October 2017 Newsletter

News from the Center for Civic Education

Congressman Lee Hamilton to Appear in New Video Series, Ask John about the Constitution, 60-Second Civics Reaches 3,000 Episodes, and More in This Month's Newsletter.

Chuck Quigley Interviews Rep. Lee Hamilton for New Video Series

Center Executive Director Chuck Quigley sat down with former Congressman Lee Hamilton at Indiana University's School of Global and International Studies for a video interview about the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system. Hamilton is one of ten leading scholars and practitioners being interviewed for the upcoming Strengthening in Democracy in America video series.

Read more about the history of the Center's projects.

Got a Question About the Constitution? Ask John!

Professor John P. Kaminski of the Center for the Study of the American Constitution has been answering student questions about the $emdash2 We the People state hearing questions in a new video series. In the eight-week series, called the Ask John Project the University of Wisconsin-Madison professor responds to questions submitted by We the People students from throughout the country. It's not too late for your class to participate!

American Judges Foundation Gives Grant to We the People

The American Judges Foundation has again made a generous donation to aid the We the People program. The Foundation voted at its annual meeting in Toronto to increase this year's contribution to the Center for Civic Education to $5,000 to support the We the People program. They have also made it an ongoing donation.

Quick Quiz! Which of the following powers does the Constitution specifically prohibit states from having?

A. The power to grant titles of nobility
B. The power to protect the health of citizens
C. The power to operate public schools
D. The power to certify the results of an election

Read on to learn the answer!

Eleven Years of Project Citizen in Ghana

Ghanaian students have now been participating in Project Citizen programs for eleven years! Since 2006, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has been organizing Project Citizen in all ten regional capitals of Ghana to empower young people with the knowledge and skills to be informed citizens.

Application Open for Civic Learning Awards for California Public Schools

The application for the $emdash3 California Civic Learning Award for Public Schools is open! Co-sponsored by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and California Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, the awards celebrate civic learning and encourage public schools to enhance student engagement in civics and democracy.

Constitution Day 2017

On September 17, we celebrated another Constitution Day to commemorate the creation and signing of the supreme law of the land and to honor and celebrate the privileges and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship for both native-born and naturalized citizens. Check out our Constitution Day lesson plans for every grade level!

QUIZ ANSWER: A. The power to grant titles of nobility

For more quizzes and learning opportunities, check out the 60-Second Civics podcast and daily civics quiz!

Mark Molli speaks to International Visitor Leadership Program

The Center continues to be visited by interested civic educators and officials from around the world. As part of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the Center's associate director, Mark Molli, met with fifteen civil society leaders from all around the world to discuss strategies to advance and sustain civic engagement. In recent weeks the Calabasas office has received visitors from China, Jordan, Uganda, and Iran. We deeply appreciate all of the delegation visits, as the Center staff members learn so much from the delegations.

60-Second Civics Podcast Reaches 3,000th Episode!

The 60-Second Civics podcast has hit 3,000 episodes! A Daily Civics Quiz can be found on the webpage for each one-minute episode. You can play the podcast in the classroom from the Center's website or by playing an audiogram from our Facebook or Twitter accounts. Happy listening!

Shop Amazon to Support the Center for Civic Education

Shopping on Amazon? Use this link to benefit We the People and the Center's other civic education programs. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Center for Civic Education. You pay the same price for your purchases, but you have the satisfaction of knowing you've helped students receive the high-quality civic education they deserve. Bookmark the link and keep giving all year with every purchase.