Sandra Day O'Connor Institute Sponsors National Educator Intensive

A Week in Philadelphia: Educators Deepen Their Constitutional Knowledge

In June, a remarkable gathering took place in the heart of historic Philadelphia, the “birthplace of America,” and just steps away from the room where the Constitution was signed in Independence Hall. Following a national competition, twenty-five middle and high school educators from across the country were chosen to gather for a rare opportunity and honor to participate in a week-long deep dive into the foundations, complexities, and understanding of the United States Constitution.

Sponsored by the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy, in collaboration with the National Constitution Center and the Organization of American Historians, the 2025 Constitutional Educator Intensive provided educators with the opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s most respected historians, legal scholars, and civic educators. The unique professional development seminar included a meaningful exchange of ideas, questions, and insights. Selected from a national pool of hundreds of applicants, the participants represented a wide range of schools—public and private, urban and rural, charter and parochial. However, they all shared a common goal: to return to their classrooms with a deeper understanding of the Constitution and a renewed sense of purpose in teaching it.

A group of people stand outside a historic red brick building with tall windows, listening to a tour guide discuss the Constitution on a sunny day. A modern office building is visible in the background.

Expert Speakers, First Hand Exploration

A panel of four speakers sits on a stage in an auditorium with an audience watching. A large screen behind them reads, "The Story of the U.S. Constitution: Past and Present," highlighting the importance of Civics Education.

Each day brought something new: seminars with Yale professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Blight and constitutional scholar Akhil Amar, roundtable discussions with National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen, and sessions exploring the Reconstruction Amendments, landmark Supreme Court decisions, and constitutional crises that have shaped American democracy, such as the Civil War.

Additionally, participants walked down Philadelphia's renowned cobblestone streets of Old City, visited Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and had an inspiring reflection on our nation’s founding ideals, not as distant history, but as living principles that still shape the lives of their students and all citizens today.

A Lasting Impact, A Living Legacy

This experience wasn’t just academic to the educators. It was personal.

As one participant shared, “The opportunity the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute afforded teachers from around the country to study together was impactful personally and will definitely influence my teaching and lessons for years to come, meaning that hundreds of students will benefit from my participation in the program, too!”

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor once said, “A healthy democracy depends on knowledgeable and engaged citizens.” That vision was at the heart of the Institute’s decision to sponsor this educator intensive. The intensive experience emphasized a commitment to teaching one of the most essential subjects in American public life, the U.S. Constitution. It is the foundational document that establishes the framework for the American government, defines the scope of its powers, protects the rights of its citizens, and is the supreme law of the land.

Feedback From The Participants

Words cannot express my gratitude for the opportunity the Institute provided this summer. I was able to visit one of my bucket list places on top of participating in the Deep Dive Summer Intensive. It was an amazing experience, and I will not forget it any time soon. Thank you for helping me to become a better teacher and giving me the opportunity to learn. - Cassie A., Idaho

It was a splendid experience, and I gained so much that I will bring back to my 8^th graders. I am so honored to have been chosen. - Christina M., Tennessee

The opportunity afforded teachers from around the country to study together was impactful personally and will definitely influence my teaching and lessons for years to come, meaning that hundreds of students will benefit from my participation in the program too! - Victoria B., California

The intensive was not a professional development week for me – it was an intellectual & moral recharge.

I left Philadelphia with a deeper capacity to bring the Constitution alive in my classroom & community. - Rebecca S., Texas

I just want to thank you again for the amazing opportunity to spend a week in Philadelphia at the US Constitution teacher intensive. I cannot wait to bring all that I have learned to my classroom. It was an incredible experience and I am so lucky I was able to participate in it. - Natalie R., Wisconsin

Several adults sit attentively in a classroom or seminar setting, focusing on something out of view. Some have notebooks and laptops on the tables in front of them, actively engaging in Civics Education.

A group of people sit attentively around a conference table, engaging in a Civics Education discussion. A woman in the foreground looks forward with focus, with an open laptop and papers in front of her. Name cards are on the table.

Four women stand together in a meeting room, smiling and holding colorful sticky notes during a Civics Education workshop. One woman wears glasses and a white cardigan, another wears a bright patterned top, while others look on cheerfully in the background.

A woman in a gray suit stands and speaks to a group about civics education in a conference room. Several people, seated around her, listen attentively. One man in a black cap looks up at her, while another sits by the door.

Two people sit at a conference table, engaged in conversation about Civics Education, with laptops, notebooks, and water bottles in front of them. Other attendees are in the background, and a U.S. flag hangs on the wall.

A man wearing glasses and a black t-shirt gestures while speaking about civics education in a discussion, seated indoors with a conference badge around his neck. Another person in a red jacket is partially visible beside him.

The Importance of Ongoing Education

In a time when civic understanding is more important than ever, the Constitutional Educator Intensive offered something extraordinary: a space for thoughtful learning, enriching conversation, and professional support that reminds teachers why their work is essential to preserving our constitutional republic and representative democracy.

And for the students who will soon be sitting in those fortunate classrooms, they’ll be learning from someone who didn’t just read about the Constitution, but walked its history, examined its meaning, and returned ready to help the next generation do the same.

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