsp;<a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/search?q=civil%20discourse">on the Bill of Rights Institute web site</a>.&nbsp;</p>